Elvis-Del-Valle Review of Candyman

Candyman (2021)

A lot of suspense, but manages to expand the mythology of the character

[7/10 · 22 March 2023]

This film at first begins as a reboot, but the plot gradually reveals that it is not so due to the connections it has with the original film, especially taking into account that it takes place in the same place where the events of the first film occurred. The most surprising thing is when the connection that the protagonist has with the events of the original film is discovered and it was a revelation that I seriously did not expect. Unlike the original film that featured brutal deaths, this sequel focuses more on suspense, but at least it retained the element of the psychological breakdown that the protagonist suffers, just like the protagonists of the previous films. The other installments also had touches of suspense, but the deaths were always the best parts. In this sequel, on the other hand, the deaths are less noticeable. As for the Candyman character, here he is more mysterious. Don't forget that in the original trilogy, Candyman was played by Tony Todd and I think it's the best role this actor had in his entire career. I think it's hard to make a Candyman movie without that actor and despite the fact that in this sequel said character seems different from the one everyone knows, at least Tony Todd made his big appearance revealing that he is still Candyman, but he was hiding behind a different face from another vengeful spirit. In addition, this film, through certain clues in some scenes, dialogues and the end credits sequence, it is implied that Candyman is the manifestation of black people who were murdered for racial reasons throughout history. In this sequel it becomes clearer what this character represents and it does a good job regarding the representation of the character, expanding the mythology of him. In conclusion, Candyman (2021) is not a bad movie and I respect well both the canon of the original film and the essence of the character despite the changes. The story is not bad, but it is somewhat short and should have lasted longer or included more elements. My final rating for this movie is 7/10.