By Brenda De La Cruz
Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld and Nia DaCosta’s 2021 rendition of “Candyman” brings a mix of past references and new scares, all rolled into one. The suspense is enough to satisfy a horror fan.
The film is a sequel to the 1992 original with the same name, and takes on a more current “woke” approach. The movie follows an artist who, by researching the famous “Candyman” story, falls into a rabbit hole of theories about the so-called killer. The story goes, if you look into a mirror or reflection of yourself and say his name five times, the Candyman appears, and kills you. It’s all fun and games! Or is it?
Anthony, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II wishes to use this supernatural folklore to advance his own art career, but soon learns the dangers of dabbling with a secret many wished they never came across in the first place.
The film is witty and suspenseful, and it delves into topics like gentrification. The film takes place in a gentrified location related to the original, which sends a message to its viewers about the barriers that structural racial discrimination plays in the lives of minorities –in particular those of color– in this country.
“Candyman” with its diverse and fresh cast, brings tangible horror and suspense to new viewers, while maintaining the eerie, spooky feeling of the original. One major nostalgic piece that carries on in this film is the original theme music that is attached to the villain himself. Just listening to this melody is enough to send chills down your spine and shoot you back to the original film.
The acting is superb and realistic, where you can sense the fear the characters are experiencing, while forming a worrisome attachment to the main character as his story develops.
Overall, this 91-minute film does its job at keeping viewers on the edge of their seats, with their fingers in their ears out of fear.