US, 2021, 93 minutes, Colour.

Yahya Abdul-Marteen II, Tatiana Paris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Kyle Kaminski, Vanessa Williams, Brian King, Miriam Moss, Rebecca Spence.

Directed by Nia DaCosta.

Candyman was a popular horror film of 1992. It was based on a story by veteran horror writer, Clive Barker. 30 years on, we now have a sequel.

The Candyman story is a particularly American horror story. It is also a particularly African-American story, the main characters being African-American, with themes of white racism. The story makes quite an impact in the United States while non-Americans are more in the position of observers.

One of the distinctive features of this story is the use of puppet outline characters to illustrate and tell a variety of stories about the Candyman legends. (They are reminiscent of the Wayang puppet outlines used so effectively long ago in Peter Weir’s The Year of Living Dangerously.) They offer opportunities for characters to tell the story of the original persecution of a black man in the 19^th century, his return to haunt. They offer opportunities for other stories about Candyman victims, as well as giving some continuity to the original film where Virginia Madsen was a research student, Helen, but whose story now is that she was caught up in the myth, becoming its victim, transformed, consumed in a fire but saving a young child.

To illustrate the story, there is an episode from the 1980s, a young child encountering a Candyman who offers candy – and the police swooping in to attack the Candyman. Now, this child has grown up to be a janitor, William Berke, in a building and a laundry, and who will have sinister action in this story.

The setting is Chicago. An area called Cabrini Green, a black neighbourhood last century, then pulled down, rebuilt and gentrified, a white presence rather than a black presence. We are introduced to the central character, Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul Marteen II), an artist, living with Brianna, a gallery manager. He is running out of inspiration but ambitious for a show – and listens to a story told by Brianna’s brother, the story of Helen and Candyman. Which leads him to go to Cabrini Green, to find inspiration, to explore the story, and an encounter with William Burke. While there, he is stung by a bee, bees associated with the Candyman story, and his hand becomes infected, the infection growing up his arm towards his face.

The mythology of Candyman spreads, chanting his name five times in front of a mirror – with dire consequences, especially for a group of schoolgirls who experience Candyman is vengeance.

The film shows the torment of Anthony, fearful of mixing with people, the death of his art critic friend, the fear of his partner, his visit to his mother and discovering his identity (the baby saved by Helen), a visit to William Burke who wants Anthony to be the current Candyman.

As said, the appeal to it as an American audience, especially an African-American audience, but offering horror conventions to those who enjoy this kind of legendary exploration.

1. The impact of the original film? 1992? The character of Candyman, his origins? Helen and her investigations and the consequences? The racial issues?
2. This film as a sequel, going back to manifestations of Candyman, the mythology and the mystique, the racial issues, Cabrini Green and the gentrification, the 21^st-century situation?
3. The device of the puppet outlines, throughout the film, telling stories, illustrating the stories? The telling of the story of Helen, her investigations, her being possessed, the consequences, the baby rescued, her death in the fire? Her voice recurring throughout the film?
4. The race issues, Cabrini Green, the black neighbourhood, the boy and his encounter with Candyman, the taking over of the area, rebuilding, gentrification, a white community? The relegation of the black community? Especially the boy as he has grown older, janitor work? The laundry?
5. The introduction to Anthony, his relationship with Brianna, his art, career, reputation? Her working at galleries? The visit from Troy and Grady, telling the story of Helen? The story of Candyman?
6. The later episodes about Candyman, the puppet imagery? Back to the original man, the 19^th century, the white killings? The various other men, possessed?
7. Anthony, his personality, needing inspiration, the story of Cabrini Green, his visit, the encounter with William Burke and listening to his stories? The episode with the candy, the razor blade? The bees, Anthony being stung, the gradual deterioration of his hand, into his arm and face? The mirror, his art? The shock of the death of the couple? His visit to the art critic, discussions, her comments, the audience seeing her struggle in the window as the camera receded?
8. Breanna, her work, discussions, meetings, plans? The meal, Anthony and his erratic behaviour? His disappearance?
9. Anthony, his art, the series of paintings? The consequences for him?
10. The mantra of saying Candyman five times in the mirror? The episode with the teenage girls, in the restroom, the mantra, the locked door, the consequences and their gruesome deaths?
11. Anthony, the visit to his mother, the explanation that he was the child rescued from Helen? The consequences?
12. Anthony, becoming desperate, the meetings with Brianna? Her searching him out, going to Cabrini Green, captured, watching Burke, Burke wanting to preserve Candyman, turning Anthony into Candyman, even to the sawing off of his arm, the insertion of the hook? Brianna getting away, seeing Anthony as Candyman, the confrontation with the police, the massacre? Her killing Burke?
13. Brianna and Anthony, trying to calm him down, Candyman consuming him?