My Theories On Nia DaCosta’s Candyman

I’ve long said that one of the few horror remakes that could work today is Candyman. Amongst all of the legendary horror villains, no one has brought more fear than him.

Not Freddy Krueger.

Not Jason.

Not Michael Myers.

It was always Daniel Robitaille and the life that the legendary Tony Todd brought to the role. His chilling voice and stature were the perfect fit over Eddie Murphy. Many people don’t know that the comedian was offered the role, before Todd settled into it.

Amidst the coronavirus, Nia DaCosta is bringing the story back to life. While the phenomenal trailer has a few details, it’s still largely a mystery on what it’s about.

https://youtu.be/5TSMulpd3Bc

So based on a few of my observations, I put together a few theories.

Anthony Is Dissociative

Anthony McCoy is portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. As a direct sequel from the first, this would make him the baby rescued by Helen from Candyman in Cabrini Green’s bonfire. While Anthony has become an artist, it appears that he’s becoming obsessed with the Candyman legend. This is causing him to have weird moments where he looks possessed by him, or maybe it’s all in his mind. They’re giving big Nightmare On Elm Street 2 vibes.

I constructed this theory in the same line as Hereditary, where Annie Graham, played by Toni Collette, doused her family in paint thinner and often sleep-walked creepily around her son and daughter. She claimed to have no idea of why or what she was doing in those moments.

She suffered from dissociative personality order and maybe that’s the case for Anthony too. This is a disorder characterized by a reaction to trauma. While being an infant during his near-death experience, maybe there’s more events that occurred as he grew up. They may cover these events in the movie.

He is so deep into the curiosity, it’s causing his mind to bend events in reality, such as the murders depicted in the trailer. From the looks of it, appears he’s got a hand in them.

Ghostly Family Connection?

Teyonah Parrish stars in the film as well as Brianna Cartwright. Two things noticed about the movie is that there is a young woman cast in the role of Brianna Cartwright, which is Anthony’s girlfriend in the film. This offers some speculative clues about Candyman being connected with both characters. It appears this is the young Brianna that will be in the film.

In this still, there’s some macabre art in the corner, similar to what Anthony does. There’s also a pair of shoes next to an older man, maybe a nod to history. Before his untimely demise, Candyman was the son of a wealthy shoemaker. He was also an artist that was killed while falling in love with someone whom he was painting. Now this character sitting in the window pane is a mystery.

Is he her father?

Is this Candyman’s father?

I definitely believe it’s one of the two and he could be a spirit. Maybe a medium passing through dropping nuggets about the legend. We also have this shot from the trailer. Another mystery figure in the darkness.

It’s likely this is Coleman Domingo’s character, William Burke. Burke can be seen speaking to Anthony in the trailer about the Candyman legend.

Candyman Is Exposing Gentrification

The original Candyman is practically a story about gentrification and white gaze. Helen Lyles is a white woman hanging around a very black housing project. She uses the Cabrini Green homes as her personal grad school project.

The residents are just backdrop in her “research” while they deal with the horror of poverty and the ghoulish Candyman.

Like a gentrifier, Helen comes in and puts her touch on a place where she doesn’t belong. She causes chaos amongst residents for the sake of her own desires. And for this, Candyman makes his presence known. She didn’t believe in his existence and was also the apple of his eye. Blood soon shed…

So Anthony’s story is a bit similar to Helen. He’s an artist that has thrived, but now he seeks a new muse. He’s using the ills of the past and present, as well as Candyman, to keep building his name. And like Helen, he’s curious, but resistant to recognize what Candyman truly represents — life lost at the hands of hatred.

Candyman is out to spread the legend again. To teach the lesson that what he lost is real and he was made into the monster that he is. He’s more than just a pet project — he’s a man who loved and wanted more in life. But the likes of Anthony and Helen yearn for only the next grade or big payday, even if it means causing trouble in the process.

Overall, these are shots in the dark. But I must say, this is the most anticipated horror movies for me in a while. Candyman is a legendary film that spawned from Clive Barker’s The Forbidden. To see it grow and remain strong is a phenomenal feat. I can’t wait until both Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele bring their vision to us. I have a feeling it will be informative and scare the hell out of us.

Just the way I like it.