Artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his art gallery director girlfriend Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris) have just moved into a new apartment in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood of Chicago, a former ghetto that has been redeveloped. Anthony hasn’t made an art piece in 2 years, struggling to find inspiration for his craft. That is until Brianna’s brother, Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), tells him the story of Helen Lyle, a woman who lived in Cabrini-Green 30 years earlier, and was involved in a kidnapping and multiple murders while doing a university study on the neighborhood, but she blamed everything on the mysterious Candyman.
Anthony starts to research the history of Cabrini-Green and the Candyman urban legend. He talks with local laundromat owner William Burke (Colman Domingo), who explains that the Candyman legend originated in the 1890s when artist Daniel Robitaille was lynched for falling in love with and impregnating a white woman. The girl’s father organized a mob to cut off Robitaille’s hand, smear him with honey, let him be attacked by bees, and then burn his body. This legend has continued over the generations, with a new unjustly killed Black man taking Robitaille’s place in the tale. When Burke was a child, he witnessed his own version of the legend, when he saw an innocent man named Sherman Fields murdered by the police after a white girl found a razor blade in her candy. The legend goes that whenever someone looks into the mirror and repeats “Candyman” 5 times, they summon the Candyman, whose reflection will kill them with his hook hand. While Anthony is willing to test this legend out himself, girlfriend Brianna is adamant that he doesn’t complete the ritual (as any sane person would!). Anthony uses Sherman as the inspiration for his new interactive art exhibit titled “Say My Name”, which encourages viewers to invoke the Candyman. However, he is unaware of the monster he is about to unleash. People who visit Anthony’s exhibit start to be killed off in brutal manners. But this only increases Anthony’s interest and obsession in the legend. But it’s not just his mind that is obsessed with the Candyman, Anthony’s body also starts to transform in grotesque ways, stemming from a bee sting he received during his first visit to the Cabrini-Green row houses.
Candyman is a direct sequel to the original 1992 film of the same name, and the writers have done an excellent job of extending that universe and tying the characters and events in the sequel back to the original movie. This film feels like a natural progression of the story, but also amps up the blood, gore and the film’s core social justice themes. At its core, the film tackles some tough subjects. The Cabrini-Green community has been dealing with threats for decades, both internally with things like gang violence, but also external threats like police brutality and gentrification. The community is living in constant fear of being unjustly treated or even killed for doing nothing. They’ve also watched as their culture and affordable housing are wiped away in the name of progress and making things better. However, no matter how much things change, they still remain the same, and the Candyman has become the symbol of this injustice, with a new reluctant martyr taking on the role with each generation.
Candyman is both a gruesome horror film with lots of tense moments and shocking kills, as well as a psychological thriller that explores the darker, more grounded roots of the Candyman legend. It sets out to make a point, and I think it does so successfully by the end of the movie, leaving the viewer with something to really think about and ruminate on. The film also contains aspects of body horror—one can’t help but be reminded of Jeff Goldblum grotesque transformation in The Fly. Here the transformation also has a deeper meaning. As Anthony lets his mental obsession with the Candyman legend and its horrible roots of injustice take over, this also takes a toll on him physically and his outward appears also beings to transform. Art is also a big theme in this film, and the flashbacks are told in a very unique and artistic way, with the use of shadow puppets. These scenes are surprisingly emotional, moving and effective, while also fitting in with the overall themes of the film and the artistic nature of the main characters, and give the film a unique look and feel.
Universal’s 4K UHD release looks and sounds amazing. The picture is clean and detailed, even in the darker sequences. The shadow puppet scenes really come to life with this beautiful color palette and lighting. The effects are seamless—it’s almost like victims are being attacked by the invisible man as the Candyman kills his victims via his reflections. There are some really fun and creative shots making use of reflections, pocket mirrors, etc. Sometimes the less that is shown actually makes the scenes that much more terrifying, especially with the use of sound. The Dolby Atmos audio track is excellent. Right from the start the viewer is surrounded by the ambient noises of the city, whether it’s the sounds of traffic, people, or even rain pattering on covered walkways. It becomes a very immersive experience. However, the audio track really shines when the Candyman makes his presence known, from the sounds of glass slowly cracking, to the slice of a neck, blood dripping, and other bangs and noises. The sound is so clean and crisp that it makes each isolated little noise that much more terrifying.
