The original Candyman, directed by Bernard Rose and written by horror legend Clive Barker, is a horror movie classic. Released in 1992 and starring Tony Todd in the lead role and Virginia Madsen opposite his character, with music by master composer Philip Glass, the film still holds up as a terrifying epic that transcended the screen for many fans.
Well, Jordan Peele, Hollywood’s new “it” guy, has produced a new version of Candyman directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman, Black Mirror, Watchmen). Let’s just get to it: Despite the talent involved, this looks terrible. The trailer just dropped and it looks like a giant step backward for what has been an iconic character.
The film looks really bad. From the low budget look, to the thin and obvious plot, to the stiff performances, if this had been the original Candyman, the character never would have captured the imagination of audiences. At this point, all we can hope for is that the trailer isn’t representative of the full film. However, after Peele’s last film US, which seems to share some of the not-quite-baked approach to filmmaking (and wasn’t a hit with audiences), we’re not optimistic.
If you’ve ever heard that the original Candyman was good, but you’ve never seen it, we urge you to see the original first before distorting your view with this new version.
Just take a look at the original film’s opening title sequence (below) with music by Philip Glass and you immediately realize you’re about to delve into another, fascinating world.
The new version of Candyman is set to hit theaters on June 12.
Cover image via Universal Pictures/YouTube
