Anthony and his partner move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini-Green, and after a chance encounter with an old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence.
Candyman is back after a long overdue remake. The 1992 horror movie was a big surprise and became a cult favourite. Nia DaCosta is directing this new sequel/reboot to the franchise. Produced by Jordan Peele, you can feel his influence all over this movie. Some familiar vibes from his movies like US and Get out are noticeable. The strongest aspect of this film is the intrigue. You get invested in this artist, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who gets slowing embraced in the Candyman mythology. The cinematography is excellent, and the acting is on point. Some characters from the original are back. The gore, the creepiness is there, and you still hesitate to pronounce his name five times in the mirror. Candyman is a decent sequel and I hope more is to come.
Unfortunately, this movie lacks something big. The charisma of the original Candyman Tony Todd. His performance brought a lot to this character. The way he speaks and the grunt he does when he’s killing somebody are crucially missing from this movie. It feels like there is no soul. The music doesn’t make you feel the melancholia like the soundtrack from Philip Glass in the original movie. Candyman 2021 is a cheap version of what is used to be. It’s not a bad movie, but there is room for some big improvements in future instalments.
