A LOT of hate for this title in the reviews. Makes me wonder if IMDB has become the new battle ground of the ongoing social war or if many of the reviewers even watched the movie. As an adult you should be able to watch a movie which has politics that you disagree with fundamentally and not fly into a reactive rage but apparently this movie (or even it's existence) created quite a trigger for many viewers.
The original "Candyman" was far from a classic and the conceit at the heart of this reimagining is clever in that it links to the original story but puts it in context of a much larger tale of social vengeance. Agree with the politics or not, it is a deft reframing of a previously moribund villain.
The Good The cinematography is EXCELLENT. The fluid camera work, the transitions, the perfect display of Chicago by night, all add a fun and interesting tension to the movie and enhance rather than distract from the overall story.
The horror elements all work well without falling too far into tropes. The fact that the story slowly unveils the whole truth of Candyman and the use of shadow puppets to represent the exposition (ala the Babadook) was interesting. It's a good mix of slasher and paranormal and the motif of the mirrors works well to build tension and further the central allegory of the story. There were several scenes where the Candyman is present but not entirely obvious, leading to fun finds upon re-watching.
The acting is all pretty good and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II does well as he portrays a man who is slowly losing his grip on reality.
The Bad The social commentary is pretty heavy handed and plays to a pretty cliched view of black history. It makes sense that the producers and directors embrace what they know and write from their experience but it will turn off some viewers given how central the commentary is to the overall story.
The Acting Pt. 2 I don't intend to generalize but I've noticed that in many recent movies with social justice themes (Harriet, The Hate U Give, Wrinkle in Time, Billie Holliday) the directors seem to struggle drawing believable performances from any non POC actor. Part of it is the fact that the characters are so one dimensional and in this movie every white actor is effectively just fodder to be killed by the Candyman. It would be helpful for directors to move outside of their boxes and try to portray their characters with more empathy and beyond narrow stereotypes.
Conclusion Good horror movie with a unique style and some fun twists on horror archetypes. Would recommend for anyone looking for horror with something to say.
The original "Candyman" was far from a classic and the conceit at the heart of this reimagining is clever in that it links to the original story but puts it in context of a much larger tale of social vengeance. Agree with the politics or not, it is a deft reframing of a previously moribund villain.
The Good The cinematography is EXCELLENT. The fluid camera work, the transitions, the perfect display of Chicago by night, all add a fun and interesting tension to the movie and enhance rather than distract from the overall story.
The horror elements all work well without falling too far into tropes. The fact that the story slowly unveils the whole truth of Candyman and the use of shadow puppets to represent the exposition (ala the Babadook) was interesting. It's a good mix of slasher and paranormal and the motif of the mirrors works well to build tension and further the central allegory of the story. There were several scenes where the Candyman is present but not entirely obvious, leading to fun finds upon re-watching.
The acting is all pretty good and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II does well as he portrays a man who is slowly losing his grip on reality.
The Bad The social commentary is pretty heavy handed and plays to a pretty cliched view of black history. It makes sense that the producers and directors embrace what they know and write from their experience but it will turn off some viewers given how central the commentary is to the overall story.
The Acting Pt. 2 I don't intend to generalize but I've noticed that in many recent movies with social justice themes (Harriet, The Hate U Give, Wrinkle in Time, Billie Holliday) the directors seem to struggle drawing believable performances from any non POC actor. Part of it is the fact that the characters are so one dimensional and in this movie every white actor is effectively just fodder to be killed by the Candyman. It would be helpful for directors to move outside of their boxes and try to portray their characters with more empathy and beyond narrow stereotypes.
Conclusion Good horror movie with a unique style and some fun twists on horror archetypes. Would recommend for anyone looking for horror with something to say.