Nia DaCosta summons up an Urban Legend in Candyman

by Kathia Woods

Candyman 2 is not a remake of the 1992 horror cult classic "Candyman." It's a continuation of a previously unfinished story. This one is more Black and socially conscious. This film is part of a more extensive discussion about gentrification and how people love Black Art but not always Black people.

 The primary distinction between 2021 and 1992 is that this is not centered on whiteness. This is because of the film's creators. This film was produced and co-written by Jordan Peele, but Nia DaCosta directed it. She both co-wrote and directed the film. Candyman's other writer and producer is Win Rosenfield. Peele had planned to direct the film himself but decided to delegate the task to DaCosta. This is her second full-length feature film. Peele felt she was a better fit because she is exceptionally talented.

This film, like the previous ones, is set in Chicago. Each film addresses the ugliness that comes with racism. Daniel Robitaille (Tony Todd) is Candyman's real name. He was the son of an artist and a slave who was murdered by a racist mob in 1980. The reason for his assassination is still unknown. He and Caroline Sullivan, the daughter of a white aristocrat, fell in love and became pregnant. They met because Caroline's father hired Daniel to paint her portrait.

 His hand was amputated before he was murdered, and he now has a hook where his hand used to be. His assailants poured honey on him and swarmed him with bees. His ghost now appears whenever someone looks in the mirror and chants his name five times. If you see Bees nearby, Candyman is probably not far away.

In "Candyman" 1992, Helen Lyle, a doctoral student, (played by Virginia Madsen) studies the mythology of Candyman for a PhD.

 Candyman is summoned, and he ends up causing havoc in Helen's life by accusing her of murders committed by Candyman. Vanessa K. Williams plays Anne-Marie McCoy, a single mother whose baby son is kidnapped in the film. Anne-Marie lives in Chicago's low-income Cabrini-Green neighborhood, where many African Americans believe Candyman is real.

 One of the valid criticisms of the original Candyman was that instead of focusing on a Black man haunted by trauma, the film made a white woman the victim. The entire thing read more like a Black man being overtly sexual and causing a white woman to lose her dignity when she was the aggressor.

The new Candyman version attempts to address some of these issues. This time, the victims are the toxic people. There is an employer who sleeps with his interns under the guise of career advancement.

 There is a racist art critic who is condescending and enjoys exploiting Black pain in art. A gang of obnoxious high school girls bully an African American female student. Finally, the most heinous villains are racist white police officers.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Anthony McCoy. When he comes across the Candyman legend, he decides to make him the focus of his work.

 Anthony's live-in girlfriend, Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), works as a curator at Clive Privler's gallery (Mike Davis). Anthony's talent smites him. He is a struggling artist, so this Candyman story is being used to help him relaunch his career.

The further Anthony delves into Candyman's past, the more difficult things become. He pays a visit to Candyman's haunted Cabrini-Green and runs into William (Colman Domingo) while he's there. Anthony is stung by a bee during his stay as well. This symbol indicates Candyman's presence. William claims to have seen Candyman when he was a young man, further propelling Anthony down this path of discovery.

Candyman also addresses social issues, specifically gentrification. In this film, Cabrini-Green, a housing project in Chicago notorious for creating a hostile living environment, is referred to as the North Side because of its proximity to downtown. This area once housed the poorest of the poor, is slowly being rebuilt through high-rise buildings.

Brianna is a parody of the middle class. She comes from a well-educated and cultured family. Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), her gay and elitist brother, has reservations about Anthony. Troy is also cast as a voice of reason. He is also the one who informs everyone about Candyman's existence.

Candyman is visually stunning and uses intelligently the usage of puppetry. DaCosta brings confidence to her horror and creates effective tension. She makes it clear that at the heart of things this monster was created due to racist violence.

It’s one flaw is that it needed more time to flesh out its themes. There was no reason to rush things with such an incredible cast. Suppose the audience is unfamiliar with Candyman's origin story. In that case, it can make things a little unclear at times, but the ending is effective in leaving the door open for future chapters.

The other advantage of Candyman is that Nia DaCosta made a film that was appealing to horror fans and moviegoers, so this version of Candyman's sophistication works in its favor.