With an extensive story available behind the fascinating 2021 supernatural slasher film, Candyman, the most important thing to know is that it follows up on the original Candyman released in theaters in 1992. The basic goal of this year’s film is to introduce the same tale to a new generation, an audience under 30.
A very common urban legend, the Candyman character was originally based on the short story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker. This story’s another of many urban legends where a story is passed on from a “friend of a friend” leading to the concretion of mythical beliefs.
Bernard Rose, the director, and writer of the 2021 film gained the right to recreate the story from Baker and modified it to fit the city of Chicago after seeing the location himself.
The main character is doing a thesis on urban legends and folklore, and she comes across the story of the Candyman. She is intrigued by the fact that the spirit appears in a mirror after a person says their names five times and slits their throat with a hook. The story, like many urban legends, is embedded in a lack of financial resources and comes along with placement in housing projects in Chicago. This seems to increase the ability for the lack of care and concern for those affected by this to progress the fear of the legend.
As the tale of this legend is passed from one friend to the next throughout the community, testing the tale continues. The question of whether there is truly some serial killer in the background rather than some urban legend continues for quite a while. And it is definitely in need of an answer. So, take a look at the film and see what you can draw from it yourself!
