Scream (2022)

 

In 2011, Wes Craven confirmed he was contracted to work on a fifth AND sixth installment of the Scream franchise. This would take another ten years for the fifth film to be materialized. During this time, Craven was the executive producer of the Scream television series (never watched it) and had his focus on that. Sadly, however, on August 30. 2015, Wes Craven passed away, leaving the franchise in limbo. On top of that, The Weinstein Brothers were facing numerous sexual misconduct allegations, shutting down any plans for future films. Thankfully, in November 2019, Spyglass Media Group acquired the rights to make a new Scream film. This time, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet would take over the director's chair while Kevin Williamson fills in the role of executive producer. With the addition of the Triumphant Trio of Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette, the production of Scream 5 was set and ready to go. The result is...pretty mediocre. There are some positive things to be found in Scream 5, but the majority of the film just feels off and the writing is not all that great. Most of these issues have to do with Sam Carpenter, and oh boy, I have a LOT to say about this character. I don't know...It just doesn't seem like a movie  I want to latch onto. As much as I would like to examine the glaring issues in Scream 5, I appreciate the effort of the filmmakers trying to honor Wes Craven's legacy but, it just doesn't hit the mark for me. 

The Story: After her sister survives a brutal attack, Sam Carpenter returns to her hometown of Woodsboro. But as a deep dark secret comes back to haunt Sam, her sister's attacker strikes again. With the help of Sidney, Dewey, and Gale, Sam must unveil the killer behind the Ghostface mask. 

To keep up with tradition, let's examine the opening scene:

We open to Tara Carpenter texting on the phone with her friend Amber, planning a get-together. Then, she gets a phone call...As we all know, it's the voice of Ghostface, asking the simple question: "What's your favorite scary movie?" 

Tara answers The Babadook because it's "Elevated Horror." Elevated Horror is a term used for horror movies that has a more psychological and intellectual meaning. According to Tara, The Babadookis the examination of motherhood and grief. This is in regard to how Elevated Horror has become popular over the years and is often the topic of every social media post. 

Things get a bit sinister when the caller quizzes Tara about the Stab movie once he puts out a threat on Amber's life. The question: Who were the two killers in the first Stab movie?  Since Tara wasn't born in the nineties, she has no clue what the Stab movies are about. In a moment of panic, she pulls out her to look up the Stab movies on IMDB. Tara actually gets it right by saying the actors' names but the characters' names.

Unfortunately, Tara gets a visit from Ghostface. She puts up a pretty good fight but this Ghostface is no-holds-barred and the takedown of Tara is pretty brutal. And as the killer makes their final blow, the title card flashes on the screen. Then all of a sudden, Mrs. Jackson by Outcast plays. That was a pretty weird tonal shift. But here's the twist. Once we're introduced to Tara's sister, Sam, we learn that Tara actually survived her attack. I gotta be honest with you, I did not see this coming. 

Anywho, this is where we meet our new main characters. So before we get to the important characters, let's get the side characters out of the way. 

First, I would like to present to you our weakest character in the movie, Liv McKenzie. All that we know about her is that she's the girlfriend of Chad (Meeks)-Martin, has a volatile ex and is a bit of a drama queen.  She throws a massive bitch fit when Chad rejects her for sex and I'm like, "Take it easy, girl. It's not that serious." So yeah, that's all I got on Liv. She's just a bland character fading in the background.

Kyle Gallner is totally wasted as Vince Schneider, the supposed nephew of Stu Macher. When did Stu have a sister? Anywho, Vince is nothing more than a stereotypical bad boy who just so happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Liv. Throughout most of his screentime, all Vince does is cause trouble for Chad and his friends.

Vince is promptly killed with a blink of an eye and Kyle Gallner only has two or three lines to thank for. I actually consider him to be a good actor and would've preferred him in the role of Richie Kirsch.

Then we have Wes Hicks played by the very handsome Dylan Minnette. Wes is a nice enough guy but all that we know about him is that he's the son of Town Sheriff Judy Hicks and has a crush on Tara though, I would've preferred them to be an official couple but that's just my suggestion. But here's where the plot hole comes in. So, you mean to tell me that during the events of Scream 4, Judy Hicks had a six-year-old son? There wasn't even a hint that she was a single mom, so it was kind of confusing. 

Speaking of, let's focus on Judy Hicks for a bit. She is now the sheriff of the town, which is admirable but the downside of it is Dewey is left in the dust. More on that later. Judy seems to have animosity towards Sam for some reason because of all the trouble she caused in Woodsboro. Sure, you can understand Judy's frustration but now that Sam is a grown woman, it seems strange for a character like Judy to hold a grudge for that long. Anywho, both Judy and Wes get some extremely gruesome deaths. The build-up of the scene was pretty well done for the most part. 

Judy gets a threatening phone call from Ghostface on her car phone. When Ghostface references Psycho, the scene cuts to...you guessed it:

Wes taking a shower. 

Judy makes a sharp U-turn and races to the finish line. Just when you think Judy makes it on time...

BAM! Ghostface gets her and it's pretty shocking to see Judy, the loveable deputy from the fourth film, go out in such a bloody way. 

 

Wes is no match for Ghostface either when he gets a REALLY slow stab through the neck. Yeesh! This scene as a whole was incredibly suspenseful and also, the bloodiest so far. 

Then there's Amber Freeman played by Mikey Madison, who seems to be a little too overprotective towards her friend, Tara. There's not much to know about her after that. The filmmakers try to give off this mysterious aura about Amber but she is just not developed enough for me to care. 

Richie is the boyfriend of Sam Carpenter and he does nothing for me either. Don't get me wrong, Jack Quaid is very charismatic but he's given the worst dialogue and what makes his character even more unbearable is that the filmmakers prep him up to be this comic relief. His jokes are just terribly flat. If they would've took out the cringy dialogue, made the character a bit more serious, and cast Kyle Gallner, I would be singing a different tune. 

Then we have the niece and nephew of Randy Meeks, Mindy and Chad played by the handsome, charismatic, and sexy Mason Gooding and the funny, charismatic, and adorable Jasmin Savoy Brown. 

Oh yeah, a special shout-out to Heather Matarazzo as Martha Meeks, the little sister of Randy and mother to Chad and Mindy. It's a small little cameo with only one line but Heather Matarazzo makes it work just by the way some comes in like a nice suburban mom with baked cookies in her own adorable way. But anywho, back to Chad and Mindy. They really don't have that much screentime, but when they are on screen, it's totally worth it. 

Chad is the loveable jock type and is far from dumb. He's quite the gentleman, has a witty sense of humor, and is an all-around nice guy. He's actually the one who rejects Liv for sex and not the other way around. Furthermore, Chad is quick to defend his friends which adds more to his likable qualities. 

Chad gets a close call from the killer but he makes it out okay. And I'm totally glad he did. 

Mindy is probably one of my favorite characters in the movie. The scene where she gets to shine is when she lays down the rules of the "requel." Just like her dear uncle Randy, Mindy knows her shit and Jasmin Savoy Brown really gives it her all here. With just a small amount of screentime, she leaves a pretty big impact. 

Mindy also gets a close call from Ghostface but just like her brother Chad, she makes it out okay. Now that is the true power of twining!

We have now come to this, our Triumphant Trio. They're a little older, a little wiser, and a lot savvier.

Let's start with our favorite TV news anchor/bestselling author Gale Weathers played by the ever-so-incomparable Courtney Cox. In the years of dark, sensational tabloid stories, Gale has regressed into the safe compounds. I guess at this point, Gale wanted to soften her image after being branded as the 'His Girl Friday' of the Woodsboro Murders but that doesn't mean she's still hot at her game. When the Ghostface killer is on the prowl, Gale is right in the field mines, ready to make her mark. Sadly, Dewey won't join her this time...

Dewey and Gale are no longer together. But I do think the chemistry between Courtney Cox and David Arquette still works here and their reunion was painstakingly bittersweet. 

