Film Review: Candyman, "While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original, this is captivating horror movie in it’s own right"

Candyman (1992) was one of the more intelligent horror movies from the last century. While it has received some criticism in recent years – some view it as a continuation of the "white saviour" trope, the film's depiction of racial inequality in Chicago was far ahead of its time, for a film released in 1991.

The character served as a metaphor for the centuries of brutal treatment of African Americans, which its new rebooted sequel skillfully keeps in mind throughout its 91-minute runtime.

Like the original, Candyman is brought back to life when Yayha Abdul-Mateen II's Anthony McCoy says his name five times in front of a reflection as a gag to scare his girlfriend. Soon, he becomes entranced by the Candyman mythos, designing an art exhibition about what he thought was an urban legend.

As you might expect, Candyman comes to life in the hours after the gallery closes, murdering the unlikeable art director that had just argued with Anthony earlier that evening. Chaos then consumes Anthony and his relationships as he becomes more enamoured with the story of the titular character played again by Tony Todd brilliantly.

While this film doesn't hit the heights of the original, for a modern reboot of a horror classic, it certainly delivers. Not quite as scary as the prior film; it serves more like a revenge flick as the plot goes on. Getting Jordan Peele on board as a writer and producer was a brilliant decision as he brings the chops he honed with Get Out and Us with his influence as clear as day.

It's not a classic, but Candyman (2021) certainly packs a punch.

Watch the trailer below: