Candyman Trailer Breakdown: 5 Ups & 3 Downs

Down - The (Candy)man Who Knew Too Much

The biggest down about the trailer is that it tells the audience too much. The trailer is under three minutes long, but it is safe to say the plot will revolve around the re-emergence of The Candyman (as in the last sequel), but even more so, The Candyman needs a new body, and so attempts to take the protagonist’s form.

The scene where the protagonist pulls his hand to the mirror and he sees a hook in the reflection is especially too much information for the audience.

Horror works best when it has more mystique. The audience shouldn’t know everything until the conclusion. The hook, pun intended, should be to see what we don’t know - that’s why we watch the movie: to find out.

The trailer excels in hiding the initial identity of the eponymous executioner but quickly lets itself down by telling us the protagonist will probably become the next generation of The Candyman. Hopefully, this a red herring…