‘Candyman’ Is the First #1 Film Directed by a Black Woman
The horror film delivers more than shocks and screams for audiences. Learn more below.
Universal Pictures’ “Candyman” made history over the weekend. Not only did it almost double its projections to earn more than $22 million domestically, but it also became the first film directed by a black woman to debut at No. 1 at the box office.
Directed and co-written by Nia DaCosta, alongside co-writer and producer Jordan Peele (director of “Get Out” and “Us”), DaCosta’s history-making box office launch was well-deserved based on critical reviews. Time Out wrote, “Right from the first frame, DaCosta is always doing something interesting with the camera,” while the London Evening Standard said, “With Peele's support, DaCosta has made one of the most original, beautiful and savagely satirical films of the year.”
“Who can take a reboot, sprinkle it with something new, cover it with blood and bumblebees and a pointed social commentary or two? ‘Candyman’ can.” Entertainment Weekly
The film is a continuation of the classic 1992 horror about a Black serial killer with a hook for a hand who can be called back to life if you look into a mirror and say Candyman five times. This update places the urban legend in Chicago where a visual artist named Anthony McCoy, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, recently moved into a luxury loft in Cabrini, gentrified by upper millennials like his girlfriend. Finding himself blocked creatively as a Black artist in a mostly white space, McCoy becomes inspired by the grisly stories of the “Say My Name” killer who used to haunt his neighborhood.
Currently holding an 84 percent Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, the film as a whole also received rave reviews from critics – particularly in regards to the film’s commentary on racial injustice. The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “The attention to race, police brutality, community displacement and related issues doesn't mean the thrills are any less spine-tingling or the bloodletting less ghastly,” while the Chicago Sun-Times shared, “From the opening moments of Nia DaCosta's gory yet strikingly beautiful and socially relevant ‘Candyman,’ it's clear we're in for an especially haunting and just plain entertaining thrill ride.”
The R-rated film also stars Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Tony Todd, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Cassie Kramer.
“Candyman” is playing in theaters now and will be available for licensing from Swank soon.