Speaking of, let's move on to Dewey played by the criminally underrated David Arquette. The characterization of Dewey is one of the main issues that I have with the film. After the events of Scream 4, he's divorced from Gale, has resigned as sheriff, and lives in a ramshackle trailer with an obvious drinking problem. Seeing how the character evolved throughout the film series, it's kind of disheartening to watch knowing that this will be...Spoiler Alert! His Last Screen Appearance. 

So here's how it goes. When Sam and Richie ask for Dewey's help, he firmly dismisses them. He's been down that road before and without the person he loves, he doesn't want to go back.

But as you do, Dewey comes to his senses and grabs his badge and gun. With some words of encouragement from Gale, Dewey becomes the hero we know and love. But this is where something stupid happens. When he joins Sam and Richie to rescue Tara, Dewey stays behind to finish off Ghostface. His reason? He has to shoot him in the head... because he always does. Worst. Writing. Decision. Ever.

And this ladies and gentlemen is the moment where Dewey dies! why did this have to happen? Okay, if you wanted to give Dewey his final farewell, why not have him sacrifice himself for Tara's life? That would've come out so much better. And why not throw some of David Arquette's wrestling moves, make it more badass. Oh well, this is Dewey's swan song and he will be missed. 

I would also like to mention the heartbreaking scene of Gale discovering Dewey's dead body. Courtney Cox really sells it here, invoking Gale's shock and devastation. I consider this one of the better scenes in the movie just based on how tragic Dewey's death really is. All I can say is, David Arquette had a pretty good run and he's one of the reasons why this character is so memorable. Au dou to you good, sir and may god speed.

Now, we have reached to the one and only Sidney Prescott played by the legendary Neve Campbell. In the years since, Sidney has settled down, got married, has two kids, and lives in a quaint, suburban neighborhood. There's a quick little reference that she's married to Mark Kincaid, the detective from Scream 3. It would've been nice to have an on-screen cameo from Patrick Dempsey but I digress. But the most important part is, Sidney is living the life she's always wanted: A life of normalcy...until she gets a phone call. No, it's not Ghostface. It's from our dearly departed Dewey, prompting Sidney to get back in action. Though considering her Final Girl experience, Sidney is fully prepared. 

But just as she arrives for another heartfelt reunion, sadly, Dewey isn't there to lend her a hand. By this time, Dewey's death brings Sidney and Gale closer than ever, forming a close-knit bond they never knew they had. This is actually the first time Sidney and Gale work together and they make quite a formidable team. 

Although Sidney makes a triumphant return, she doesn't have as much screentime. I guess to make way for newcomer Sam Carpenter, which I will get to shortly. But besides all that, Neve Campbell gives the character a self-assured toughness but gives this protective Mama Bear energy that I love. Although I think this film is rather subpar compared to other Scream films, Neve Campbell will always be the best part of it. 

Now is the time to discuss our new main characters, the Carpenter sisters.

Here we have the youngest of the two, Tara Carpenter played by the lovely and extremely talented Jenna Ortega. Although Tara is an important part of the story, she is more or less a supporting character, which is a shame because Jenna Ortega is a very effective Scream Queen.

I would've preferred her to be the main character instead of Sam or better yet cut out the Sam character completely. It would be a great twist if you'd suspect Tara to be the opening victim but turns out, she's the movie's final girl. For most of the film, Tara is used as a plot device to make way for Sam's story arc. This is a bummer because Jenna Ortega would've made a very compelling lead. This girl is definitely a star in the making. 

