‘Candyman’ (2021) Review

^{By: Amanda Guarragi}

The horror genre has been giving audiences so much to look forward to. Each new addition to the genre is original, unique and delivers the scares. Some aren’t as strong as others, but they add something new each time. Whether it be visually, psychologically, or emotionally, the genre has been elevated. Even with the more obscure horror films, that did not stick the landing, the director’s vision would almost always standout. With direct sequels to the original, such as Candyman, it is important to differentiate between a reboot, and a sequel. They never marketed this film as a sequel, and if I never watched the first one, I wouldn’t have gotten the references or the connection to the urban legend.

This is also supposed to be Nia DaCosta’s film. Notice how I said supposed to be. Unfortunately, with a name like Jordan Peele signed on as producer and co-writer, there is a lot of him in this movie. The main issue with Candyman is that there are two main ideas clashing. It felt like DaCosta’s vision for this film, versus Peele’s modern social commentary, were constantly trying to outdo the other. DaCosta’s direction was very strong and there were some great, unique moments, to drive the story forward. But Peele’s voice overpowered hers. The humour would undercut the scares – which were very limited- and take you out of the eerie atmosphere DaCosta created.

Every time DaCosta wanted to get deeper into the urban legend and really add some depth to the story, it was cut short. It stayed on the surface, barely making an impact. The only thing I can speak on are the technical aspects of this film, as the story itself and the social commentary, are not for me to dissect. DaCosta made some great visual choices to explain the lore and some kills were strong. However, there weren’t enough kills shown on screen and it was not nearly scary enough. DaCosta tried to work with the script that she had, but ultimately her full vision for this film was held back.

Candyman is one of the most disappointing films of the year. Sure, it visually delivered some great moments, the entire cast gave solid performances, but it was not scary, and the script was a complete let down. DaCosta and Peele were trying to say something but they only managed to scratch the surface, leaving the social commentary empty, and convoluted. DaCosta has a cool style and I am looking forward to seeing what else she does next. Just because the script was poor, does not mean that her choices as a director, should go unnoticed.