Review Roundup For Candyman

The new Candyman movie hits theaters this Friday, August 27. Candyman is directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Jordan Peele, and it stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, Vanessa Estelle Williams, and Tony Todd.

The movie is a direct sequel to Bernard Rose's classic 1992 Candyman, which was adapted from Clive Barker's short story The Forbidden. It stars Abdul-Mateen II as Anthony McCoy, a visual artist who has moved into the exclusive and expensive Chicago community of Cabrini. The area was once the housing project Cabrini Green, but has now been unrecognizably gentrified. But the legend of the vengeful hook-handed ghost Candyman persists, and scary things soon start happening.

Candyman was originally set for release in September 2020, but like most big movies last year, was pushed forward to 2021. Thankfully, it sounds like it was worth the wait. Reviews are broadly positive so far, with critics praising the way it mixes social commentary with horror, while admitting that the movie can't quite hit the heights of the original. Nevertheless, Candyman currently holds 96% on Rotten Tomatoes--so here's what the critics have said about DaCosta's highly anticipated horror movie.

Candyman

• Directed By: Nia DaCosta
• Written By: Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Nia DaCosta
• Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, Vanessa Estelle Williams
• Release Date: August 27 (United States)

Bloody Disgusting

"Candyman deftly juggles so much at once, from artistic intent and ownership to a history of violence that birth monstrous legends. A history that DaCosta’s film aims to reclaim with a fiery passion, building to a finale that slams into you like a freight train and gets under your skin. DaCosta is a powerhouse director, and her singular vision demands not only that you say his name but understand why. "-- Meagan Navarro [Full review]

Slashfilm

"Bees buzz, blood flows, and the past returns again and again, sometimes via gorgeous shadow puppetry. A dark, ominous undercurrent runs through Candyman, signaling Nia DaCosta as a filmmaker with a firm, unique grasp on the genre. The original Candyman already had a few sequels, but none of them are as clever, as interesting, as effective as this."-- Chris Evangelista [Full review]

Empire

"If the early stages of the film are too concerned with explaining the meaning of the Candyman himself, at least the consequences of his summoning are appropriately messy, both in the wince-inducing bloodshed and whom specifically it’s targeting, a collective vengeful anger unleashed on anyone who dares mention it in jest. It's a shame, then, that just as it establishes a new identity, it's done, its time cut short by its various stolid lectures."-- Kambole Campbell [Full review]

The AV Club

"The Candyman of 2021 represents more than he did three decades ago—indeed, more than a 91-minute movie can adequately explore. But there are worse crimes for a movie to commit than having too many ideas."-- Anya Stanley [Full review]

The Wrap

"The filmmakers take pains to honor Candyman, laying bare the ways that trauma sculpts a body without and within. DaCosta uses a range of thoughtfully considered media to shape the already-sharp script; the film's violence is equally startling whether it's depicted graphically and up-close, or through old-fashioned shadow puppets and oral traditions."-- Elizabeth Weitzman [Full review]

Total Film

"Despite the tension, and the solid performances from Abdul-Mateen (who continues his charismatic ascent to the A-list) and Parris (set to reteam with DaCosta for The Marvels), it feels unlikely to linger as long in the memory--or inspire as many of those mirror-based sleepover challenges--as the original."-- Matt Maytum [Full review]

Entertainment Weekly

"Who can take a reboot, sprinkle it with something new, cover it with blood and bumblebees and a pointed social commentary or two? Candyman can, at least for a little while, even if the movie doesn't really find its more-than-body-horror groove in the end."-- Leah Greenblatt [Full review]