Review: Candyman

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Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is an artist stuck in a rut. He lives with his art dealer girlfriend, Brianna (Teyonah Parris) in a beautiful Chicago apartment, but when he hears the legend of Candyman, his inspiration takes him back to the former projects where the events of the 1992 film started.

The 1992 Candyman is one of my favorite horror films because it legitimately scared me when I was younger. I had meant to re-watch it before seeing this, but didn't get the time. Thankfully this film recounts a lot of the bigger plot points. I was a bit surprised just how much the 92 film played into this one. 

Director Nia DaCosta has a wonderful eye. The look and feel of this movie is creepy and gorgeous at the same time. Her direction is the best thing about this, even when the script is trying like hell to work against her. I loved the choice to tell some of the back story using shadow puppets, I loved all the shots in the art world, and the kills are brilliantly staged. One that slowly fades into a large wide shot where we see into many apartment windows at once is a great piece of filmmaking.


Since this has been one of my most anticipated films of the year, I wanted it to be perfect, but I couldn't help but be painfully aware that three different people took a shot at this script. Part of it is really stuck on what the 92 film did, the other part is a continuation of that social commentary, and whomever wrote the ending...honestly, I don't know what that was. It's very uneven, and that's disappointing for a film that looks as good as this one, and has so many talented actors involved. It's final stretch home that really brought this down for me. 

The atmosphere and direction are perfect, but don't look to the new Candyman to bring scares like the original. This one is here to ponder what the legend of Candyman means and less to scare you and gross you out. Still, DaCosta is a director we really should support, and this is a perfectly fine way to spend 90 minutes. Fans of Yayah and Teyonah will not be disappointed in what they bring to the table. 

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "....nope." - Brianna (Teyonah Parris)

Comments

  1. Candice FrederickAugust 31, 2021 at 10:01 AM

    yeah, i do agree that it's obvious that three different people wrote this script. it seems conflicted at times

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 1, 2021 at 6:23 AM

      Yep. it's not enough to ruin the film for me, but I had to point it out.

      Delete
  2. Often Off TopicAugust 31, 2021 at 3:06 PM

    I wish I'd watched the original before seeing the new one. I planned to but I had a free evening and went on a whim. Totally agree with you about the scares, I was so nervous going in but it was more about the story than the jumps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 1, 2021 at 6:16 AM

      Definitely, whereas the original was pretty damn scary. I still plan on rewatching it. Now I'm even more nostalgic for it.

      Delete
  3. thevoid99August 31, 2021 at 5:06 PM

    I'm going to wait for it on TV as I do want to support Nia DaCosta as I am happy she is the first African-American woman filmmaker to have a #1 film in the U.S. box office.

    I too have fond memories of the original Candyman as that's one of those films where if you watched a lot of TV and late-night TV in the 90s. That was a staple.

    ReplyDelete

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