Sony Pictures has released a first trailer for 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE.
Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 Years Later – but turning that world on its head – Nia DaCosta directs 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE. In a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival – the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.
Cillian Murphy serves a executive producer.
Sitting at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics said the film taps into contemporary anxieties with the ferocious urgency of someone infected with Rage Virus, delivering a haunting and visceral thrill ride that defies expectations. As of late July 2025, the film has achieved a worldwide box office gross of over $150 million https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt10548174/
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE was shot back-to-back with 28 YEARS LATER and is scheduled for release on January 16, 2026.
Face front, true believers! This year we’ve had three multiplex visits to the realm of the “Distinguished Competition”, so you didn’t think the MCU would end 2023 with treks into Quantumania and Knowhere (hangout of those Galaxy Guardians)? Oh no, Smilin’ Stan wouldn’t want the fifteenth anniversary of the Studio to conclude without one more adventure. And it’s a sequel to a 2019 film that introduced the cosmic Carol Danvers, while also being somewhat of an expansion of her saga. That’s because she’s not completely going solo (oh, her old spy pal returns too) as she’s joined by two characters that made their heroic debuts on Disney+. Together this titanic trio is on a mission to save us all as THE MARVELS.
The action starts in a distant galaxy as a fleet of ships from the Kree empire converge on a desolate planet. The surface party led by the high-ranking officer Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) retrieves a familiar-looking “bangle”. Slipping it on her forearm, Dar-Benn creates a “hole” in the sky, a gateway “hopper” to other galaxies. And this hardware creates some unexpected chaos, reaching all the way to Jersey City, USA. That’s where Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) AKA Ms. Marvel is enjoying a quiet day in her super-hero decorated bedroom, upstairs from her parents, Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff) and Yusuf (Mohan Kapur) and big bro Aamir (Saagar Shaikh). Meanwhile, near the S.A.B.R.E. space platform, Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who possesses light-based superpowers, is checking out one of those “space schisms” as Colonel Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) listens and observes. When Monica touches the glowering “hole” she switches places with Kamala and the protector of planets, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) AKA Captain Marvel. The three continue zipping back and forth until a battle with Kree mercenaries ends. It’s decided that the three heroes must learn to work together as a team to stop Dar-Benn who wants to use the “gateways” to exact revenge on Danvers by destroying the worlds she loves, including her old home, Earth.
Though this is her third major appearance as the cosmic crusader (after a quick cameo in SHANG CHI), Larson brings an extra dimension to this story’s “big gun”. Yes, there is a steely confidence that conveys her strength without needing a “modified” uniform, but there’s also a bit of sadness. Despite the company of her trusty flerken Goose, we can see that her role of the “monitor of everything” quietly cruising the stars had taken its toll. And we see her remorse after a well-intentioned act went sideway earning her the unwanted moniker of “The Annihilator” (her downcast eyes tell us that this word truly hurts). But we see her mood lighten when meeting her “number one fan” Kamala played with buoyant energy by the bouncy Iman. She’s a bundle of sunshine, showing us that being a superhero can be fun (unlike the brooding folks at the other comics company). Temper that with her superb comedic timing and Ms. Vellani is certainly the MVP of this MCU entry (and you really should stream her solo series). Parris as the soon-to-be-named Photon is in the middle area of the other two characters as she does have a past with Danvers. Their reunion is awkward and melancholy as Danvers had promised to return to Monica, but couldn’t keep her word. She can’t be the “lil’ sister” to Carol, unlike Kamala, but Parris gives us hints that the emotional wound may be fading. Plus she scores a few laughs as she tries to hone her unusual abilities.
The main supporter of the “big three”, maybe their “Dutch Uncle, is the always entertaining Jackson in his fifteenth turn (including TV) as the stalwart spy turned “space cop”. He’s still an old school hard…case, but he lets us know with a hint of a wink in that “one good eye”, that he’s very impressed with this new team and has to control the urge to flash a beaming proud smile. He’s a great “straight man” for the “emotionally available” members of the Khan family. Their leader is the imposing Shroff, who is tough on daughter Kamala, but is also her biggest defender and a fierce “mama bear”. Kapur as the “papa bear’ is more of a pushover, but always attempts to offer aide, though it results in some slapstick with Shaikh as the baffled but loving big brother. As for the “big baddie,” Ashton projects a cool often unreadable menace as Dar-Benn, who believes her cause is just as she sets out to punish Carol while ending her peoples’ suffering. She’s more interesting than the other Kree villain Ronan (the first Guardian foe) as she has the noble pursuits of Thanos mixed with the rage of Star Trek’s Khan. Turning in good performances in brief roles are Gary Lewis as a somber Skrull leader and Park Seo-joon as a most helpful prince who has a diplomatic “bond” with Carol.
