Micaiah Swaim

A very solid sequel in the franchise. This film offers incredible cinematography, a great score and some stand out performances (Jenna Ortega elevates this movie to new heights and Neve returns as an iteration of Sidney that makes sense and might be my favorite despite her limited screen time) This film is not a slow burner like the first film and is quite fast paced. This is fine, but it unfortunately hurts alot of the characters, particularly with the new cast, as the dialogue and scenes they share don't do enough to flesh them out as complex and nuanced characters. The ghostface kills are brutal and the gore is a grind house dream. Although there aren't many memorable set pieces to distinguish these moments, the performances and brutality make up for it. The killers motives and reveal aren't as strong as previous entries but the third act promises a fun and bloody viewing experience

One thing the show does well is keeps its mystery throughout the seasons run. Some episodes stand stronger than others, but after finishing the series, I can say that this was a refreshing take on the original story and on reboots in general. There are inconsistent tones in the series, sometimes feeling like a realistic grounded story and other times feeling very over the top, camp and cheesy. This would have been the perfect opportunity to cast POC, (specifically Asian/Pacific Islander actors) as the leads, although Madison Iseman's performance as twin sisters Lennon and Allison is one of the strong points of the series. Even though the finales twist is truly surprising, there requires just a little suspension of belief. All in all, it's worth a watch.

Nia DaCosta's Candyman was a much needed reprisal for the franchise. It shines with it's cinematography, with beautiful wide shots, creative usage of the motifs from the original, especially with mirrors and reflection, and great gore (but cleverly edited to not be overly in your face) the performances from the leads Yahya and Teyonah greatly enhance the viewing experience as compelling and well fleshed characters. And most significantly, Nia allows black people to, in a sense, reclaim the narrative of the story. Where the film falls short is in the fluidity of the scenes. With flashbacks and editing choices feeling oddly placed, although all of them great, it comes off as slightly jarring and interrupts the flow of the story. It feels as if the movie is gradually building up all of these moments that suddenly rush into an ending that doesn't climax the way it could and ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger. The overall message of the film is a powerful and fitting one relevant to the past and unfortunately the present which I think was a perfect and necessary direction for the film to go. Tony Todd and Vanessa Williams do briefly reprise their roles from the original but are UNDERUSED. If there happens to be a sequel, I'm hoping both actors are more heavily involved. What the film lacks is disappointing but what it does great more than makes up for a pleasurable viewing experience. 8.5/10

A fun horror comedy where you don't have to think too hard and can sit back and enjoy the ride. It calls to mind the likes of "Freaky Friday" or even "Hot Chick" and classic horror movies like "Halloween" or "Friday the 13th". The concept of a hometown killer switching bodies with his would be victim is refreshing enough to keep the movie interesting and further backed by well done performances from Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton as both their own and each other's respective characters. Not too much backstory is given for the killers origins or the ancient knife responsible for the body swap but for this movie that's okay. Both the horror and comedic aspects of the film are established well with graphic kills and actual moments of suspense while the characters, especially the leads, react to the absurdity of the situation. A fun film to watch with friends.

The movie has a hard time deciding if it wants to be a family-friendly "hallmark" style film or a crude, self aware anti rom-com and the result ends up being a rated-R, D-COM disaster. The editing, the transitions, and the score all make it feel like you're in for a cheesy, guilty pleasure treat until someone drops an f-bomb or there's a (hardly funny) sexual innuendo. The dialogue and scripting wasn't grounded or authentic enough to support the self aware aspect the film might've been gunning for and the "Guys act this way because... Girls act this way because..." trope is overdone and tiring. It could be worth a watch if you enjoy making fun of bad movies with friends and family, but that's what I did and it was still hard to get through the entirety of the film.