Now we have entered into the forgone conclusion to one of my biggest, I mean, biggest issues of this movie, and that is the character of Sam Carpenter. Let's just get the elephant out of the room. Sam Carpenter is the supposed daughter of Billy Loomis. I consider this to be a major plot hole but at least the movie tries to explain it to us. You see, Sam's mom had her back when she was in high school. I'm guessing that Sam's mom is probably the bitchy cheerleader from the first movie (In which, the actress just so happens to be Skeet Ulrich's girlfriend at the time). Okay, this is where this subplot is becoming more complicated than I expect. So apparently, Billy was with Sidney and the unnamed mom at the same time? Considering that he was the mastermind behind the Woodsboro murders, I don't see how he would balance out a love triangle at the same time. But the real question is, how does Sam know all this? The good o'l diary in the attic. How cliche. Sam found all this out when she was a mere teen and just like that, she became rebellious and left town, leaving Tara behind with an emotionally absent mom. I guess this explains why the mom doesn't check up on the girls, especially Tara. 

But this is when things get really dumb. Apparently, Sam has some sort of mental disorder where she keeps seeing her dead biological dad in the mirror. Okay, I appreciate the Skeet Ulrich cameo but I thought this was completely unnecessary. It would've been good if the filmmakers had a hallucination/dream sequence similar to Sidney's nightmare in Scream 3 but no, they kept using him and using him to the point where it became cheesy and redundant. Oh and one more thing, I can totally see the CGI backdrop on Skeet Ulrich. Was it worth it? This is by far one of the dumbest decisions in the movie. Period. Point. Blank.

Okay, let's talk about Sam's personality. Oh wait, she doesn't have one. I get why the filmmakers wanted to make Sam a blank slate but where do you go from there? They try to pull the "mysterious" card on her but it doesn't work either. I don't buy that she's this former teen rebel. There's just not much of an edge to her, and maybe it has something to do with her acting. Now before I go on, I just want to say that I am not attacking Melissa Barrea, she seems like a really lovely person, I pray for all of her endeavors but she just wasn't good in this movie.

For example, there's the hospital scene where Sam confesses to Tara about her biological dad. Jenna Ortega knocks it off the park. Melissa...not so much. I just didn't feel enough emotion. Though, it's not really her fault. The screenplay writes her as a flat character with flat lines.

And does anyone notice that the chemistry between Melissa Barrea and Jack Quaid was off? Maybe if they had Kyle Gallner. Just maybe. 

Alright, this is the moment where I pull a What If. Let's say instead of Sam being his biological daughter, why not make her Billy's half-sister? What if, after the events of Scream and Scream 2, Billy's dad moved on, got remarried, and had two more kids, Sam and Tara. Therefore, Sidney can throw in a reference about her half-brother (Roman from Scream 3) and then we're sold. This comes out so much better than the script asked for. 

 I thought the directing was much better than Scream 4, going for a gritty, stylistic style similar to Radio Silence's own Ready or Not. But as you know already, my main complaint is the writing. Sam's story arc is something straight out of a cheesy soap opera. It was so uncalled for. I just have a feeling that this wasn't Kevin Williamson's idea but somebody had to greenlight it, right? But in my humble opinion, if they would have went with the aforementioned What If, Sam's story arc would be much more organic. 

Now is the moment you've been waiting for...Who is the killer behind the Ghostface mask? It's not Sam. Oh no, that would be too easy. But it is someone close to Sam and Tara...

Yep! You guessed it! It's Richie and Amber. Being lifelong fans of the Stab franchise, they hate of what it's become. So they make their own real-life Stab film to connect the dots to the relatives of the class of Woodsboro High circa 1996. I think this is a commentary on toxic fandom but I can point out the obvious clues, such as Richie watching a bad movie review of Stab 8 and Amber's obvious obsession with Tara. 

So right into the third act, Sam, Tara, Sidney, and Gale go toe to toe with Richie and Amber. Mikey Maddison's acting becomes incredibly hammy and so does Jack Quaid's. There's crazy and then there's doing a little too much. 

Sidney and Gale overpower Amber who is quite strong for her small stature but she is no match for the triumphant duo. Drenched in sanitizer, Sidney and Gale shoot Amber into a firey blaze. 

Meanwhile, Sam goes head-to-head with Richie but she's able to take him down. When she has Richie cornered, Sam spouts out a cheesy one-liner, "Never mess with a daughter of a serial killer." Sorry, Sam, you are nowhere near Sidney's level. And just like that, Sam goes to town on Richie, stabbing him multiple times. She then slits his throat and shoots him in the head. Talk about overkill. But the girls aren't finished yet. Amber, her face horribly disfigured, lunges at them with a knife, and then...

