Candyman (2021) was released August 27, 2021, by Universal Pictures to considerably mixed reviews.

Candyman (2021), hereby referred to as just Candyman, is a very interesting movie to say the least. The film was written in three acts by three writers for each, and it most certainly shows. I have no doubt the movie could shine if it stuck to a theme, but between the three acts, the movie gives the viewer a bad case of plot nausea. According to What Went Wrong With…?, “So is this a sequel or a reboot? During its production it was labeled a ‘spiritual sequel’. But now it’s labeled a ‘direct sequel’.”

The plot follows protagonist “Anthony,” played by Yahya Abdul-Manteen II, who is one of the few bright spots of the film. Anthony is confused why the myth of the “Candyman” follows him around everywhere he goes, though it would seem the myth has more of a familial connection. Anthony’s mother died while he was a baby, within the first film. Viewers of the original film will most certainly recognize the reason behind Anthony’s connection. In the very first film, Candyman is the one responsible for Anthony’s mother’s death. Anthony was only saved after the protagonist of the first film, Hellen Lyle, sacrificed herself.

The 2021 movie’s big reveal was that there was never just one Candyman, but in fact six. The first ever Candyman, was an African-American painter in the 1800’s. Daniel Robitalle, Candyman I, is hired by a southern man to paint a portrait of his beautiful daughter. Daniel and the woman fall into a deep forbidden love, leading to a mob chasing Daniel before brutally chopping his hand off with a hook, smearing him with honey, and leaving him to die of infection from the ensuing bees. 

The other Candymen include a wrongfully accused child sentenced to the electric chair. The third was an older gentleman mistaken for the legend of Candyman, as he had a clawed hand and gave candy to neighborhood children. He was pursued by police before being beaten to death and becoming the real thing. The fourth candyman was a simple man who moved into a southern town before a mob showed up at his house. The mob proceeded to tie him to the back of a pickup truck and drive for three miles. The final Candyman is Anthony himself. The gimmick of Candyman is that every iteration is a black man who was wrongfully killed, and becomes a symbol of fear for those who call his name into a mirror.

Overall, the movie is chilling has a creative story with no good execution. Cole Lombard Shared, “I’ve seen every blockbuster movie this summer, and this is definitely the worst and most confusing one.” Lombard continued, “If this was a standalone movie, it would be fine, but it just sucks as part of the series.” The movie is great in description and terrible at just about everything else. Overall, the movie is a conflicting subject, and nothing could prove that point more than the movie’s net of 2.5 stars, despite being referred to as the best movie of the summer.