Candyman

Years after moving to a Chicago neighborhood, a young Black artist named Anthony McCoy finds himself drawn to the shadowy history of Candyman. What begins as research for a new work soon seeps into his waking life as eerie family secrets and urban legends creep into his studio and dreams. As Anthony cracks the surface of the horror myth, his perceptions fray and violence begins to ripple through his circle, challenging loyalty, art, and memory. His partner Brianna Cartwright, a local gallery director, watches the changes with wary curiosity while the city itself seems to breathe with the legend. The film uses atmosphere and social memory to explore how myth mirrors a community's trauma and the price of facing it.

Directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld, Candyman reimagines the Clive Barker myth for a contemporary audience, drawing on Barker's Candyman legend as source material. It released in 2021 and marks DaCosta's rise as a major genre filmmaker, while expanding the franchise for modern audiences.

With a 25 million budget, Candyman grossed about 77,411,570 worldwide, a respectable return for a mid range horror thriller that opened solidly and continued to attract audiences through word of mouth and streaming platforms in some markets it benefited from competition and strong critical support.

Candyman arrived as part of a broader push for socially conscious horror, using a familiar urban myth to probe race and memory in Chicago. Its visuals and symbolism sparked conversations about memory, community trauma, and how stories help communities cope with history, shaping conversations beyond the theater.

Critics praised the film's atmosphere and performances, especially Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris, and Nia DaCosta's direction. The movie is read as a meditation on art and fear within a history of racial inequality, emphasizing memory and myth. It invites viewers to consider ethics of myth and representation in urban landscape.