BANG! Tara shoots her in the head. "I prefer the Babbadok," is her badass line and Jenna Ortega sells it. 

As the Triumphant Girls (Sidney, Gale, Sam, and Tara) step out of the house, wounded but not broken, the police arrive. Out comes the Wonder Twins, Chad and Mindy, being wheeled out in their stretchers. Then there's the Carpenter sisters in mutual rejoicing; Sam coming to terms with her past and, Tara safe and alive in her arms. Zen Survivor Sidney sits proudly beside her former frenemy and now best friend Gale Weathers. As their story arc comes to a close, Gale tells Sidney that she might write a book about Dewey, The Unsung Hero of Woodsboro. Okay, I'm going to pull another What If:

Let's say if the filmmakers had Kyle Gallner cast as Richie, it would be kept a mystery that he's actually the nephew of Stu Macher. Therefore, that would hype up the fans who wanted Stu to return. See? Maybe Richie would be obsessed with Sam being the half-sister of Billy Loomis, so much so it becomes toxic. Along with Amber, he sets his sights on reigniting the Woodsboro Murders.

If the filmmakers would've kept that version of the story, the screenplay could've had a better flow. Just my opinion. 

So yeah, that was Scream or Scream 5 or Scream 2022, it doesn't matter. I just think it was an okay film but it had so much potential to be better than it was. I've heard Scream 6 has been released and judging from what I've seen in this movie...it might take a little while for me to review. Trust me, I've seen it and...I have a lot of thoughts. Anyway, Scream 2022 might not hold up well for me.

My last word: Not bad but not great either. 

 

Candyman (2021)

 

After the disastrous reception of Day of the Dead, it would be over a decade for a Candyman sequel to be produced. In 2004, Clive Barker was involved with a 25 million budget. This would've actually been great, considering that Clive Barker is the writer of the source material, but unfortunately, that never came to be. In 2009, filmmaker Deon Taylor was set to direct the film, which would've taken place at an all-women's college during the winter, thankfully ignoring the events of Day of the Dead, but the film fell apart due to rights issues. Fast forward to nine years later, it was announced that Jordan Peele, the director of Get Out and Us, will be producing the sequel with the help of Nia DaCosta filling in the role of director. This seems to be like a match made in heaven. So, by 2019, pre-production for the fourth Candyman sequel was on the go. And the result is a...pretty mixed bag. 

The way I can describe Candyman 2021 is an almost perfect movie. The directing? Amazing. The acting? Top-notch. The writing? I'm afraid I have to go with a...meh. I would say that the build-up of the story is well done but up until the third act, it's a bit of a mess. And there is so much to uncover with that, so let's start the review. 

The Story: Anthony McCoy, a renowned painter in the Chicago art scene, is seeking inspiration. With the help of his girlfriend, gallery owner Brianna Cartwright, he's hard at work on his next project. After hearing about The Legend of Helen Lyle, Anthony investigates the now-gentrified Cabrini Green where he meets Laundromat owner, Willam Burke. Forty-two years ago, as a young boy, William witnessed the police beating and eventual death of Sherman Fields, a mentally-challenged homeless man who was wrongfully accused of giving a white girl candy filled with razor blades. He was soon proven innocent, long after his death, though in the afterlife, Sherman has ingrained himself as a "Candyman" legend. As Anthony becomes more and more obsessed with the Candyman mythos, he would later uncover a secret from the past that would change the course of his life forever...

The cast is phenomenal, hands down, and it was one of the few things that got me invested in the film. The strongest of the bunch are Yahya Abdul-Matten, Teyonah Parris, and Colman Domingo. So, I would gladly share my perspective on these fantastic actors, starting with:

Anthony McCoy, played by the very sexy and very talented Yahya Abdul-Mateen. Not that anybody knows yet, but the mystery surrounding Anthony is that he is the son of Anne-Marie who got kidnapped as a baby and eventually saved by Helen Lyle. I thought it was quite an interesting touch to have him as the main character. Another interesting callback is that Anthony is an artist himself as if Candyman has christened him to be the next big talent. However, it seems as though Anthony has some self-absorbed, self-destructive tendencies that get in the way of his success. 

