Read Mixed User Reviews for Candyman (2021)

4

rickxy007Sep 5, 2021

Godd acting, good ambience, tangential horror.
Too many "say my name", "white people this", "white people that".

Could have been great, but it is nothing but a pamphlet movie screaming mottos and ideologies.

Unfortunately wasted opportunity...

7 of 17 users found this helpful710

All this user's reviews

4

MattyiceAug 27, 2021

While Candyman is well-shot, well-acted, its hand-puppet scenes are very well done, and its themes of art and artistic approach are great, it disappoints as an overall picture in the end. One of the biggest issues is it truly isn't scary orWhile Candyman is well-shot, well-acted, its hand-puppet scenes are very well done, and its themes of art and artistic approach are great, it disappoints as an overall picture in the end. One of the biggest issues is it truly isn't scary or intense in any way beyond the body horror shown on occasion. Furthermore, its gentrification themes feel very forced and are done with absolutely no subtlety or nuance whatsoever, making it feel rather shallow and preachy relative to the original film. Finally, its entire third act is really poorly written, leaving viewers cheated and bored in the end. It has merits in its direction and design, but its actual substance leaves a lot to be desired and could have been done way better with more nuance and better writing.… Expand

6 of 16 users found this helpful610

All this user's reviews

6

jamessAug 29, 2021

It seems as though Jordan Peele and company saw the recent Halloween and thought we can do the same with Candyman. Acknowledging the original (ignoring the lesser sequels), with callbacks and characters from the original, while creating aIt seems as though Jordan Peele and company saw the recent Halloween and thought we can do the same with Candyman. Acknowledging the original (ignoring the lesser sequels), with callbacks and characters from the original, while creating a continuation of the mythology. And even though the release was delayed by covid, it seems rushed. Very stylishly shot and well acted and directed, it would actually IMO benefit from a little longer running time. Good, when it could have been great.… Expand

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

All this user's reviews

6

moviemitch96Aug 29, 2021

Here we have a reboot/remake of sorts of the 1992 supernatural slasher flick of the same name that sees him haunting and cursing anyone who dare mention his name 5 times in the mirror. Modernized and updated by director Nia DaCosta and JordanHere we have a reboot/remake of sorts of the 1992 supernatural slasher flick of the same name that sees him haunting and cursing anyone who dare mention his name 5 times in the mirror. Modernized and updated by director Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele serving as one of the writers, there's some good slasher fun to be had here at times, but the film also delves into its fair share of predictable horror tropes and cliches as well. The film's third act also feels rushed and somewhat satisfying, but overall, fans of the original may appreciate some of the new ideas here, and visually, it's actually somewhat cool at times.… Expand

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

All this user's reviews

4

TheQuietGamerAug 28, 2021

For 29 years Candyman fans have been waiting for the 1992 classic to get the sequel it deserves. It looked that was finally about to happen after all these years thanks to Nia DaCosta and, to a lesser extent, Jordan Peele. The socialFor 29 years Candyman fans have been waiting for the 1992 classic to get the sequel it deserves. It looked that was finally about to happen after all these years thanks to Nia DaCosta and, to a lesser extent, Jordan Peele. The social commentary that was largely absent in Farewell to the Flesh and Day of the Dead would be returning to add some much needed depth back into the mix without the white influence that, while well-meaning back then, would not have been met so warmly today, and maybe with the same kind of creative chills that made Get Out and Us so exciting. Unfortunately the wait goes on as despite the appearance of some incredible ideas this 2021 continuation fall short of its own lofty ambitions by backing itself into a self-defeating corner.

The issue is that it's actively trying to be a sequel. It's clear that DaCosta and crew want to transform the titular character from the ghost of one African-American's suffering into an instrument of black vengeance. He's no longer just Daniel Robitaille. He's Eric Garner. He's Tamir Rice. He's George Floyd. At least until he's not anymore and becomes Daniel Robitaille again in an ending that contradicts everything the film had spent so long trying to set up and completely wastes Tony Todd anyways.

