1992’s Candyman is a unique late period supernatural slasher based on a Clive Barker story and written and directed by Bernard Rose. This creepy gem discusses race, poverty, and the nature of urban legends while delivering the gory goods.
Grad student Helen (ambitious and eager Virginia Madsen) seeks to uncover the truth surrounding an urban legend centered on Chicago’s infamous Cabrini Green, a housing project where drugs and murder plague the abject poor. She soon finds the horrors associated with the so-called Candyman got their start around the turn of the century when a black man was brutally murdered for the “crime” of impregnating a white woman. As she digs deeper, she soon finds herself face to face with the titular specter (an immensely creepy and cool Tony Todd). As the bodies start to pile up and an infant is kidnapped, Helen is suspected of being dangerously unhinged all while Candyman goes about his gruesome business.
Part of what makes this film so singular is its outrage over racial injustice and the misery suffered by the poorest of us. The fact that the film used the actual Cabrini Green for location shooting gives the picture an authentic and grounded texture, even while it evokes surrealism with its through-the-looking-glass motif. Subtly invoking disgust over racism and marrying it in a natural way to the story itself works to make you think even while you’re chilled. Adding to all of this, Barker, Rose, and Todd create a misunderstood monster for the modern era. Todd’s baritone sends shivers down your spine as it echoes in empty parking garages and dilapidated, rubble-strewn, burned-out dwellings. His costuming is also fantastic with the key being the particularly nasty hook embedded into the bloody stump where his hand used to be.
The makeup effects are outstanding. The scene where Candyman unleashes the horde of bees from his rotting abdomen is particularly memorable. As real bees were used, Todd was reportedly stung over twenty times and received $1000 for every sting. Philip Glass’ haunting and melodic score imposes a melancholy dread over the visuals that you find yourself humming hours later. It’s no wonder that this film has become iconic and ranks amongst the best horror films of the ‘90s.
Darkly romantic and with a commitment to standing apart from the slasher pack, Bernard Rose does an excellent job of giving Candyman that moody Clive Barker feel. From the aerial Hitchcockian title sequence to its bloody dénouement, the film has retained its effectiveness with its subtexts unfortunately still all too relevant. At once surreal but grounded, and gory but nuanced, Rose and company walk a balancing act and leave an impression as a result of their efforts. Highly recommended.
Michael Cavender