 

But once he discovers the Cabrini Green projects, Anthony gets stung by a bee as if he's been marked. When he gets more and more obsessed with the Candyman lore, Anthony literally starts to become him! It's kind of like a pseudo-Nightmare on Elm Street 2 situation. This actually got me invested but, unfortunately, that's not all to the story. I'll talk more about the third act later. 

Though I would say that Yahya Abdul-Mateen did a really good performance. The first choice to play Anthony was actually Lakeith Stanford and I would've loved to see that. He is an intense method actor and would've knocked it off the park, splendidly, however, Yahya really honed it in and gave a more vulnerable approach to his character . he has just the right amount of range to balance out the drama and horror of Anthony's situation. 

Brianna Cartwright played by Teyonah Parris was the showstopper for me. Not only was she incredibly likable and relatable, but she was also believable in what her character was experiencing. Brianna takes the role of the audience surrogate, even to the point where I wanted her to be the main character instead. I just have to say it, she has a more compelling story arc than Anthony's, which ties into the movie's theme about trauma. 

As a little girl, Brianna witnessed the suicide of her father who was an artist himself. As Anthony becomes more engrossed with the Candyman mythos, affecting his mental state, Brianna begins to distance herself until she uncovers the ugly truth.

Teyonah Parris was fantastic as Brianna. Furthermore, I like how she portrays her character as an actual human being, reacting to the horror in a realistic way. For one instance, after witnessing Anthony's psychotic meltdown, she decides to smoke a joint with her brother and his boyfriend. Something that I would do in a situation like that. So, not only did Teyonah Parris give a top-tier performance but she also played a character I would totally hang out with too.

Then we have William Burke played by the also sexy and talented Colman Domingo. William's trauma starts with the opening scene of the film when he encounters Sherman Feilds before his eventual death and lives to tell the tale. After his experience, he studies the Candyman mythos that trickles down to generation after generation. There's really not much to know about William after that. He's sort of like the exposition guy who gives Anthony the historical context surrounding the "Candyman" spirit. He's kind of mysterious and mostly hides out at the laundromat in which he owns but there's much more to talk about in the third act. Oh boy, just wait. 

However, Colman Domingo was really great in the role. He has this smooth, storytelling voice that's almost equal to Morgan Freeman's. He also adds a level of complexity to the character where we emphasized with his trauma. In one of the film's most powerful scenes, William breaks down in tears, explaining the cycle of abuse that black men like Daniel Robitaille experienced, expressing how this hits home for him. Colman Domingo really did for me in this scene and it's one of his shining moments. 

The most breakout role goes to Troy Cartwright played by Nathan Stuart-Jarret. He's the film's comic relief with a healthy dose of dry humor to balance out the horror. In the first few scenes, he is the one who tells the story of Helen Lyle, though the events are not particularly accurate to what we saw in the first Candyman. The news article (according to Troy) paints Helen as this nut-job who was so obsessed with the Candyman lore that she beheaded a dog and kidnapped a baby as a sacrifice, and whilst seeing Candyman, in a disillusioned state, sacrifices herself in the fire. Though according to the people who witnessed the bonfire, this news article is 100% percent false. Somehow, this sparks an interest in Anthony, not knowing that he was the baby that Helen supposedly kidnapped. Therefore, Troy fits into the inciting incident by diving into his fascination with urban legends. 

There's also Troy's boyfriend, Grady, who he shares incredible chemistry with. Their comic timing is always on point. But aside from being the comic relief, Troy is usually the voice of reason, too and he and Grady give Brianna the emotional support she needs. Overall, Nathan Stewart-Jarret's performance as Troy was one of the most entertaining parts of the movie.

