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Since 1992, the cult horror movie Candyman has given audiences a reason to fear mirrors. But, like many horror movies, it also had something to say about deeper, more serious topics. And now it’s inspired a sequel that catches up with the killer while further exploring life, legends, violence, and the things that haunt our society.
Candyman returns to the Chicago neighborhood that was once known as Cabrini-Green—now a gentrified community filled with high-end apartments. When artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) moves into one of these stunning new apartments, he becomes fascinated by the area’s history—and by the legend of the hook-armed man who magically appears to kill whose who summon him by repeating his name while looking into a mirror. As he researches the stories, looking for inspiration for his art, his fascination turns to obsession—and it brings the horrors back to the community.
While the neighborhood may have changed in the three decades since the original film was released, though, the legend remains mostly intact. Some claim that the horrors are real; some see it as a joke; others believe that the legend is simply a way to cope with the violence that was once common in this part of the city. But it’s a legend that comes from the community’s dark, painful history.
Here, this supernatural killer isn’t just the black artist from 1890 who was killed for his relationship with a white woman. He’s also the man who was beaten and killed by police officers for a crime he didn’t commit—and countless others who have suffered injustice through the years. And they’ve all remained in their old neighborhood, in the form of a being that’s exacting revenge for their unfair suffering.
On one hand, this sequel is sure to renew your old fear of mirrors. It’s dark and chilling—the kind of thriller that will make you simultaneously await the reappearance of the hooked killer and dread it. But this isn’t just a horror movie. It also offers a running commentary on topics like segregation and systemic racism—and it certainly has a lot to say. It makes some painfully accurate observations and shines a new light on the original, allowing viewers to walk away both frightened and enlightened. At times, though, it also gets so caught up in making its point that some of the scares seem to suffer.
This new exploration of the throat-slashing thriller expands on the original Candyman, taking a haunting story and turning it into something that’s just as timely as it is terrifying—a film that can be appreciated on multiple levels.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
