I'll never forget walking through a video store as a young child. I have many fond memories of looking at VHS boxes and cardboard standees. I can remember being around 9 years old and seeing a standee that featured a mirror. Beside the mirror, it said "Look in the mirror, say his name five times and try to sleep tonight". Not knowing I was staring at a standee for the original Candyman VHS, I was simply enthralled with the concept. Years later, I would finally see the 1992 now-classic and be amazed all over again. Years after that, I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Todd and was dwarfed (figuratively and literally) by his presence. It's no wonder that I was excited to hear they were making a new film and that Jordan Peele was producing as well as co-writing the script. Being a fan of his work (see my previous review of Us), I couldn't wait. However, the pandemic had other plans for the world and the film's release date, like many others, was pushed back. Needless to say, we all wanted to say his name again and dig deeper into the mythology. Peele and company did not disappoint.
Yahay Abdul-Mateen II plays Anthony, a young artist who recently moved into a now gentrified area in the former slums of Chicago. While looking for inspiration for a new art installation, he hears about the horrors that took place in the former projects of Cabrini-Green that took place over decades. Anthony meets a laundromat owner named Burke, who tells him about his childhood trauma that led to the wrongful death of a kindly old man in Cabrini. Burke believes the old man's death breathed new life into the urban legend of Candyman. Anthony becomes more curious about the story, leading to a not so successful piece at his art installation, predominately featuring a mirror and instructions on how to summon Candyman. The mirror draws in the girlfriend of the art dealer hosting the show and she and her lover are murdered. The media runs with the story, causing Anthony to gain some notoriety in the Chicago suburbs. But when an art critic is slaughtered in her apartment and several teenagers are found dead in a high school bathroom, Anthony becomes concerned. Has Candyman truly returned? Or is Anthony losing his mind, much like Helen Lyle in 1992?
This soft reboot/sequel to the '92 original does not disappoint if you are looking for gore. But it does so with a message. Much like Peele's previous films, Candyman 2021 deals with several key issues in the African-American community, namely gentrification and police brutality. Many have dubbed this film too "woke", being heavy-handed with the message. I personally saw it as a tragedy disguised in horror, much like the original. Helen Lyle's journey in the first film is almost mirrored (no pun intended) with Anthony's.
Stellar performances by the entire cast bring a believability to what other actors and actresses might make too campy. Anthony's paranoia is matched perfectly up against his girlfriend's frustration and fear at what has grown into an obsession. A dark confession by Anthony's mother later in the film only further enriches the Candyman mythology where it could have been easily muddied. Add to that a stunning twist and a bloodbath ending, we are given a real treat with this film. All in all, this is a powerful movie that will leave you wanting more. And honestly, who doesn't want that from their horror?
No comments:
Post a Comment