Then we have the exceptional Vanessa A. Williams as Anne-Marie McCoy. I just want to say Vanessa looks incredible for her age and on top of that, she really knocks it off the park in her one and only scene. It shows how much impact her character had in the original. 

This is by far one of the film's best scenes, Vanessa and Yahya are at their top form here, honing the emotions and devastation the characters are feeling. It's a very effective scene and a testament to how great the acting truly is.

Lastly, we have the eponymous Candyman...Sherman Fields. First off, I just want to say although the actor Michael Hargrove has a creepy presence about him and plays the character well, I just don't see how Sherman Fields fits into the Candyman timeline. 

Okay, I'm going to get into spoiler territory here:

So, William mentions that there is actually a Candyman hive, morphing into the faces of black men who were killed by injustice. But from my understanding, in the original film, the residents of Cabrini Green only thought of Candyman as one entity. When you examine the timeline of the 1992 film, I just don't see how Sherman Fields fits into it. So was it possible that people were talking about two Candymen? Okay, you know what, I'm not gonna dwell too deep into this because this has a lot of plotholes, trust me. But I will say this, I wish they would've had Tony Todd as Candyman, again. He's the only one that can embody this role perfectly and it was such a missed opportunity. Technically, he is in the film but I'll talk more about that in the third-act segment. 

Let's get the so-called victims out of the way:

We have the arrogant, pretentious art dealer Clive Privler and his equally arrogant, pretentious girlfriend Jerrica Cooper. Let's keep this short and simple. Clive is whiny and self-observed, and Jerrica is a stereotypical goth dominatrix.  By the way, their acting and dialogue was so cringe that I couldn't wait for Candyman to come and hook the hell out of them. Their death scenes are very reminiscent of Miguel and his girlfriend's in Day of the Dead but that's all I gotta say about them. 

Then you have the snobby art critic Finely Stephens who was dismissive of Anthony's latest project. She promptly gets killed when Anthony leaves her apartment. Me I say more?

Finally, we have a teenage girl (can't recall her name) who attended Anthony's show, fucking around with her friends in the bathroom as they prepare for the Candyman ritual. Before they do this, a timid black girl enters the bathroom and they start teasing for no reason.

When the black girl hides in the bathroom stall, the snobby teenage girl and her minions/friends continue their ritual and...just as you guessed it. Candyman slaughters them mercilessly, leaving the black girl as the only eyewitness. 

Having unlikeable characters in a horror film isn't always a bad thing but the problem is you don't feel scared for them. I think horror movies work best when you empathize with the victims. Sure, they don't have to be perfect but by making them apathetic, slightly racist assholes kills the tension for me. And that's the main problem with the movie: it barely has any tension. I guess the only tension it has is Anthony becoming "The Candyman," and most of the suspense can be seen in the third act but that's all I got here. 

Now, let's talk about the film's social commentary. It goes into the cycles of trauma but also the exploitation of trauma. Although Anthony "thinks" he's making a good cause by painting portraits of brutalized black men, he is just like Helen Lyle, in the fact that he's unknowingly exploiting peoples' trauma for his own gain. Then there's the apathy of African-Americans who suffer from trauma, which is why Candyman exists at all. But there's much more to add to the commentary once we...yes, of course, get to the third act. 

I want to start by saying that Nia DaCosta's directing is masterful! First, lets talk about the opening credits. Remember when in the first film, the opening credits were overhead? Now it's down below with a mirroring effect. Here's a comparison:

Candyman 1992 Opening Credits:

Candyman 2021:

(click on the picture)

Tell, me. How cool is that?

I also like the addition of the shadow puppets. It's very effective and creepy, standing out as one of the film's visual highlights:

Okay, there is one issue I have with the visuals. These days, filmmakers have this habit of inserting CGI into horror films. I'll say this once and I'll say again, CGI is not scary! It would be nice to realistic blood in horror movies again. There is hope when it comes to the low-budget horror movies but as for the mainstream, I don't know. The worst of these types of effects is shown in the bathroom scene and the climax. It was probably a last-minute thing to get the film completed but It could've been done way much better. 

