Candyman (2021)

Horror has always been a genre that explores the ills of our society and comments on the systemic problems. even the original Candyman film, shot long before the white public awakening to the recognition of issues of systemic racism, touched on these topics. So this film, essentially a direct sequel to the original despite being presented more as a remake,  feels very natural a progression as it delves into police violence, racial trauma, and other themes that are rising to the consciousness of mainstream culture in the moment. 

But the new Candyman is also a damn scary film while managing to keep most of the violence off screen. Director DaCosta masterfully builds tension, suspense, and real fear without glorifying violence. For a film that speaks to the issue of the legacy of violence I think it was a brilliant choice to downplay the gore itself and DaCosta's film lacks for nothing in the scare department without needing to revel in brutality. Most of the murders are seen obscured without sacrificing one bit of discomfort with it. 

The film is all about reflections, perceptions, and perspective using mirror imagery to symbolize this and bring it into focus while also playing on the franchise's themes. We are often exposed to images that are mirrored and in so doing changes how we look at them. The film often asks us to question what we're seeing and how we interpret it, perhaps needing another point of view. It asks some challenging and difficult questions while scaring us and the whole film is intentionally and importantly off-putting.  All of it is fascinating and scary in ways beyond just whether a spectre is haunting us from the mirror. In what I am sure will be a controversial choice, the victims of the slasher are (almost) all white and the wrestles with intergenerational trauma and the systems that perpetuate it. Critics are already demeaning the film with "woke" epithets showing they completely misunderstand what is going on. 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II brings a humanity to his lead character amongst a strong cast overall. The film treats racialized and queer characters as fully realized which is refreshing and the cast brings this to life. DaCosta's eye is incredible using her camera to more fully tell the story through her use of perspective and point of view. The film is gorgeously filmed and while the ending feels a bit rushed and convenient, it still feels earned. I am excited to see what she will do next. 

Candyman is scary and fascinating and should haunt you as you leave the cinema. 

Candyman

Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Coleman Domingo, Kyle Kaminski, Vanessa E. Williams, Michael Hargrove, Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen

Director: Nia DaCosta

Writers: Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Nia DaCosta