🎥: ‘Say His Name’ Candyman (2021) - Movie REVIEW
*SPOILER ALERT
If you say his name five times, he shall appear….Or you can be much like other filmgoers and see what happens when you beckon the notorious Candyman. Nia DaCosta’s Candyman hit theaters on August 27th, 2021, after being delayed for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Candyman was set for the initial release of June 12, 2020, then pushed to September 25, 2020, and then again to October 16, 2020. DaCosta ultimately took a leap of faith by postponing the film even further, “We wanted the horror and humanity of CANDYMAN to be experienced in a collective, a community so we’re pushing Candyman to next year to ensure that everyone can see the film in theaters, and share in that experience.”
Her faith paid off. Candyman had grossed over $23.3 million in its initial domestic weekend, making Candyman the first #1 film directed by an African American Woman. This history-making moment had been first paved by Ava Duvernay’s Selma and A Wrinkle in Time and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball.
Getting to the hive of the film, my fresh take is DaCosta’s Candyman sequel is well worth the watch. This sequel makes a perfect homage to the original 1992 gothic and supernatural horror film. Audiences are invited into the root of the tormented spirit that terrorized the projects for centuries. Anthony McCoy, played by Yahya Meteen II, frustratingly makes the identical mistakes of Helen Lyle, nearly mirroring her behavior that eventually led to both of their demises. There’s a moment where Anthony tours vacant Cabrini-Green with his film camera in hand after learning the folklore from Troy Cartwright, played by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. His mystical curiosity and humanistic desire “to be something.” feels as if you’re watching the reimagined takes of the classic.
Brianna Cartwright, played by Teyonah Parris also, becomes a visual representation of black women’s pain. The origin of her pain stemming from witnessing the suicide of her father after a manic episode. This trauma causes Brianna to assume Anthony’s changed behavior resembles her father’s mental decline. Brianna soon learns the validity of Anthony’s fears right before he’s shot in her arms by police, a familiar experience of black people. This scene is so close to the ending, and it almost lost me as a fan until, of course, Peele leaves his signature. Anthony, now fully Candyman, is conjured up by Brianna to slay their “oppressors’, the police. This becomes a minor form of justice that was never given to the original Candyman.
A nod truly needs to to be given to the art and make-up department. Modern set pieces and architecture littering Candyman scenes served as a juxtaposition to the Cabrini-Green complex, amplifying the struggles of gentrification. The bee bite on Anthony’s hand transformed into a full prosthetic Oscar in itself. His body was becoming a mangled and distorted honeycomb, confirming Anthony’s evolution as Candyman.
With escapism being a large desire of black audience members, DaCosta has solidified her place in the genre right alongside Jordan Peele. She’s played right into the goosebumps of horror lovers. DaCosta is not only making history with Candyman but with Captain Marvel 2, starring Brie Larson. This highly anticipated MCU phased film makes DaCosta the first woman to direct a Marvel film. One can only wonder how many “firsts” will Nia DaCosta accomplish and will it be continued in the gothic horror genre?
DISCLAIMER: Please remember this an opinion piece only. All the views and points discussed are of the writer’s only.