Now I did say that the film didn't have any tension, that's just in terms of the screenwriting. The film itself is an examination of Anthony slowly becoming Candyman, complete with some gross body horror. That's where the tension works for me, not for the so-called victims. 

May I present to you the travesty that is the third act:

When she goes to look for Anthony, Brianna seeks out William at the laundromat. Then, out of nowhere, William abducts her and places her hostage at an abandoned church.

All of a sudden, the scene switches back to a young William arguing with his older sister. I hate to say it but the child acting is...not great. But anywho, his sister conjures up Candyman (Sherman Fields) and he kills her and all of her friends. When William opens the door, he sees Candyman standing over his sister's dead body. I felt like this should've been the opening scene instead. It feels so disjointed. And yeah, it gives William a motive for his madness but nothing ever comes of it. 

Brianna breaks out of consciousness as William goes off on a psychotic rant about resurrecting the Candyman hive. Colmon Domingo's acting is...really over-the-top in this scene and it gets a little grating at times. So William unveils Anthony and initiates him into the hive. Anthony's body is completely covered in beestings and to put more salt in the wound, William saws off Anthony's hand and impales a hook, right in the stump (with CGI blood by the way). 

Brianna eventually breaks free from her ropes and makes a run for it. William chases after her. The two of them go on a cat-and-mouse chase until Brianna stabs William to death (CGI blood and all). Anthony stumbles through, collapsing into Brianna's arms. 

Suddenly, a horde of police officers comes out of nowhere and shoots Anthony unprovoked. For some reason, they arrest Brianna while a police officer sits in the car with her. The police officer tries to intimidate her into agreeing that Anthony was indeed the killer and that their shooting was justified...Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute. Who is the true villain of this film? Is it William? The Candyman? Or the Police officers themselves? Let's continue. So instead of complying with the police officer's demand, Brianna uses the rearview mirror to conjure up Candyman. All of a sudden, The Candyman, or shall I say, The Candyman "Hive" goes into an all-out bloody massacre, murdering all of the police officers in total (to which all of their blood organs are made of CGI. I hope this trend ends).

So after the deed is done, we see The Candyman morphing into the faces of black men who were killed by injustice, one of them being Daniel Robitaille played by the one and only Tony Todd in a one-shot (CGI remodeled) cameo. His last words: "Tell Everyone."

What. The. Fuck. Okay, it's time to go on a rant. Well, not particularly a rant, but more of an autopsy report. 

First off, I would've loved to see Tony Todd reprise the role of Candyman instead of some lousy tacked-on 20-second cameo. 

Also, they gave the lead actress of the original, Virginia Madsen, a voice cameo. Just a voice cameo. Didn't the first film end with Helen becoming a creepy urban legend herself? What happened to that? This actually harkens back to Benard Rose's original idea about having Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd reprising their roles in a prequel as mentioned in the Farewell to the Flesh review. What if Helen became Candyman's bride after all? It would've been so cool if they included that in this sequel. It's such a missed opportunity.

Second of all, is Candyman an anti-hero now? I don't know, it just doesn't work for me. He's more of a deeply complex anti-villain in my eyes and the changing of this takes away his imposing, mysterious mystique. 

Lastly, the whole message behind the film is to showcase how corrupt the police system is. I get the message but it's executed terribly. Though I would say, the commentary is handled a lot much better than what the filmmakers of Day of the Dead were trying to accomplish.

But what takes me out of the film is it's lack of subtly. The third act alone just ruins the entire film, stripping away any potential it has. 

For me, Candyman 1992 is above and beyond the best of them all. It's a film that really holds up for me and the execution of the social commentary is superb. It's a bonafide classic, which still leaves an impact in the horror zeitgeist.

The 2021 sequel tries to hold a candle to the original but there's just no way. Candyman 1992 is a lightning in the bottle. Instead of paying homage, Candyman 2021 crumbles in its shadow. 

Last Word: It's a mess. But it's a beautiful mess. It's good for one watch.