Once more Marvel Studios has handed the directing reigns to a talented filmmaker mainly known for “indies” (though her CANDYMAN reboot was more high profile), Nia DaCosta, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik. DaCosta makes good use of this bigger “canvas” and stages some impressive action sequences along with some scenes of old school “disaster”, especially the razing of the Skrull sanctuary. And she conveys some claustrophobic tension in the big attack on the Khan cottage. She is also adept in the comedy stretches, whether the rat-a-tat interplay between the three leads or the slapstick silliness of the Flerken (CGI can be silly). Happily, she also keeps the story briskly paced, so that it doesn’t have the “epic bloat” of many recent fantasy flicks, bringing it to a nice 105-minute runtime. In hindsight, a couple of extra minutes could have been used to better “flesh out” the masterplan of the “wormholes”, but the grand bonus “bits’ will leave MCU fans with big grins during the walk out to the parking lot. It may not have the emotional gravitas of the last MCU outing (oh Rocket Racoon), but the engaging performances from the cast (more, more Ms. Vellani) make us want to soar through the stars with THE MARVELS.
This morning, the first trailer for Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels” debuted on “Good Morning America”.
In Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels,” Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”
The film stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson, Zawe Ashton and Park Seo-joon. Nia DaCosta directs, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Mary Livanos and Matthew Jenkins serve as executive producers. The screenplay is by Megan McDonnell, Nia DaCosta, Elissa Karasik and Zeb Wells.
“I am the writing on the wall, the sweet smell of blood. Be my victim.”
Now you can win the Win the Blu-ray of CANDYMAN. We Are Movie Geeks has one to give away. Just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite scary movie that starts with the letter ‘C’ is (I’d say CARNIVAL OF SOULS. It’s so easy!)
1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.
2. WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
EXPERIENCE MORE OF CANDYMAN’S EVER-EVOLVING STORYWITH A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN ALTERNATE ENDING AND OVER AN HOUR OF CAPTIVATING EXTRAS!CERTIFIED FRESH ON ROTTEN TOMATOES – OWN IT ON DIGITAL NOVEMBER 2, 2021 4K UHD, BLU-RAY AND DVD NOVEMBER 16, 2021FROM MGM & UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Dare to say his name. Oscar winner Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) and director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, Disney’s upcoming film The Marvels) expand on the infamous Candyman legacy with “a new horror classic” (FOX TV) that is “smart, stylish, and scary as hell” (Danielle Ryan, /FILM). Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 84%, Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s (MGM) CANDYMAN is back and yours to own on Digital November 2, 2021 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM and DVD November 16, 2021 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. All versions come packed with over an hour of bonus features including a never-before-seen alternate ending, deleted and extended scenes as well as special featurettes taking viewers behind-the-scenes of the film and deeper into this complex and deeply resonant contemporary take on the bone-chilling urban legend.
For decades, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green were terrorized by a ghost story about a supernatural, hook-handed killer. In present day, a visual artist (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s “Watchmen,” Us, forthcoming Matrix Resurrections) begins to explore the macabre history of Candyman, not knowing it would unravel his sanity and unleash a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II leads an incredible buzz-worthy cast in CANDYMAN, which also stars Teyonah Parris (If Beale Street Could Talk, “Wandavision,” forthcoming The Marvels), Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (“Generation,” “Misfits”) and Colman Domingo (HBO’s “Euphoria,” Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Assassination Nation). A bold, expansive take on the tragic and terrifying urban legend, CANDYMAN is produced and co-written by Academy Award® winner Jordan Peele and directed by rising filmmaker Nia DaCosta, the first Black woman to helm a #1 film at the box office!
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES ON 4K UHD, BLU-RAYTM, DVD AND DIGITAL:
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.
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 methodology 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 analogue 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.
“I am the writing on the wall, the sweet smell of blood. Be my victim.”