This problem arises because in an effort to correct the perspective of its predecessor that came from it being a product of its time, they incorrectly wrote themselves into a position where he basically HAD to come back. A large portion of the running-time is dedicated to establishing connections and ties to the original, so we're constantly reminded of who the Candyman was there and eagerly await his return. Something that makes the appearance of this "Sherman" dude in his place rather irritating. It makes sense from a thematic standpoint, but man is it unfilling. Worse is that they could have gotten away with it had they not kept referencing what Bernard Rose had created prior. They made it so the past hangs over everything like an oppressive cloud that kills any enthusiasm for what's actually here when they should have gone the full reboot route and given their own ideas room to breathe.

Speaking of room to breathe, this is one of those rare cases where a longer runtime would have been a good thing. A core component of the plot is the main character's gradual physical and mental descent into becoming someone (or something) in a way he doesn't seem fully aware of. Only it's not so gradual at all. He just seems to go insane from the moment he says the summoning words into a reflective surface, which feels unnatural and rushed. It's a cool body horror element that also never really comes into fruition.

In fact, the horror side as a whole fails to deliver. DaCosta relies on cheap gore rather than truly effective frights to get the job done, kind of missing the point when it comes to what made the first Candyman scary. Most of the time though it's too caught up in its own dull plotting, unresolved threads, and hollow characters making the whole thing a bit of a bore. All of which might have been acceptable had there have been a satisfying payoff, but for the aforementioned reasons it shoots itself in the foot preventing that from being a possibility.

While this may be a movie with a lot of ideas that don't come together, it only crumbles under the weight of one. It should have unshackled itself from the past entirely. Never mentioned Helen Lyle or brought back Todd for the few brief seconds he's in here. As by placing itself in the shadow of that earlier work, it has put certain expectations on itself that it feels the need to fulfill just as much as the audience needs to see them be fulfilled. This is not only a shame, but frustrating as well as it keeps the film's own bold and compelling reinvention of the property from ever taking hold when you can totally see how it could have succeeded if they hadn't of attempted the fruitless balancing act of fidelity and emendation. If there's one thing its flawed conclusion is good for though it's that it leaves the door still open for the possibility of this franchise not just being a one hit wonder at some point in the future, how ever delusional that hope may be. As of right now though, many will be left wanting for a while longer yet. This 2021 version, promising though it was and brilliant in brief instances, is (accidentally) counterproductive in the worst way.

4.9/10… Expand

5 of 18 users found this helpful513

All this user's reviews

5

Rebecca31Aug 31, 2021

Candyman 2021 is a direct sequel to the original 1992 Candyman and ignores the other sequels. It gives enough backstory to introduce a new audience and it’s not essential to have seen the original beforehand. I had high expectations, butCandyman 2021 is a direct sequel to the original 1992 Candyman and ignores the other sequels. It gives enough backstory to introduce a new audience and it’s not essential to have seen the original beforehand. I had high expectations, but unfortunately Candyman did not meet them.

Set in present day Chicago, years after the last of the Cabrini Green towers was torn down. Anthony McCoy’s (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) career as an artist has been waning but he becomes reinvigorated after an encounter with a Cabrini Green resident who retells the horrific story behind the Candyman. Anthony begins to explore the ghost story of the supernatural killer who can be summoned by anyone daring to say his name five times while staring into a mirror. The more Anthony delves into the true story behind the Candyman he unwittingly opens a door, and unleashes a terrifying new wave of violence and horror. Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta was one of the few horrors I was looking forward to this year. I’m sure DaCosta will go on to make some great movies, because despite my disappointment it’s well directed and has a lot of nice, artistic visuals. It starts off promising, creates the right atmosphere and keeps a similar tone to the original Candyman. I really did like the first half but unfortunately the second half morphs into a different movie and completely falls apart. It felt like those cheap generic horrors that I’ve seen again and again. There are far too many scenes of people standing in front of mirrors saying Candyman over and over again. I thought the trailer was overdoing it but that was just a taste of what the film has instore for you. One scene specifically stands out, set in a high school, and appeared so out of place it honestly feels like it was added in from another movie altogether. I felt Candyman was two movies forced together, a great horror spliced with a really bad one.

