It may take saying his name five times to summon Candyman, but it only took his film franchise two mediocre sequels to seemingly spell his doom. That is until now, with Nia DaCosta’s sequel reviving the franchise in spectacularly bloody fashion. Retaining the original film’s moody, sullen tone, DaCosta has crafted a sequel that is sufficiently spine-tingling and gory whilst packing in enough biting indictment of the struggles of the African-American experience to really make an impact on the horror genre, rather than the hollow cash-grab it could have been. Favouring that social commentary instead of an all-out orgy of violence for its finale may leave some viewers wanting, but a star-making performance from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ensures that Candyman’s revival is as glorious as it should be.
Taking a page from 2018’s Halloween reboot, Candyman acts as a direct follow-up to the first film, forgoing the mediocre sequels in favour of a story set 30 years after Helen Lyle’s tumultuous investigation into the urban legend of Candyman in the Chicago housing projects of Cabrini-Green. Here local artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) struggles to find inspiration for his next project, fixating on the local legend of Candyman and setting off on an investigation into his reign of terror that leads him to Burke (Colman Domingo), a local resident who considers himself an expert on the subject. As mysterious murders begin to mount around Anthony, he finds himself disconnecting from the world, experiencing strange visions of violence that drive a wedge between him and girlfriend Breanna (Teyonah Parris). As his obsession turns to fear, Anthony sets out on a desperate attempt to end the curse he feels he is under, but is it too late for his salvation?
Candyman has kills aplenty: throats slashed, innards spilled and limbs severed. The gore is sufficiently stomach churning for a modern horror film, but what sets it apart is the tone Nia DaCosta establishes – thanks in no small part to Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe’s chilling score – that ensures you are never truly comfortable as you watch. You might not be out of your mind terrified at all times but there is a constant dread lingering in the back of your mind that the Candyman may strike from anywhere. DaCosta wisely builds her big set-pieces around this, knowing when to hold back to build suspense and when to go balls-to-the-wall crazy.
In this same way she and co-writers Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele build the social commentary into the script: rarely loud and in your face, preferring that you make your own conclusions rather than holding your hand to find the social message at its centre. That message isn’t particularly subtle but it is powerful, the gentrification of the Chicago suburb of Cabrini-Green has always been at the heart of the Candyman story, and DaCosta presents a new perspective, questioning Anthony’s contribution to that very problem by purchasing a new apartment in the traditionally low-income suburb and his profiting off of the suffering of Candyman’s victims by way of his art. DaCosta digs a little deeper in her exploration of gentrification, with a discussion of art and the artist’s role in the social problem, but it is somewhat lost in the film’s larger commentary, with the powerful finale choosing to focus on the problem in a very literal way instead.
The star of the piece, however, is undoubtedly Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He is simply impossible to turn away from, bringing a charisma and energy to Anthony that is fascinating to watch slowly chip away as Candyman’s influence spreads. Moments when he experiences these dream-like states of unawareness are incredibly unsettling to watch, as Abdul-Mateen II’s eyes slowly lose focus, with DaCosta often choosing to shoot him looking directly at camera, as if Candyman is lingering over your very shoulder. Whilst more time could have been spent developing the relationship between Anthony and Parris’ Breanna, particularly the complicated dynamic between partners and gallery owner/artist, this is a minor gripe and a testament to the strength of the performances that you want to spend more time with these characters. Parris’ character isn’t the focus for much of the film but still gets some standout moments, easily conveying the pure terror she experiences through widened eyes alone.
Nia DaCosta clearly has a lot of love for the 1992 original Candyman, linking Anthony’s story to Helen’s in genuinely surprising ways and maintaining a tone that feels consistent with that film but which still manages to be its own dread-filled beast, with social commentary that is smart and biting, but never enough to draw the attention away from Candyman himself, who is represented here in a truly spine chilling way. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s performance is a standout in a year full of horror standouts, a haunting examination of one man succumbing to obsession and the dark forces it brings with it. You might not be able to utter his name in front of the mirror more than once, but you’ll be dying to see Candyman again and again.
Candyman stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett & Colman Domingo – In cinemas now.