Candyman [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD]

Director: Nia DaCosta Nia DaCosta

Overview

Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a visual artist who moves into a luxurious condo in Cabrini-Green with Brianna (Teyonah Parris), his partner and a gallery director. Just as Anthony feels like his career is stagnating, he meets William Burke (Colman Domingo), an old resident of Cabrini-Green, who tells him of the terrifying tale of Candyman. Desperate to cling on to his relevance in the art world, Anthony decides to utilize the grisly details of this tragedy to inspire his works, unknowingly setting into motion another deadly cycle of violence. Directed by Nia DaCosta.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/16/2021
UPC:	0191329124727
Original Release:	2021
Source:	Universal
Language:	English

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II	Anthony McCoy
Teyonah Parris	Brianna Cartwright
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett	Troy Cartwright
Colman Domingo	William Burke
Kyle Kaminsky	Grady Cartwright
Vanessa Williams	Anne-Marie McCoy
Rebecca Spence	Finley Stephens
Carl Clemons-Hopkins	Jameson
Brian King	Clive Privler
Miriam Moss	Jerrica Cooper,Archival Footage Girl # 7
Cassie Kramer	Librarian
Mark Montgomery	Det. Lipez
Genesis Denise Hale	Sabrina
Rodney L Jones III	Billy
Pamela Jones	Devlin Sharpe
Hannah Love Jones	Young Brianna
Cedric Mays	Gil Cartwright
Tony Todd	Daniel Robitaille/Candyman
Heidi Grace Engerman	Haley Gulick
Christiana Clark	Danielle Harrington
Torrey Hanson	Jack Hyde
Tien Tran	Jane Ji
Alec Silver	Restaurant Server
Sarah Wisterman	Celine
Malic White	Boof
Sarah Lo	Samantha
Breanna Lind	Annika
Ireon Roach	Trina
Nia DaCosta	Actor
Tran Tien	Jane Ji
J. Nicole Brooks	Dr. Collins
Nancy Pender	TV News Anchor
Mike Geraghty	Police Officer #1
Nadia Simms	Ringleader
Michael Hargrove	Sherman Fields
Jazlynn Givens	Archival Footage Girl #1
Breje Odom	Archival Footage Girl #2
Chandlyr Davis	Archival Footage Girl #3
Danica VonKampen	Archival Footage Girl #4
Teslyn Johnson	Archival Footage Girl #5
Teagan Crostreet	Archival Footage Girl #6
Graham Carlson	Archival Footage Boy #1
Nicholas Russell	Archival Footage Boy #2
Logan Vosburgh	Archival Footage Boy #3
Brandon Pelayo	Archival Footage Boy #4
Antwan Eillish	Lucas
Dan Fierro	Officer Rooney
Evan Simpson	Actor
Dominica Strong	Cabrini Green Resident
Aaron Crippen	Officer Smith
Michael Oilar	Pedestrian
Ashland Thomas	Night Crawler Patron
Matthew J. Valadez	Driver in the Rain During Gallery Killing
Hans Dieter Wolff	European Tourist
FreqCo	Composer
Randall Dunn	Composer
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe	Composer

Technical Credits

Jordan Peele

Win Rosenfeld

Nia DaCosta

Bernard Rose

Clive Barker

Jordan Peele	Screenwriter,Producer
Win Rosenfeld	Screenwriter,Producer
Nia DaCosta	Screenwriter,Director
Bernard Rose	Screenwriter
Clive Barker	Screenwriter
Jason Cloth	Executive Producer,Producer
Aaron L. Gilbert	Executive Producer,Producer
David Kern	Executive Producer,Producer
Ian Cooper	Producer
Christian Litke	Stunts
Cheyenne Watson	Stunts
Jeff Sawyer	Sound/Sound Designer
J.T. Mueller	Sound/Sound Designer
Phil Brewster	Sound/Sound Designer
Matthew Kallen	Sound/Sound Designer
Mark Wilkening	Sound/Sound Designer
Nicholas Berg	Special Effects
Jennifer Hiltwein	Special Effects
Mark Sussman	Casting
Greg Poljacik	Stunts
Michael Babcock	Sound/Sound Designer
Ian Herzon	Sound/Sound Designer
Chris Diebold	Sound/Sound Designer
David Wilson	Sound/Sound Designer
Nick Ray Harris	Sound/Sound Designer
Adam Mohundro	Sound/Sound Designer
Stefanie Mitchell	Special Effects
Claire Simon	Casting
Patty Connolly	Casting
Cassidy Price	Casting
Randall McDonald	Stunts
Matt Hovland	Sound/Sound Designer
Brad J. Bakelmun	Sound/Sound Designer
Ryan Evans	Special Effects
Mark Bottger	Special Effects
Ken Lobacz	Special Effects
Jeremy Seymour	Special Effects
Jessica Needham	Casting
Rachel Harrison	Stunts
Natalie M. Meyer	Stunts
Branden Spencer	Sound/Sound Designer
Kevin Schultz	Sound/Sound Designer
Kelsey Zeigler	Sound/Sound Designer
Brian Peters	Stunts
Benjamin Hoffman	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

Candyman features an ambitious, multi-layered script from Jordan Peele (Get Out), Win Rosenfeld, and Nia DaCosta (Little Woods). Under DaCosta's direction, the screenplay rises above itself, providing an entertaining and compelling horror film that, like the original 1992 film, rises above the typical expectations of the slasher genre. Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a young, rising artist known for a particular style of social-commentary art. When the gallery he is set to display at asks him to find something different, Anthony struggles to break out. That is, until he hears the story of the Candyman, an urban legend from the Cabrini-Green housing project nearby. He becomes obsessed with the history, tracking down details and rendering them on canvas. But when the legend becomes stark reality, will Anthony be able to break free or become a part of it like Helen Lyle before him? The script is finely tuned as a sequel to the original film while providing a great deal of originality. Most importantly, the screenwriters seem to channel Clive Barker - the creator of the character. The setting remains the same, keeping it a tale of a local legend, albeit not as well-known as when Cabrini-Green existed as public housing. Lack of modern fame doesn't stop the character from wreaking havoc, particularly since there are some who remember. This ties the old story to the new in an admirably developed manner. As with the original Candyman, the concept that horrific, unjust acts can give birth to something even more terrible is a prevalent theme. Clever usage in the title of Anthony's first Candyman artwork ties it all together neatly. DaCosta's direction of the actors and story keeps the film moving along at a good pace, building the tale's tension as it reaches its inevitably violent crescendo. The audience never loses the allegory for racial violence, but it never feels pushed or forced, either. The actors portray this well, particularly Abdul-Mateen II as the artist genuinely suffering for his art. His performance is as memorable as Tony Todd's in the previous Candyman features. While this type of film tends to rely on gore, and a few scenes fit this bill, it isn't as excessive as audiences are accustomed to. In some cases, much of it happens off-camera or from a distance. These often add to the chilling effect rather than distracting from it. Brilliant use of light and shadow, plus obscure camera angles, makes this a disturbing film without relying on blood and guts. Another interesting and effective aspect is the use of shadow puppetry to tell many of the historical details of Candyman. The makeup, costumes, and setting use modern techniques but remain faithful to the original Candyman series. It all blends well with an updated environment and a location where truly, times have changed. Overall, the film has the look and feel of a classic and memorable horror movie. Candyman works equally well as both a horror film and the social commentary at which Peele excels. The exceptional writing, spot-on direction, and great acting from the lead cement Candyman's place as the sweetest of all Universal monsters.