Universal’s 4K UHD release includes both a 4K and Blu-ray disc, packed on either side of a standard 4K keepcase placed inside an embossed slipcover, along with an insert containing instructions on how to redeem a 4K digital copy of the film as well as Universal Rewards points. Both discs include the same bonus material—an alternate ending, 3 deleted/extended scenes, and over 50 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:30:54)
- 2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- HDR10
- Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Audio
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Audio
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- 4K digital copy of the film, redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu
- Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 12/31/2025)
Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie or other items in the Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of 5-6 free digital titles usually changes around the first of the month. - Alternate Ending (2:38)
Brianna holds an exhibit of Anthony’s paintings. Afterwards she looks into the mirror and appears to be about to summon Candyman when the film cuts away. - Deleted and Extended Scenes (5:52)
Collection of three scenes. Play All, or select from:- Wo Do You Think Makes The Hood? (2:56)
In the art critic’s apartment, Tony responds to her previous derogatory comments about how artists gentrify the hood. - Wanna See Me Fly? (1:44)
Young Brianna asks her father why he is sitting on the window ledge. - Fooked Oop (1:09)
The teens gossip and vape in the bathroom prior to summoning Candyman.
- Wo Do You Think Makes The Hood? (2:56)
- Say My Name (6:45)
The cast and filmmakers talk about the timeless and timely nature of the story, and the ideas of racial violence, gentrification, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer Nia DaCosta, producer/co-writer Jordan Peele, producer/co-writer Win Rosenfeld, and stars Tony Todd (“Daniel Robitaille”), Teyonah Parris (“Brianna Cartwright”) & Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“Anthony McCoy”).
- Body Horror (6:22)
The cast and filmmakers talk about the body horror aspects of the film, drawing inspiration from The Fly, the use of practical effects, designing the hook and the kills, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer/co-writer Jordan Peele, director/co-writer Nia DaCosta, producer/co-writer Win Rosenfeld, special effected makeup department head J. Anthony Kosar, producer Ian Cooper, movement coach Madeline Hollander, and stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Tony Todd, Teyonah Parris & Colman Domingo (“William Burke”). - The Filmmaker’s Eye: Nia Dacosta (4:48)
The cast and filmmakers talk about finding the right director who would be able to connect to the material and find the right tone, and what it was like working with the director. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer Nia DaCosta, producer/co-writer Jordan Peele, producer Ian Cooper, production designer Cara Brower, and stars Teyonah Parris & Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. - Painting Chaos (7:17)
The filmmakers talk about how Anthony’s artwork evolves throughout the film, and utilizing real Black artists from Chicago to lend authenticity to the work. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer Nia DaCosta, producer Ian Cooper, Night Driver Gallery artist Arnold Kemp, commissioned artists Cameron Spratley & Sherwin Ovid, producer/co-writer Jordan Peele, art consultant Hamza Walker, producer/co-writer Win Rosenfeld, and stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II & Teyonah Parris. - The Art of Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (4:54)
Composer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe and director/co-writer Nia DaCosta talk about his unique process to creating the film’s haunting and original score. Includes behind-the-scenes footage of musicians. - Terror in the Shadows (4:09)
The filmmakers talk about the use of puppetry in the storytelling of the film, and the team behind it. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer Nia DaCosta, producer/co-writer Jordan Peele, and producer Ian Cooper. - Candyman: The Impact of Black Horror (20:24)
Star Colman Domingo moderates this roundtable discussion about the significance Candyman has had in the Black community, and the modern cultural issues of Black trauma that it tackles. Participants include UCLA professor of Black Horror and Afrofuturism Tananarive Due, trauma psychotherapist Dr. Wendy Ashley, founder of BEAM Yolo Akili Robinson, and founder of the Confess Project Lorenzo Lewis.
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4K Ultra HD:
Blu-ray:
Digital (code may not be valid after 12/31/2022):
Extras:
The same material appears on both discs. Play All, or select from:
Final Thoughts:
Candyman is a solid sequel to the iconic original 1992 film of the same name. It is creatively and artistically shot while also exploring a deeper, more important message. In this day and age of movies getting excessively longer and longer, I appreciate the filmmakers’ restraint in keeping the movie to a tight 91 minutes. It never feels excessively drawn own, and still successfully delivers the point it is trying to make. Universal’s 4K release provides excellent picture and sound, as well as a solid selection of bonus material. Fans of the original should be pleased by this sequel as it does a nice job of extending the story and narrative while also giving it a more modern feel. The film also fits in well with Jordan Peele’s oeuvre of modern Black horror, such as Us and Get Out.
