--- title: "Candyman: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/candyman/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/candyman" critics_score: 75 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Candyman (1992): what the critics said Critics' score 75 from 12 reviews: 10 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Candyman an intelligent, unsettling horror film, with ten of the twelve reviews leaning positive. Praise centres on Bernard Rose’s controlled direction and the atmosphere he builds around urban legends, race and class. Philip Glass’s score is a frequent point of agreement, while Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen draw praise for performances that give the supernatural threat weight. The favourable reviews see ideas beneath the shocks, particularly in the film’s treatment of fear and its Chicago setting. The spread is wide, however, with reservations about plot coherence, pacing and the handling of racial themes. Some critics accept the ambiguities as part of the unease; others find the ideas inadequately developed. The New Yorker regards the racial material as an effective gimmick within a gory tale. The Los Angeles Times is the clearest dissenter, arguing that the gore overwhelms the film’s moral ambitions and that its story fails to hold together. ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 1992. The review hails the film as high-caliber horror in its purest form, with a powerful and seductive Candyman portrayed by Tony Todd and strong performances from Virginia Madsen and others. It praises the taut direction, impressive bee effects, and Philip Glass score. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/candyman-review-1992-movie-1045878/) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Rating 3.5/4. The critic finds Bernard Rose's film a startlingly effective shocker that gains power on reflection, blending romanticism with dystopian elements and subtle political undercurrents around urban legends and race. It notes the systematic degradation of the protagonist amid strong performances. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/candyman/) ## Empire — Adam Smith Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic describes it as one of the most interesting and scary horror movies of the 90s that leaves a very dark taste in the mouth despite its sugary title. They single out the intelligent, challenging approach and the fantastic Philip Glass score. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/candyman-review/) ## Time Out — NF Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2016. Rose delivers a faithful, scary and visually imaginative adaptation of Barker's story about a doctoral student researching an urban myth that may be real. He stages the suspense and horror with skill and panache, resulting in one of the best sustained horror movies in years. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/candyman) ## Little White Lies — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 October 2018. Rose's adaptation relocates Clive Barker's story to Chicago's Cabrini-Green projects and explores boundaries of sex, class and race through a grad student's investigation of urban myths. The film offers unresolved narrative ambiguities and a haunting Philip Glass score that keep the myth alive. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/home-ents/candyman-blu-ray-review) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. Rose's electrifying shocker, inspired by Barker's story, follows a student uncovering a hook-handed killer linked to urban legends in Chicago. It is intelligent, gripping, gimmick-free and atmospheric, with a terrific performance from Madsen and bold direction that milks every terrifying moment. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-vrwgje/candyman/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 1992. The film uses urban legends to explore deeper fears and ideas rather than relying solely on gore. It is intriguing despite some plot elements that may not hold up under scrutiny. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/candyman-1992) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 March 1993. The critic calls Candyman a triumph of directorial poise that becomes an essay on fear rather than a standard frightener. They single out its insight into the squalor of Chicago's projects and how it leaves viewers more fearful in the real world than in the cinema. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-this-jack-s-no-ripper-1499117.html) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 1992. The horror unfolds provocatively against a backdrop of racial injustice in a housing project. The spooky atmosphere is enhanced by strong cinematography and score, with enterprising performances. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/16/movies/review-film-science-fiction-horrors-in-a-housing-project.html) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 1992. The film cashes in on racial themes with its black Candyman in a Chicago project, using the gimmick effectively in satiric scenes. It remains just a gory campfire tale despite the slick savvy. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/10/19/photo-opportunists) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 1992. The ambitious morality play drowns in repellent gore and becomes pretentious and preposterous. It fails to hold together despite efforts to cover moral, racial, and supernatural territory. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-16-ca-39-story.html) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2017. The critic finds the film bold and unusual despite flaws in pacing and the ending. Strong performances, especially from Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen, along with Philip Glass's score and Bernard Rose's visual style, are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/candyman-1992-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/candyman.md