Night 6: ‘Candyman’ (1992)

Sometimes curiosity does kill the cat, and in the vein of films like ‘The Wicker Man’, an investigation can take an ugly turn for the researcher, yet provide the community with a much-needed boost of self-assurance.

The movie follows Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) as she stumbles upon the Candyman myth while gathering information about urban legends. To her surprise, the legend is set in her own community, a fact that prompts her to investigate more, to the point of risking her own life as she navigates the dangerous, violence-riddled neighborhood.

However, the real horror begins when a supernatural entity that responds to the name of the Candyman presents itself, claiming her as her victim, and involving her in terrible deeds in order to keep its own legend alive.

The story goes beyond a simple slasher, as it mixes up the supernatural with timely social commentary, blurring the lines between what’s real and what is merely a myth. The film takes place in a humble community that is used to violence and cruelty. There are good and bad folks in the neighborhood, as evidenced in a young mother whom tries to raise her son properly, while a gang of thugs harasses people outside.

Yet they all connect in one primal way: their fear of the mysterious Candyman.

It’s a fascinating and intriguing embodiment of what monsters and myths can be for any given society: a link, a warning, a miracle, a protection spell against the cruel, senseless reality of the world. Thus, the legend of the Candyman becomes its own type of religion, with rules that must be followed and ‘sacred’ (or in this case, cursed) places that must not be breached. This is evident through the film’s striking visuals, which are as layered as the story and themes themselves.

In this complex landscape, our main character -whose strong will to go the extra mile is simply unrelenting- steps in, ignoring the guidelines, and penetrating the sacred grounds, consequently awakening the distrust of the community and the monster itself.

She learns the backstory of the Candyman -in a great scene in which the film cleverly uses sound to provide ambiguity to the story while supporting the narrative, as well as avoiding a more customary type of flashback- and promptly immerses herself in a wild chase that will take her face to face with the creature.

She is just what it needed: a new victim, a sacrificial lamb that could reinvigorate his myth.

However, Helen not only revives it, but instead becomes a new legend, a new warning of her own accord. What she punishes and why, remains to be seen.

If there’s something to reproach to the story, is the fact that the ideas can get a little too muddled and ambiguous, making the film quite difficult to grasp once we get to the ending. Is Helen a ‘good’ monster? Does her myth replace that of Candyman? Does she go from embodying a warning against white, entitled neighbors, to becoming their white savior? Was Candyman part of her imagination, or a collective illusion? Does the community forgive Helen or condemn her for her actions?

Perhaps its open-endedness actually helps accentuate the fear factor of the film –which is, in fact, quite scary already! Still, in the end, it’s a movie well worth a watch.

Grade: 7/10. For those with a sweet tooth for blood and a little more.

Scare Factor: a lot of jump scares and loud sounds, as well as some scary images.

Gore/violence: a lot of blood, some gore and violence.

Nudity/sexual situations: some light nudity.

Tomorrow: ‘The Changeling’ (1980)