In Present-Day Chicago, an Urban Legend Returns

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in "Candyman"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Twenty-nine years ago, writer-director Bernard Rose gave audiences the chilling horror film, “Candyman,” which was based on Clive Barker’s short story, “The Forbidden.” With this film, Rose gave a cinematic incarnation to the terrifying supernatural figure of Candyman, which was brought to life through Tony Todd’s iconic performance. Although the movie was followed by two inferior sequels, they couldn’t undo the scares that Todd brought to the first movie.

Now, director Nia DaCosta reinvigorates the franchise with “Candyman,” which is a direct sequel to the original. Despite not reaching its full potential, the film still has enough artfulness and frights to make it a worthy continuation of the series.

Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is an up-and-coming painter living in Chicago with his girlfriend, Brianna (Teyonah Parris), an art-gallery director. When Anthony finds inspiration for his next project in the urban legend of Candyman, his life will soon become consumed by the presence of this being.

Although the quick runtime doesn’t quite provide the cast with enough of a chance to develop, they still give effective performances that display how the horror of the scenario is hitting their characters.  Mateen does well in showing Anthony’s descent into insanity as Candyman’s influence takes hold, while Parris is just as good at trying to reach Anthony’s true self as his situation becomes more and more dangerous.  Meanwhile, Colman Domingo has a standout supporting performance as a Cabrini Green resident who passes along the story of Candyman to Anthony.

The screenplay by Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, and DaCosta feels rushed at less than 90 minutes (when you exclude the end credits). It offers some relevant ideas, but doesn’t give itself a chance to explore them in greater detail. Given how Peele has dealt with topical issues in his films “Get Out” and “Us,” it’s a bit of a missed opportunity to have him as one of the screenwriters and not go further into these aspects of the story. By the time we arrive at a significant turn in the last 15 minutes, there isn’t much of an impact because of how the events and character arcs feel underdeveloped.

Despite that, one neat angle that the story offers is the concept of how urban legends change over time. The Candyman in this film isn’t just different in terms of who plays him (in this case, Michael Hargrove), but is also given a different origin. It’s a clever touch that helps to lift the movie a bit above its narrative shortcomings and provides a feeling of just how long this legend has been around within the world of the movie.

In a year that has provided us with such well-shot horror movies like “A Quiet Place: Place 2,” “Old,” and “The Night House,” “Candyman” tops them all. DaCosta offers plenty of arresting visuals, with the help of cinematographer John Guleserian, and the pair of them construct tracking shots and zoom ins/outs that utilize the settings in memorable ways.  But, the best part about the camerawork is the haunting use of mirrors and windows, particularly during the moments when Candyman makes appearances in these reflective surfaces before he strikes. This is only DaCosta’s second feature, after her 2019 debut with the crime thriller, “Little Woods,” so to see such a new filmmaker create a movie with as many standout images as this shows a confidence that is already leading her to bigger projects, as DaCosta has been hired to direct the “Captain Marvel” sequel, “The Marvels.”

There are also sequences that tell the story of Candyman with puppetry animation.  By using this form of animation, the movie calls back to the old-school methods of how stories were told decades and decades ago, highlighting the long life of not just storytelling, but the legend of Candyman within the movie and how far back that story goes.

“Candyman” might not be quite as sweet of a time as one might have expected from the return of this famous horror villain, but it still entertains with its committed performances and visually rich filling.

Grade: B