‘Swallow your horror and let it nourish you. Come with me and sing the song of misery...’
I’ve always maintained that Candyman is one of the most underrated horror films of the ’90s. I’ve never understood why Bernard Rose’s gothic classic didn’t spawn a long-running franchise. In the end, we received two mostly forgotten sequels and an underwhelming reboot in 2021. This is a shame in this instance because Farewell to the Flesh is actually a perfectly serviceable horror sequel…
Set against the backdrop of a city-wide carnival and impending flood waters, director Bill Condon moves the action from the projects of Chicago to the humid streets of New Orleans. Annie Tarrant (Kelly Rowan) is our protagonist and Tony Todd returns as the titular villain.
While this sequel is clearly inferior to the source material, it does at least try to retain some of the racial subtext that made the original film so innovative. New Orleans feels like a natural fit for the Candyman and we don’t get enough backstory that it ruins the character. The cast is largely forgettable and it’s a shame we never got the first draft of this film that was to be a prequel. Todd is as imposing as ever and Rowan is solid if unspectacular in the leading role. The problem is that there isn’t enough plot here to really justify a sequel. Condon’s film too often coasts on location and gore alone and while it has some memorable moments (the opening scene is excellent) it never threatens to capture the magic of the first film.
I enjoyed revisiting Farewell to the Flesh and it has aged surprisingly well. While it’s always going to be overshadowed by what came before, fans of the first film will no doubt savour returning to the Candyman’s deadly embrace.
By. My. Victim.