Candyman (2021)

For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighbourhood were terrorised 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 from Watchmen and Us) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris from If Beale Street Could Talk and The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore the true story behind Candyman in his paintings, unknowingly unleashing a terrifying new wave of violence.

Yahya was named Best Actor in a Horror Movie at the 2022 Critics Choice Super Awards, where Candyman was also up for Best Horror Movie. Yahya also won at the 2022 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, Nia daCosta was named one of Palm Springs International Film Festivals’ Directors to Watch, and the horror was up for BET and Black Reel Awards, among other honours.

A number one box office hit, Candyman was the sixth best-reviewed horror film of 2021 on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 84% critics’ rating.