10 Horror Movie Villains Who Were... Kind Of Right

3. Candyman (1992) - Candyman

Candyman: say his name five times and he’ll appear and have an oddly rational chat... and maybe murder you too.

Tragic backstory time though: Many years before the events of the first movie, the titular baddie was once the son of a former slave. The Candyman was fortunate enough to be born into affluence, becoming an artist and eventually falling in love and fathering a baby with one of his clients –a white woman.

This woman’s father grew enraged at the union and hunted the Candyman down with a lynch mob. They cut off the poor man’s hand and covered him with honey so that he would be stung to death by bees. After suffering this tragic death at the hands of racism, bigotry, and hatred, the Candyman’s legacy now lives on only in the whispers of legend.

That is until Candyman’s protagonist, grad student Helen Lyle, sets about debunking the Candyman story and sowing disbelief in him. In an attempt to survive, the Candyman must kill people to ensure that his myth remains palpable in the hearts and minds of the public.

Watching Candyman, it is very difficult not to be taken in by the tragic villain’s enigmatic figure, and with a heart-wrenching origin like that, sympathy comes very easy.

Dan Cropley

Contributor

Dan is a writer and actor originally from South Australia who now lives in a constant state of anxiety... and Los Angeles. Whether writing about movies, watching movies, or binging the Great British Bake-off, Dan approaches any endeavour with a steely resolve which is rivalled only by his ability to lie about his strengths. For professional inquiries, call Melissa Cropley - Dan's mum; she wishes he would call more often and you'd really be doing him a favour.

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