BRING HOME THE SUSPENSEFUL AND SOCIALLY PROVOCATIVE HORROR FILM FROM ACADEMY AWARDWINNER JORDAN PEELE AND RISING FILMMAKER NIA DACOSTA – AVAILABLE TO OWN FOR THE FIRST TIME
EXPERIENCE MORE OF CANDYMAN’S EVER-EVOLVING STORYWITH A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN ALTERNATE ENDING AND OVER AN HOUR OF CAPTIVATING EXTRAS!CERTIFIED FRESH ON ROTTEN TOMATOES – OWN IT ON DIGITAL NOVEMBER 2, 2021 4K UHD, BLU-RAY AND DVD NOVEMBER 16, 2021FROM MGM & UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Dare to say his name. Oscar winner Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) and director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, Disney’s upcoming film The Marvels) expand on the infamous Candyman legacy with “a new horror classic” (FOX TV) that is “smart, stylish, and scary as hell” (Danielle Ryan, /FILM). Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 84%, Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s (MGM) CANDYMAN is back and yours to own on Digital November 2, 2021 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM and DVD November 16, 2021 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. All versions come packed with over an hour of bonus features including a never-before-seen alternate ending, deleted and extended scenes as well as special featurettes taking viewers behind-the-scenes of the film and deeper into this complex and deeply resonant contemporary take on the bone-chilling urban legend.
For decades, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green were terrorized by a ghost story about a supernatural, hook-handed killer. In present day, a visual artist (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s “Watchmen,” Us, forthcoming Matrix Resurrections) begins to explore the macabre history of Candyman, not knowing it would unravel his sanity and unleash a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II leads an incredible buzz-worthy cast in CANDYMAN, which also stars Teyonah Parris (If Beale Street Could Talk, “Wandavision,” forthcoming The Marvels), Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (“Generation,” “Misfits”) and Colman Domingo (HBO’s “Euphoria,” Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Assassination Nation). A bold, expansive take on the tragic and terrifying urban legend, CANDYMAN is produced and co-written by Academy Award® winner Jordan Peele and directed by rising filmmaker Nia DaCosta, the first Black woman to helm a #1 film at the box office!
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES ON 4K UHD, BLU-RAYTM, DVD AND DIGITAL:
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.
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 methodology 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 analogue 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.
Michael Hargrove as Sherman Fields in Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta.
Hey, is this the end of August and near the end of Summer), or is it October, around mid-Fall? Just wondering since this is the third weekend in a row with the release of a new horror flick to theatres. Hmm, maybe the studios are getting a bit of a “head start” in case our health situation goes ‘sideways” (as if that thought’s not scary enough). Last week’s release was an original idea, while the 8/13 premiere was a sequel to a flick from five years previous. Now the roots for this week’s big shocker go back nearly thirty years, but it’s not really a reboot, remake, or a “re-imagining”. The marketeers are dubbing this a “spiritual sequel” as it harkens back to that 1992 original and ignores its sequels (much as the 2018 HALLOWEEN only references the 1978 classic). And with the recent social injustice movements, today might just be primed for a return of the CANDYMAN. But only say the title once, just to be safe.
Hmmm, a chiller that begins with a puppet show? Oh yes, as paper-cut silhouettes, moved by sticks, play out the story of research student Helen Lyle’s fateful encounter with Cabrini Green’s (the notorious low-rent housing complex in the “Windy City”) avenging spirit, the Candyman. The murdered wraith from the late 1800s eviscerated lots of folks with his hook for a right hand when they repeated his name five times while staring into a reflective surface. After the “recap” (and a brief 1977 sequence at “the Green”), the story shifts to the modern-day as Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) and his new boyfriend attend a dinner party at the swanky Chicago apartment of his art gallery manager sister Brianna (Teyonah Parris) and her beau, up-and-coming fine artist Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Over drinks, Troy tells the tale of the Candyman as Brianna scoffs. However, Anthony is curious as the “urban legend” sparks his imagination (he’d gone “dry” preparing new pieces for a fast-approaching gallery showcase). Later he sneaks into the remaining row houses of Cabrini (The towers had been torn down to make space for the trendy gentrified neighborhood long ago) and runs into former resident Burke (Colman Domingo), who runs a nearby laundromat. He tells Anthony of his time there and of a different Candyman. But on his way home the artist is surprisingly stung by an errant bee. Anthony thinks nothing of the nasty welt as he hurriedly prepares his new pieces. He displays the mirrored door at the opening with a paper handout explaining it (basically challenging patrons to repeat “Candyman” five times). Of course, someone takes the dare, and…the local news is soon filled with reports of gruesome bloody killings. Has Anthony helped bring the hooked monster into the new century? Could the two be somehow connected? And why is that bee sting looking so gnarly?
The award-winning cast aids in adding to the film’s tension-filled dark “vibe”. Mateen, so good in the HBO “Watchmen” sequel, expertly balances the complex character shifts in Anthony. He shows us how the artist’s struggle for a defining work is swept away by his all-consuming need to know all about the “silly fairy tale”. And he’s not afraid to show the awful side of Anthony’s persona as too many drinks unleash his verbally abusive id (mostly directed at art rivals). We’re rooting for him, even as he changes mentally and physically while falling deeper into the supernatural “rabbit hole”. It’s a plunge that can’t be slowed by the love of Brianna, played with grit and “street smarts” by the engaging Parris (part of the superb “Wandavision”). She shows Brianna’s devotion to Anthony even as she tries in vain to halt his obsessions. Those are fueled by Burke played with a sinister zeal by Domingo (“Fear the Walking Dead”)., who seems horrified by his own past, but delighted to pass on the nightmares to Anthony. Kudos also to Stewart-Jarrett who’s having a great time as the catty Troy, and Rebecca Spence who happily spews venom as a castigating art critic (ain’t they the worst).
Director Nia DaCosta, fresh off the heart-breaking family drama LITTLE WOODS, proves her talents by entering the horror genre and mixing a familiar horror icon with the current social and political clime. Yet, the film feels a tad sluggish and very disjointed (I have expected to see the “scene missing” title card from GRINDHOUSE). The discoverer of a gory slaying is abruptly seen in bed (quite a narrative jump). Perhaps that can be traced to the screenplay DaCosta contributed to along with producer Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld (using the original characters from Clive Barker and Bernard Rose). Though I never saw the original I could pick up (after a bit of research) the notion that they were playing to the 1992 film’s rabid fans, even using actress Virginia Madsen’s vocal track (and a nice final VFX sequence), the twists are often predictable (another bullying scene in a deserted high school bathroom), and social norms and logic (beyond the usual “suspension of disbelief”) feel ignored (Brianna would certainly insist that Anthony see a doctor, as his bandages pop on and off). Some of the digs at the pretentious “modern art world” are nice, as is the use of those stick paper puppets (watch them during the end credits), but many horror fans will find that this re-visiting more sour than sweet as they consume the brightly re-packaged CANDYMAN. “Talk about your childhood wishes (and nightmares).”
2 Out of 4
CANDYMAN opens in theatres everywhere on August 27, 2021
DARE TO SAY IT. CANDYMAN. CANDYMAN. CANDYMAN. CANDYMAN…
Oscar® winner Jordan Peele unleashes a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend: Candyman. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, next year’s The Marvels) directs this contemporary incarnation of the cult classic.
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 (Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; The Trial of the Chicago 7, Us) and his partner, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, WandaVision), 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 (Colman Domingo; Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, If Beale Street Could Talk) 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 terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.
Universal Pictures presents, from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures and Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld’s Monkeypaw Productions, in association with BRON Creative, Candyman.Candyman is directed by DaCosta, and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us), Rosenfeld and Peele. The screenplay is by Peele & Rosenfeld and DaCosta. The film’s executive producers are David Kern, Aaron L. Gilbert and Jason Cloth.
The film’s director of photography is JOHN GULESERIAN (Love, Simon), its production designer is CARA BROWER (2022’s The Marvels) and it is edited by CATRIN HEDSTRÖM (Little Woods). Candyman’s music is by ROBERT AIKI AUBREY LOWE (musical collaborator, It Comes at Night) and its costume designer is LIZZIE COOK (Showtime’s The Chi).
The film’s director of photography is JOHN GULESERIAN (Love, Simon), its production designer is CARA BROWER (2022’s The Marvels) and it is edited by CATRIN HEDSTRÖM (Little Woods). Candyman’s music is by ROBERT AIKI AUBREY LOWE (musical collaborator, It Comes at Night) and its costume designer is LIZZIE COOK (Showtime’s The Chi).
Oscar® winner Jordan Peele unleashes a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend: Candyman. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, upcoming Captain Marvel 2) directs this contemporary incarnation of the cult classic.
Here’s your first look at the brand new trailer.
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 (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his partner, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), 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 (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) 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 terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.
Candyman, in silhouette, in Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta.
Watch what the director has to say about Juneteenth.
Universal Pictures presents, from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures and Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld’s Monkeypaw Productions, in association with BRON Creative, Candyman. Candyman is directed by DaCosta, and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us), Rosenfeld and Peele. The screenplay is by Peele & Rosenfeld and DaCosta.
The film is based on the 1992 film Candyman, written by Bernard Rose, and the short story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker. The film’s executive producers are David Kern, Aaron L. Gilbert and Jason Cloth.
“Welcome to Hard Times”. That’s the name of a classic Western flick from over fifty years ago. But it could just as well be the title of this new film, which is being touted as a modern-day Western. This may be due mainly to the fact that this is set in the American West because the basic plot owes much more to the classic film noir dramas. As with many examples of that celebrated genre, the protagonist really wants to go straight after doing a “stretch in the joint”. Of course, life on the outside is full of set-backs and plain ole’ bad breaks that can only be cleared up by fast easy cash. And so the lure of crime beckons with one last job, a “big score”. Oh, another couple of things make this story unique. There’s a smuggling trip to the border, though not South. And the two main protagonists are women (not the typical noir females, neither dangerous seductresses nor faithful “good girls”). And the plot hinges on the secret buried beneath LITTLE WOODS.
As the film begins, we see Ollie (Tessa Thompson) dropping a package in a newly dug hole in the said forest as a new day dawns. Walking along the nearby road in the early morning light, she sees a police cruiser slowly passing by. Then it abruptly turns around and ambles toward her. BEEP, the alarm jolts her awake. Ollie shuffles to the kitchen to begin whipping up snacks for the crew working the nearby oil rigs. They appreciate her coffee and burritos, but they hope for something extra from her. We later learn during a check-in with her sympathetic parole officer Carter (Lance Reddick) that Ollie was arrested for selling prescription meds (oxy, valium,etc.) she smuggled in from Canada (hospitals and doctors are miles away with day-long wait times). She’s got one last probation interview in just a couple weeks. But it’s not clear sailing. The house Ollie got from the mother who adopted her is about to be taken by the bank. Her kid sister Deb (Lily James) can’t help. She’s a single mother with an adorable seven-year-ol son Johnny (Charlie Ray Reid) who barely survives working as a waitress at the local bar and grill. The boy’s oil worker pop Ian (James Badge Dale) gives them no financial support, so the two live in a beaten-down RV illegally “planted” in a shopping center parking lot (she tosses the towing warnings that they stick on the windshield). And Deb is pregnant again. The sisters meet with a bank rep who cuts them a deal: half the owed amount, three grand, in the next ten days. Ollie thinks the only option is to dig up the merch in those woods, and move them quickly. this raises the ire of rival dealer Bill (Luke Kirby). And when disaster strikes, the trio (Ollie, Deb, and Johnny) has to make that northward trek one last time.
Thompson adds her tough, but sympathetic portrayal of Ollie to her impressive list of roles as she easily goes from “indie” work (this and SORRY TO BOTHER YOU) and the big studio flicks (the CREED series and Valkyrie at Marvel). She shows a strong, but flawed woman, one who has been shouldering the burden for so many for so long, that she can do little for her self. Thompson shows us this in her expressive eyes: the sadness, the disappointment, and the constant fatigue as she tries to stay a step ahead of the forces that would take everything from her. Ollie may be down, but she rises to fight once more, if not for herself then for the only family she has left, sister Deb and nephew Johnny. James, usually seen in period pieces like DARKEST HOUR (she was CINDERELLA, for goodness sake), is a stunner as the scrappy, emotionally battered single mom. She has much of the same feisty strength as her big sis, but is in a constant battle with her insecurities, needing to draw on Ollie’s confidence. James shows her near collapse into despair, then her agonizing struggle to pull herself out of the pit of hopelessness bolstered by her son and sister’s love. The men definitely take a back seat to this compelling duo, but their characters are strikingly different. The antagonists are Dale’s surly manipulative deadbeat dad Ian, who becomes Ollie’s reluctant “go-between”, and Kirby as the intimidating drug competitor who threatens Ollie just minutes after tenderly interacting with his young daughter. But one man sees potential in Ollie. Reddick emotes a father-like gentleness toward her as the tough but fair parole officer who forms a tentative friendship with the jaded Ollie. He’s her “port in the storm”. Ollie may fear getting busted when she’s back “in the game”, but her greatest dread may be seeing the look on his face after she’s let him down.
Director/writer Nia DaCosta, in her feature film debut, has crafted a lean taut look at those every day, barely-getting-by, small-towners that don’t get to be the focus of many films. The sisters push themselves out of their beds (Ollie still sleeps on the floor of her mother’s bedroom months after she’s passed on) and jump on the soul-sucking barely-a-job treadmill to live paycheck-to-paycheck. The lure of dealing is too tempting despite the danger. DaCosta expertly ratchets up the tension as the women skirt detainment and even death. A meeting in the dead of night with a pair of skeevy fake ID makers, getting the “stinkeye” from a leery receptionist, even a casual encounter with a lawman are tense, nail-biting encounters. All these desperate actions are set against a cruel cold North Dakota sky that barely allows the sun to break through. But DaCosta’s confidnet direction and her tough and tender sisters make LITTLE WOODS a most compelling destination.
4 Out of 5
LITTLE WOODS opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre
