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Candyman

Play trailer 1:59 Poster for Candyman R Released Oct 16, 1992 1h 38m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 81 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Skeptical graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) befriends Anne-Marie McCoy (Vanessa Williams) while researching superstitions in a housing project on Chicago's Near North Side. From Anne-Marie, Helen learns about the Candyman (Tony Todd), a knife-wielding figure of urban legend that some of her neighbors believe to be responsible for a recent murder. After a mysterious man matching the Candyman's description begins stalking her, Helen comes to fear that the legend may be all too real.
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Candyman

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Critics Consensus

Though it ultimately sacrifices some mystery in the name of gory thrills, Candyman is a nuanced, effectively chilling tale that benefits from an interesting premise and some fine performances.

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Critics Reviews

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Budd Wilkins Slant Magazine Candyman explicitly becomes a horror story about the power and fascination of horror stories. Jun 7, 2022 Full Review Monica Castillo Bitch Media Wonderfully playing against expectation, Candyman leaves you wondering where the story will go next, something missing in most horror movies. Jan 13, 2021 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune If Candyman doesn't live up to its potential, it does fulfill most of the Saturday night requirements. The action is swift, if excessively graphic, and Madsen proves a strong-willed, sympathetic lead. Rated: 3/4 Mar 4, 2020 Full Review Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Todd does not appear until forty-four minutes into the ninety-nine-minute film, he dominates the film and becomes an icon, our twentieth century Dracula. The special effects may not hold up, and the green screen is discernible, but Todd is timeless. Jun 12, 2024 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Tony Todd's performance and the Philip Glass score set the film apart from similar slashers, but it serves more as an effective compilation of scenes as opposed to an entirely satisfying full-length narrative. Rated: 3/5 Sep 24, 2023 Full Review Eve Tushnet Patheos Candyman is perfectly shot, and its central characters are iconic. Aug 21, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jonathon J This is an excellent adaptation of Clive Barker's story. In particular, the Candyman painting around the "door" is quite effective, the bonfire / rescue is full of tension, and the degradation of the the main character's sanity is an interesting addition. One major difference is that, in the story, my impression is that the community she is entering is poor, but white; the racial dimension here adds even more to her as an outsider. It makes more sense in the story why she is taking so many pictures of the graffiti (since she's specifically interested in that), whereas studying urban legends it's less obvious. I found the sound to be inconsistent (sometimes the voices seemed less-well recorded or something). I probably would prefer the supernatural side of this to be revealed only later, so that we don't know whether she is in fact doing the killing / going crazy. I don't think the idea that her disbelief was bringing him to life quite worked. But overall, this framing works, the scares are good, the tension builds well, I would definitely recommend this! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/01/25 Full Review Dwayne W Scary and inspired by real life murder Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/17/25 Full Review Nick O This Clive Barker penned urban legend ghost story is so sophisticated and well crafted, it absolutely transformed Tony Todd into a slasher hero! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/29/25 Full Review babarizam D Story is very good but lead character is poorly written Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/16/25 Full Review Olivia J Candyman is perfectly shot, and its central characters are iconic. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/02/25 Full Review Nolan L Chilling and scary Candyman is a great horror movie all around Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/30/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Skeptical graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) befriends Anne-Marie McCoy (Vanessa Williams) while researching superstitions in a housing project on Chicago's Near North Side. From Anne-Marie, Helen learns about the Candyman (Tony Todd), a knife-wielding figure of urban legend that some of her neighbors believe to be responsible for a recent murder. After a mysterious man matching the Candyman's description begins stalking her, Helen comes to fear that the legend may be all too real.
Director
Bernard Rose
Producer
Steve Golin, Alan Poul, Sigurjon Sighvatsson
Screenwriter
Clive Barker, Bernard Rose
Distributor
Columbia Tristar, TriStar Pictures
Production Co
Propaganda Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 16, 1992, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 27, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$23.5M
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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