Perhaps my expectations was too high but this really should have been a lot better, I know a lot of film fans will be seeing this one and most likely it will do very well at the box office. Having said that, it might be best to lower the expectations in order for those of you who haven’t seen it to enjoy it a lot more than I did. Recommended for fans of the Candyman franchise, but honestly you’d be better off watching the 1992 version.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

All this user's reviews

6

bertobellamyAug 29, 2021

There's some good photography in here, and the social premise is not that bad — you know what you're getting into when you walk into something involving Jordan Peele —. The problem is that there are too many ideas, and I really don't get whatThere's some good photography in here, and the social premise is not that bad — you know what you're getting into when you walk into something involving Jordan Peele —. The problem is that there are too many ideas, and I really don't get what Nia DaCosta and Peele were trying to do with the character. It also doesn't help that the themes are in-your-face all the time. Some subtlety could've helped a little. And, of course, the last act is the worst part of the film; I liked the gory scenes, but the ending is very underwhelming and confusing.… Expand

1 of 8 users found this helpful17

All this user's reviews

6

dharmaSep 21, 2021

I was anticipating this flick as I was a big fan of the original. Yet despite its stellar casts, the film failed to create a terrifying moment and ended up being a pseudo commentary on social injustice. Not a good mark on Peele's recentI was anticipating this flick as I was a big fan of the original. Yet despite its stellar casts, the film failed to create a terrifying moment and ended up being a pseudo commentary on social injustice. Not a good mark on Peele's recent resume, who act as its producer and writer.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

All this user's reviews

5

ozymandias79Sep 19, 2021

I didn't even realise Candyman only kills white people in this movie until I read the reviews here. Imagine the uproar at a horror villain that only killed black people. Apart from all this BS, its a super average movie with meh atmosphere.I didn't even realise Candyman only kills white people in this movie until I read the reviews here. Imagine the uproar at a horror villain that only killed black people. Apart from all this BS, its a super average movie with meh atmosphere. See the original… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

All this user's reviews

6

Voodoo123Dec 5, 2021

Great cinematography and excellent production quality couldn't save candyman from being more of a dull yet tense buildup to nothing more than your run of the mill gore flick rather than anything truly terrifying or horrific.

Its a shame as iGreat cinematography and excellent production quality couldn't save candyman from being more of a dull yet tense buildup to nothing more than your run of the mill gore flick rather than anything truly terrifying or horrific.

Its a shame as i feel with a slower pacing and more emphasis on an individual death than bombarding us with with multiple kills and backstory from start to end could've been far more impactful. The beginning was also quite slow. Definitely something to watch if you dont mind a very run of the mill horror.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

5

MattBrady99Dec 1, 2021

Solid acting, great body horror, and fantastic visuals, especially the paper puppets sequence. I like how this movie takes the Candyman legend and makes the point that every generation of racism has its own Candyman tragedy of injustice.Solid acting, great body horror, and fantastic visuals, especially the paper puppets sequence. I like how this movie takes the Candyman legend and makes the point that every generation of racism has its own Candyman tragedy of injustice. Despite saying all that, I found the rest of this movie so forgettable and nowhere near as effective as the 1992 movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

JLuis_001Sep 16, 2021

Nia Costa's Candyman didn't turn out to be a remake/reboot as expected. It's actually a sequel/reboot, with a narrative conditioned to the present time. Especially when it comes to police brutality.

I wasn't so sure of my rating because,Nia Costa's Candyman didn't turn out to be a remake/reboot as expected. It's actually a sequel/reboot, with a narrative conditioned to the present time. Especially when it comes to police brutality.

I wasn't so sure of my rating because, although there are several things that I liked a lot, especially the direction, the nuances, and the tonality of its setting and surroundings, I also couldn't help but notice how thin the story is.
More than anything what could have been explored with its lead character.

I say this, because there's an explanation about his past, but that past is only what causes the character to be tied to Candyman.
There's no real background to him. The motives belong to others.
He only happens to be the catalyst for the events that follow, and that only happens because he was simply looking for inspiration for his art, and he did it in the wrong place.

That seemed like a very poor plot to me, because the character ends up suffering the consequences from which he was initially exempted, and now he also ends up as the doomed spirit.
Now as a vehicle of revenge, and very clearly against whom.

Obviously it's a clear demonstration of the perpetuation of a cycle of violence against black people, but to make the impact more resonant, I need more than the basic idealization of a figure who must now inspire fear in his oppressors.

It's still effective, and even though the horror isn't really there, only in the last part, Candyman stands as a very interesting option for any viewer, and shows that director; Nia DaCosta is more than ready to carve out a more than interesting career.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

All this user's reviews

5

BradMorganSep 5, 2021

A film with too slow a tempo to experience real tension. The final twist is also not convincing. Unfortunately, the film ended up being a disappointment.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

All this user's reviews

4

akshatmahajanNov 13, 2021

I enjoyed watching original Candyman and was excited to see it's sequel but I was disappointed. It was neither spooky nor creepy, like the original. This movie had many problems. What I mainly enjoyed about the original was the development ofI enjoyed watching original Candyman and was excited to see it's sequel but I was disappointed. It was neither spooky nor creepy, like the original. This movie had many problems. What I mainly enjoyed about the original was the development of the plot at psychological level which this movie lacked. Performances by all the actors were normal. You cannot feel them. There was also problem with the pacing of the movie. Also, I was unable to understand why in almost every scene, characters were talking anti- white people.

Overall, it was underwhelming to watch and it will be better if you just watch the original… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

4

AcidCasualSep 27, 2021

This movie seemed to follow the old films pace and theme. You expect a lot more when you know whose involved in making the film. The screenplay is good, it's just nothing of real excitement happens so you're left thinking, ok, blow me awayThis movie seemed to follow the old films pace and theme. You expect a lot more when you know whose involved in making the film. The screenplay is good, it's just nothing of real excitement happens so you're left thinking, ok, blow me away with artistry. Nope, doesn't happen either.

There's genuine snippets that are powerful, like how any sort of authority are menacing and the use of space and light to create cool scenes.

but sorry, the script, bad. actors, meh, not convincing enough.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

All this user's reviews

4

JGDearingSep 19, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nia DaCosta's Candyman continues the exploration of racism through its iconic gory exploits continuing straight from the original in a similar fashion to the 2018 'Halloween'. To put it as forward as possible, this movie is all over the place. From its CGI to its themes to its pacing it seems to switch up with the movies it wants to be.

Let's start with the good: DaCosta's direction with visuals and style excel, creating an environment that truly is haunting with a remastered Candyman score to its cinematography that flows from one shot to another with excellent misé en scene-- particularly with the first murders with the Art Curator and his intern. The acting was superb with a standout performance from Teyonah Parris and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II that clearly had fun with their roles and brought an excellent sense of nuance and sense of relationship with what they had.

Now the bad-- The pacing is all over the place. What started as a potential mystery horror where the audience finds out with the main character Anthony that the Candyman is actually an anthology series instead of a one-act show turns into a jumbled mess as DaCosta fails at balancing the horror with the plot. With the run time being 91 minutes, there is a marathon sprint from the second act to the third hard enough to give the audience whiplash. We find out that old man William Burke, who witnessed the latest Candyman after local personality Sherman Fields was brutally murdered by police, was grooming Anthony into his role as the next Candyman. I won't say there wasn't a setup for this twist, but there wasn't enough room to let the audience breathe and be able to accept the ending we had. Lastly, let's talk about the gentrification segment. A massive theme of Candyman is the gentrification many ghettos have gone through in order to turn a profit that left many Black residents on the streets with nowhere to go. DaCosta shoves this theme as far down our throats as possible making sure the audience has a PHD on her personal definition of the term. Though, how she approaches these social themes is what is giving her film the division it has. It's clear DaCosta wants to direct her social themes towards white people who are unknowing or ignorant of the situation in hopes of bringing light on the subject. While clearly, it is not her only target by any means, with how she has presented these social subjects that feel like definite lectures at times, it can be safe to say that this is so. What makes this choice odd is how she portrays white people in the film. White people are brutalized on epic horror standards along with being portrayed as oafs, **** or both-- most of the time the latter. Other than a flashback out of the 8 people killed (not including the plethora of all white cops at the end), 7 were white. From racist art curators to **** white bullies to the scene where the only person-of-color was smart enough to leave, its safe to assume DaCosta wanted to make a statement with white people. To put that together with a thematic choice to appeal to white people's ignorance on a hefty subject is... odd to say the least.

