Candyman (2021) is a sequel to the 1992 film of the same name. Written in part by Jordan Peele, this supernatural slasher arrived in theaters to generally favorable reviews. Critics boasted that the film has been terrifying viewers since opening. We decided to introduce a young woman with a fear of bees to this new addition in the Candyman franchise. Did this honey of a horror have sweet success in raising her heart rate to terrifying new levels?

SYNOPSIS:

A sequel to the horror film Candyman (1992) that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began.

Where to Watch:

In Theaters or rent on Amazon HERE

Test Subject: Kristy

Age: 35

Gender: Female

Fears: Melissophobia (Fear of Bees)

Resting HR: 60-65bpm

Walking HR: 80-85bpm

ANALYSIS:

Within the first four minutes, Candyman (2021) produced a 72bpm jolt during the first appearance of the haunting figure. Several of the dark and creepy moments lifted our subject’s heart rate out of her resting numbers but an abundance of backstory eventually dragged it back down. She sat unaffected as the original telling of Candyman played out through puppetry. The first major spike of 87bpm came during gruesome attacks which introduced the gory nature of the film. When examining our FearScale, it seemed as if every five minutes someone was saying Candyman into a mirror. We can see a handful of spikes representing these fearful moments. Also, many of the kills during the middle build were not shown onscreen. This definitely played a part in keeping heart rate numbers lower than we would have expected. That would change however as the finale culminated with visually gnarly kills, plenty of gore and classic horror surprises.

CONCLUSION:

Candyman delivered several scenes of sweet terror building genuine suspense despite the slow backstory. Share on X A visually impressive film created frightening scenes but maintaining scares became difficult while attempting to recount the original folklore. Terrifying sound effects proved to be the catalyst for higher heart rates as many of the kills happened offscreen. But a brutal finale and grotesque attacks increased our subjects pulse. While the sequel had it’s dry, artistic style, we found that saying Candyman five times into a mirror will always be a scare tactic that keeps audiences buzzing.

Candyman (2021): Burns an average of 152 Calories

1 tbsp Honey: 64 Calories

How many Fear Calories did you burn watching Candyman?  Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook