Dog’s Movie House: “Candyman” a worthy sequel to a classic horror film!

“Candyman” takes place almost thirty years after the original and follows the journey of Chicago artist Anthony McCoy (and excellent Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). He has a lovely girlfriend (Teyonah Parris) who also is his agent, but Anthony has hit a rough patch. He lacks inspiration until he stumbles upon the old tenament building that used to house the notorious Cabrini-Green apartments (which used to be the haunt of the hook-handed Candyman). There, with the help of one of the Green’s longtime residents, William (Colman Domingo), Anthony becomes fascinated with the urban legend and the stories surrounding Candyman. It provides inspiration that ties into the gentrification of the neighborhood and the racist history of the area and soon Anthony is painting up a storm. He is also losing himself in the story of the supernatural killer and has somehow resurrected Candyman, who is now on another killing spree.

To tell you anymore of the story would be a disservice to you, dear moviegoer, but suffice it to say that it involves historical connections that enhance the Candyman urban legend and the rather troubled history of the Cabrini-Greens apartments. The racial angle is not subtle, but upon further reflection I don’t think it’s supposed to be. So many traditional horror movie tropes don’t go well for African American characters either from a development or survivability standpoint. By making almost all the white characters asshats, DaCosta has given a cathartic reversal to “Candyman’s” target audience that, while not handled with the most finesse, is something almost wholly original for a horror film. (It’s not surprising that the film was produced and co-written by Jordan Peele of “Get Out” and “Us” fame).

It helps that DaCosta directs the hell out of this film. There is a haunting style and good pace that keeps the film moving at a nice clip. The set up for the kills and the kills themselves are creative. DaCosta makes good use of the urban legend’s saying of Candyman’s name five times in front of the mirror as well as the mirrors themselves. The performances are also good by the leads, especially by Abdul-Mateen II who provides Anthony with a strength that slowly unravels in the face of his paranoia. Parris is good as his girl Brianna, but she’s a bit underwritten. Also good is Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Brianna’s brother Troy. Stewart-Jarrett manages to take a stereotypical gay character and provide a well-drawn character who also provides most of the films comic relief. The ending, while a little rushed, has some nice revelations and the appearance of a well-known actor associated with the first film. In fact, “Candyman” does a great job of tying its story to the 1992 film in a way that seems completely organic. Also kudos must go to the filmmakers for framing the historical events in the film with a very creepy type of puppet show that may be more unsettling than anything else in the film. Overall, “Candyman” is a creepy, thought-provoking horror film that does credit to the original film! 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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