This film is getting much better critic reviews than expected. Though an enjoyable film with the first two acts and everything it had going for it, the negatives clearly outweigh the positives, and the film is worse for it.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

All this user's reviews

5

mckeeartandtoysSep 21, 2021

Just like the old Candyman, I liked it, but it just wasn't that terrifying. The first one was better in storyline and the bees were real. This one was good, just thought they could have made it more terrifying. It's those darm digital effectsJust like the old Candyman, I liked it, but it just wasn't that terrifying. The first one was better in storyline and the bees were real. This one was good, just thought they could have made it more terrifying. It's those darm digital effects I tell you. Back in the 90's the hand-made monsters looked much more thrilling. I mean, look at Jaws compared to any other digital shark movie. No comparison.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

All this user's reviews

6

jonatafdmsNov 9, 2021

Pt-BR: A sensação após assistir o filme é que a história é muito mais importante para o filme do que o terror do conto. Por esse motivo, vou avaliar ambos como independentes dentro do filme. Terror - O filme não consegue transmitir aPt-BR: A sensação após assistir o filme é que a história é muito mais importante para o filme do que o terror do conto. Por esse motivo, vou avaliar ambos como independentes dentro do filme. Terror - O filme não consegue transmitir a sensação de medo. É divertido de assistir e em algumas cenas ele consegue realmente dar sustos, mas nada além de qualquer filme de terror genérico. História - Ele tem uma trama enorme apresentada junto a lenda do filme. O começo e o fim da história são muito interessantes, principalmente por conta da luta preconceituosa racial que o filme tenta nos apresentar. É uma história bem desenvolvida vinda de um conto que poderia ser tradicional, mas tem seus defeitos ao decorrer da história.

Concluo assim, que o filme é divertido de assistir, mas não deve ser visto com o pensamento de que ele é um filme de terror. A luta contra o preconceito e a história no filme são muito maiores do que o próprio terror.

En-US: The feeling after watching the movie is that the story is much more important to the movie than the horror. For that reason, I'm going to classify the two as independents within the film. Horror - The film fails to convey the feeling of fear. It's fun to watch and in some scenes it can really scare you, but nothing more than any generic horror movie. Story - He has a great plot presented along with the legend showed in the movie. The beginning and end of the story are very interesting, mainly because of the prejudiced racial struggle that the film tries to present us with. It is a well-developed story from a tale that could be traditional but has its flaws throughout history.

I conclude that the movie is fun to watch, but it shouldn't be seen with the idea that it's a horror movie. The fight against prejudice and the story of the film is much bigger than the horror itself.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

6

FelipePedro07Aug 27, 2022

Fair !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

5

RalfbergsNov 8, 2021

While it had suspense and some nice graphics and story was ok, to me it was missing something to make it really that more interesting. Maybe just not the biggest horror movie fan.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

6

SoulWarfareNov 7, 2021

Say his name...

CANDYMAN... CANDYMAN... CANDYMAN... CANDYMAN... And i'm not going to say it 5 times XD Some great tense moments with some very impressive visuals and shots. However, the story is very preachy and cluttered with too manySay his name...

CANDYMAN... CANDYMAN... CANDYMAN...
CANDYMAN...

And i'm not going to say it 5 times XD

Some great tense moments with some very impressive visuals and shots. However, the story is very preachy and cluttered with too many ideas. Additionally, the characters themselves are not very interesting or explored in depth. It's also not very scary either...… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews