This isn't a perfect movie by any means.There are aspects of the plot that never get explained or just flat out don't make any sense. Like why exactly a black dude who had his hand cut off, a hook shoved into the stump, and was covered in honey to be stung to death by bees for impregnating a white woman is associated with candy. Wouldn't something like Hookman or Hiveman have been more fitting? Go along for the ride though and you'll be treated to a stomach churning nightmare with a sharp socio-political edge. The gore in this is phenomenal. Bernard Rose filled the picture with gnarly deaths and bloody sights galore that feel distinctly Clive Barker despite the author himself not being in the director's seat. Maybe even moreso than Nightbreed which he actually DID direct. So if you liked Hellraiser there's a good chance you'll enjoy this too. Kudos to them as well for managing to make the titular villain scary when unobscured in the broad daylight. As we've learned from the likes of Freddy Krueger, oftentimes seeing the monster in full view severely robs them of their fear factor. Not the case here. Now if only they had made it a little easier to understand what he's saying at times... A lot of effort went into crafting a legitimate narrative that goes beyond merely watching people get murdered and tackles socially conscious themes such as racial inequality. As I said at the start of this review, there are holes and illogical aspects, but it's almost easy to overlook them entirely in the face of how good it is at pulling you into the mystery, bloodshed, and terror. It takes a while for Candyman to show up, but the time without him is well spent as we watch the protagonist investigate urban legends which effectively builds the tension for his inevitable arrival. It also gives us a chance to really take in the rundown inner-city environments which along with the soundtrack that at points sounds like carnival music being played on a pipe organ makes for a very distinctive atmosphere. It would be remiss of me to not mention the acting. Normally in older horror flicks like this you get at least one or two lackluster to bad performances. Here though the cast is uniformly fantastic. The standout being Virginia Madsen in the lead role. She has to do most of the heavy lifting as her character's life is upended by the appearance of her supernatural foe. A task she proves more than up for as she carries us through the whole range of emotions allowing us to really grow attached to her character. This is a top-notch horror movie that pulls from real world issues to give its exquisite brutality some extra depth. As with Pinhead before, I got some strong A Nightmare on Elm Street vibes. Whether it's the dreamlike qualities of the encounters with Candyman or the memorable personality and backstory that bring the ghoulish killer to nonlife, the influence of Wes Craven's classic can be found throughout. Barker and Rose did their own original thing with the similar elements however, and that's what ultimately left me loving the film in spite of its bumps.