Dedicated fans of the horror genre will probably be familiar with the slasher film Candyman that was released in 1992. True horror fans should also know that a sequel to the original Candyman is being released in Australia this Thursday.
While a quick scan of the trailer may have scary movie aficionados rubbing their hands with glee, an interview with actors Teyonah Parris and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II revealed that there’s a deeper cultural level to the movie that they’re hoping resonates with viewers.
Kristian Fanene Schmidt from The Brag caught up with Parris (who plays Brianna Cartwright) and Abdul-Mateen II (who plays Anthony McCoy) for a chat ahead of the upcoming movie release.
Schmidt pointed out that, unlike many other horror movies where POC tend to stereotypically be brutally killed, it was the people white character who were tempting fate with the killer in Candyman. Parris was revealed that this was a conscious move made by director Nia Dacosta.
“That is definitely a part of what I enjoyed about making this film, as well working with Mia. She was very conscious not to brutalise black bodies on screen. It was implied, I feel like we’ve seen enough of that historically,” Parris explained.
“So, the stories we’re telling, you get it. You get why it’s happening and we’re not being over-saturating with the brutalisation to the black body. I did appreciate that as well.”
Watch the full interview with Candyman stars Teyonah Parris and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II:
The original Candyman, which was released in 1992, followed a university student who is researching an urban legend character called Candyman. The story went that Candyman was a black man who fell in love with a white woman. The two went on to have a child together, but when the woman’s father found out, he had the man killed. Helen summons the Candyman and he begins killing those closest to her and kidnaps her son Anthony.
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Candyman continues to terrorise Helen until he offers her a deal: join him for a life of immortal, supernatural status and he will give her back Anthony. Helen agrees and Candyman leads her to her child. In an epic battle, Helen manages to kill Candyman and free her son, but she dies in the process.
Since the original Candyman, there have been two sequels: Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) and Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999).
The upcoming Candyman blockbuster sequel follows Helen’s son Anthony who is an artist in Chicago. He has no knowledge about his past but stumbles upon the story of Candyman and aims to integrate it into his artistic work. By doing so, he opens the door back to Candyman and horrifying events ensue.
Watch Kristian Fanene Schmidt’s interview with Candyman director Nia Dacosta:
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Watch the trailer for the new movie:
