Candyman 2021

A direct sequel to the 1992 original, Candyman 2021 is directed by Nia DaCosta who also cowrote with Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele, with the two coproducing the film through their Monkeypaw Productions. The film sees Anthony McCoy, a Chicago visual artist played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Brianna, Anthony's girlfriend and the director to his art gallery played by Teyonah Parris, becoming involved in the legend of the violent mythological spirit known as Candyman. Wanting to bring something fresh to his work, Anthony ventures into Cabrini-Green, a housing project in hard times due to gentrification, where he learns about a man in the 70s who was unjustly murdered by cops after he was accused of putting razors in children's candy and how that relates to the violent urban legend. When this causes Anthony to create works of art inspired by what he learned, he inadvertently causes the curse of Candyman to be resurrected and a secret from Anthony's past to be revealed. This is a well crafted horror film that is able to balance heart pounding horror with important messages related to real life issues. Using the legend of a vengeful spirit that represents many black men who have been wronged by society and that Tony Todd's original take of the character wasn't the only one is very original. The writing and direction is done in such an original and often provocative way, all to give us something that is not easy to take in but very much needed. Though while a lot of the story and writing is good, a few things like Anthony's transformation, a flashback to Brianna's father, and the motivation of Colman Domingo's William feel like they were either rushed, not elaborated on as much, or a little wasted. Despite that, this movie has a cast that all give strong performances and you truly feel what they go through. Special mention goes to Tony Todd who, despite having such a small moment, brings such a powerful moment. Another strong aspect that adds to the tone and feel is the moody cinematography from John Guleserian and Robert A. A. Lowe's haunting score. Even if you may not be captivated by the writing, find the horror tame, or even see the messages as forced, one great thing that makes this work unique is its use of paper and shadow puppets to tell flashbacks. Much like Halloween 2018, Candyman 2021 proves that old horror franchises can still work if you have great people behind it that truly love what came before and want to expand instead of just doing the same thing. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. The Green Knight

3. Candyman 2021

4. The Suicide Squad

5. Free Guy

6. Nobody

7. Black Widow

8. A Quiet Place Part II

9. Respect

10. Raya and the Last Dragon

11. Jungle Cruise

12. Cruella

13. Wrath of Man

14. F9

15. Snake Eyes

16. Old

17. Space Jam: A New Legacy