Candyman (2021) Blu-Ray Review

CANDYMANOne of my favorite horror films this year, Candyman, is now available on home release! If you missed seeing this during its theatrical/on-demand run, now is a great time to pick up this fantastic film.

In Candyman, “for as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini Towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright, move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials. With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.”

The bonus features included on the home release include:

  • Alternate Ending
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes
  • Say My Name: Filmmakers and cast discuss how the horror at the center of Candyman is both timely and timeless, which is a tragedy in and of itself.Candyman Pack Shot
  • Body Horror: We explore director Nia DaCosta’s influences in the subgenre of body horror, and what Anthony’s physical transformation means to the story.
  • The Filmmaker’s Eye: Nia DaCosta: Take a closer look at director Nia DaCosta, and how her singular voice and perspective were perfect to tell this story.
  • Painting Chaos: Filmmakers reveal how Anthony’s artwork evolves throughout the film and how they strived for authenticity in recreating Chicago’s vibrant art scene.
  • The Art of Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe: Composer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe reveals some of the unconventional methodologies he used to create the unique and haunting soundscapes sounds of the film.
  • Terror in the Shadows: A behind-the-scenes look at how the analog shadow puppetry scenes were created and an unpacking of why this ancient artistic medium was the most conceptually relevant for depicting the legends’ cycle of violence.
  • Candyman: The Impact of Black Horror: A roundtable discussion moderated by Colman Domingo about the nuanced relationship Black Americans have with Candyman, the horror genre, and the overall idea of monsters and victims.

Seeing as how I already did a fairly in-depth review of Candyman when it was released, I thought I’d do a brief review of the bonus features (spoiler-free of course). I feel like unless a movie gets a boutique release, the bonus features are typically fairly lacking. This is not the case with this release. All of the bonus features provide a ton of insight you may not. The feature “Candyman: The Impact of Black Horror” is especially thought-provoking and feels somewhat like an abridged conversation from Horror Noire (which I strongly recommend!). “Painting Chaos” is also really interesting because I had no idea that the art featured in the film was actually from Chicago artists. I liked the alternate ending but I think I’m glad they went with the one they did. However, I wouldn’t have been at all upset if they had used that one.

Overall, the Blu-ray release of Candyman is definitely one I’d recommend for anyone to put into their collection. Between the movie itself and the incredible bonus features, you don’t want to sleep on this one!

Candyman is available now on Digital, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD! 

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