Where to watch Candyman
4 Stars
Helen Lyle is a student who decides to write a thesis about local legends and myths. She visits a part of the town, where she learns about the legend of the Candyman, a one-armed man who appears when you say his name five times, in front of a mirror. Of course, Helen doesn’t believe all this stuff, but the people of the area are really afraid. When she ignores their warnings and begins her investigation in the places that he is rumored to appear, a series of horrible murders begins. Could the legend be true?
The utterly absorbing horror film from Bernard Rose set a high-bar for the genre in the early 1990’s. Not only did it introduce a new iconic cinema villain, but it also features a cerebral storyline and interesting characters which are typically not present in contemporary horror films from that era. Beautiful photography, strong performances and confident direction all contribute to making Candyman one of the best films of 1992.
Candyman makes a great double feature with Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs, also released in 1992. Both directors, Rose and Craven, working within the confines of their genre use it to investigate intriguing ideas about myth, classism, and racism. Candyman could have been a laughable experience in less capable hands. With Rose calling the shots accompanied by a haunting score from Phillip Glass, Candyman becomes an exquisite example of artistic integrity elevating B-movie material.
Directed by: Bernard Rose
Written by: Clive Barker, Bernard Rose
Starring: Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd