Candyman review round-up: Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele's sequel is a 'rich meditation on the social terror' of the original

The reviews for the long-delayed sequel of the classic ’90s horror movie Candyman are here, and critics seem to be pleased with it. Directed by Nia DaCosta, the new film is a direct sequel to Bernard Rose’s classic Candyman (1992), which was taken from Clive Barker’s short story titled The Forbidden. Produced and co-written by Jordan Peele, the movie features Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Teyonah Parris, Tony Todd, and Colman Domingo in pivotal roles. It is set to hit the overseas theaters tomorrow on 27 August. Here are the reviews Entertainment Weekly: “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, at least for a little while, even if the movie doesn’t really find its more-than-body-horror groove in the end." Variety:  “What she (DaCosta) has done is to make a horror movie that has its share of enthralling shocks, but one that’s rooted in a richer meditation on the social terror of the Candyman fable." The Associated Press: “The filmmakers use fabulous paper puppets to tell aspects of the past, and have a recurring motif of bees and mirrors. Candyman gets progressively more filthy as it unspools, going from gleaming granite countertops in elegantly lit and airy kitchens to grimy, muddy abandoned and graffiti-scarred projects. There are more than a few stunning scenes, including the camera steadily pulling away from a well-appointed apartment at night while the woman in it grapples with the Candyman, and one in a girls’ bathroom that is terrifying for the fragments that it doesn’t show." The Wrap: “DaCosta uses a range of thoughtfully considered media to shape the already-sharp script; the film’s violence is equally startling whether it’s depicted graphically and up-close, or through old-fashioned shadow puppets and oral traditions." Time Out: “There is smart visual storytelling almost everywhere you look, from the clever use of mirrors, to edgy scene transitions, to set design that starts to mirror Candyman’s look in interesting ways." With inputs from The Associated Press.