In 1992, ‘Candyman’ slashed its way into cinemas terrifying audiences around the world. Adapted from Clive Barker’s short story, The Forbidden, from his book series, Books of Blood, Tony Todd’s chilling portrayal of ‘Candyman’ became a big hit and a horror movie icon along with Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Chucky, Leatherface, and Hellraiser. To capitalise on its success, the film received two sequels with 1995’s Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, and 1999’s Candyman: Day of the Dead, but unfortunately, both films were panned by fans and critics. However, in 2021, the legend known as ‘Candyman’ makes his long-awaited return to the silver screen, to make sure everyone remembers his name.

Even though they share the exact same title, 2021’s Candyman is a direct sequel of 1992’s Candyman and aims to bring the 90’s horror icon to the modern day. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Anthony McCoy, a visual artist in Chicago who learns about the legend of Candyman and quickly becomes obsessed, which then influences his paintings from that day on.

Those close to him become more and more concerned about his wellbeing and mental state, as his paintings involve a lot of violence, grotesque and offensive imagery. Anthony soon realises he may have a connection to Candyman and decides to learn more about his history. After learning all the similarities and parallels he has with the legend, he begins to question whether he is Candyman himself or a reincarnation as his hallucinations get worse.

The man who soon became known as Candyman was the son of an African slave in late 19th century Chicago but became a successful and talented artist who painted portraits of wealthy people, but after a forbidden love affair with a caucasian woman who then became pregnant with his child, her father hired a lynch mob to murder him for committing such a taboo. After his capture, they tortured him by cutting off his right hand, covered him in honey causing him to be stung to death by killer bees, and finally burning him to ashes. However, his ghost rose from his remains and became a vengeful spirit, with his only goal being to keep the stories and rumours of his legend alive. If his name is spoken five times while staring into a mirror, he will be summoned, slaying his victims with a hook in place of his severed hand, and continue to revive the legend.

The Black Manta star from 2018‘s Aquaman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II puts on an incredible performance illustrating the struggles of a modern artist and his unhealthy obsessions with an urban myth that inadvertently leads to mysterious and cryptic murders around the city. While he may have a shortlist to his filmography at age 35, he’s already proven he’s more than capable of being a lead star and ‘Candyman’ is another fantastic example of his diverse acting range.

Tony Todd starred as the title character in the first three films and returns as the undead legend in the 2021 sequel. Tony was known to never hide his disdain of the two sequels that followed the original 1992 hit and even rejected offers to reprise his role in a fourth sequel, which also went through development hell, as well as a crossover film with the ‘Leprechaun’ series. However, the 2021 film is a sequel done right, does justice to the series for longtime fans, and will even attract new fans by being both a homage and excellent continuation of the short story written by Clive Barker in 1985. After 22 years, Tony Todd finally reprises his iconic role in a horrifying fashion.

‘Candyman’ is a horror movie that’s more than just brutal and gory killings on screen. The chilling tale behind the myth, the psychological and unpredictable moments, and the overall presentation with the strategic shots, angles, lighting, and edits altogether will have audiences on the edge of their seats. The sheer sight of Candyman himself along with his expressions and mannerisms will not be forgotten anytime soon, much like his legend.

Even with his memorable and iconic design, Candyman doesn’t actually appear in the film as much as you’d expect, but his presence can definitely be felt throughout the entire movie. Upon being summoned, physically he is there but cannot be seen unless looking at a reflective surface, but by then it’s already too late. Although he mostly uses the same method to kill his victims, the way each murder scene is filmed and edited actually makes each one feel new and creative. On some occasions, those scenes are actually shot from the perspective of someone witnessing the events unfold. Even when not seeing the actual murders occur on screen, just the implications are more than enough to create moments that truly define a horror movie. All of this just adds to the fear factor and mystique of Candyman.

Even only being her second major film, director Nia DaCosta has done an amazing job reviving the 29-year-old classic and it will be interesting to see how she goes with her next project, with ‘The Marvels’ as part of the MCU franchise due to release in 2022. Her directing style along with the performances of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tony Todd, and the rest of the cast will make sure that upon reflection, audiences will never forget the name ‘Candyman’.

Written by: Sammy Hanson