All 4 Candyman Movies in Order
Stemming from the 1985 short story “The Forbidden” of the collection Books of Blood by Clive Barker, Candyman is one of the best-known horror movies of the 90s. Although the movie initially underperformed, as years went on, it became a cult classic.
The story follows the legend of the “Candyman”, a ghost of an artist and son of a slave who died in the late 19th century. And, since the release of the first Candyman movie in 1992, this supernatural/slasher horror franchise has made its way into many horror movie fans’ life. But what made the franchise so great? If you’re wondering about the Candyman movies, stick around – in this article we’re going to rank the movies by order of release, let you in on some of the trivia, and many things more.
How Many Candyman Movies Are There?
So far, there are 4 Candyman movies in total. The last Candyman movie was produced by Jordan Peele and Nia DaCosta (amongst others!), and released exactly one year ago, on August 27, 2021, making it the fourth installment of the franchise. Keep on reading to see the exact orders the movies were made, and to find out whether they’re even connected!
Candyman Movies in Order
Here are the Candyman movies in order of release:
- Candyman (1992)
- Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)
- Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999)
- Candyman (2021)
With the fourth installment, the franchise has grossed around $124,208,079 worldwide. But, what makes the movies so interesting, and what is the best way to watch them?
The Best Way to Watch Candyman Movies
The best way to watch the Candyman movies is in order of their release. Here’s why:
The first three installments are directly connected. And, even though it is said that the newest movie, Candyman (2021) is serving as a reboot of the franchise, the movie is connected to the original 1992 movie. Therefore, it is more like a sequel than a reboot. So, although it is not necessary to watch all of the movies to understand the latest installment, we suggest that the movies be watched by the order of the release. You will get to see the cult classic, all while forming your own opinion about the franchise before you see its’ newest addition.
Candyman Movies in Order by Release Date
Candyman (1992)
IMDb rating: 6,7/10
Serving as a loose adaptation of Clive Barker’s short story “The Forbidden”, the movie follows a graduate student who, studying urban legends, accidentally summons Candyman to reality.
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)
IMDb rating: 5.2/10
A murderous soul with a hook for a hand returns, setting its sights on a young woman whose family was ruined by his terror years before.
Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999)
IMDb rating: 3.9/10
Directly connecting to the sequel, the lowest-rated installment so far portrays Candyman’s return. Only this time, he tries to convince his descendent to join him.
Candyman (2021)
IMDb rating: 5.9/10
Serving as a direct sequel to the original Candyman movie, the story sets its place in a gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began.
Interesting Candyman Trivia
If you haven’t watched the movies already, then hearing about the Candyman franchise trivia might spark your further interest in doing so.
According to IMDb, the bees in the original Candyman movie (1992) were bred specifically for this movie. The producers needed to be sure that the bees were only twelve hours old so they could look like mature bees, but have less powerful stingers. This didn’t stop the actor Tony Todd from being stung 26 times during the space of the whole trilogy…and from negotiating a bonus of $1,000 for every bee sting he suffered during filming.
What we also found interesting about Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh is that it references another horror classic: Halloween. An obvious reference to the original Halloween movie from 1978 and its sequels is when Mrs. Tarrant refers to her physician, Dr. Loomis, which is pretty cool, in our humble opinion.
As for the last installment in the franchise so far, Candyman (2021), Jordan Peele, and Nia DaCosta proved themselves as worthy auteurs. While the production made sure to make the movie a direct sequel to the original, there is an emphasis on racial problems. We can see this in the shadow puppets scene, where the puppets were used to convey the horrors of racial violence. Oh, and the movie is the first Candyman movie to have a Black protagonist, Anthony McCoy!
Are Candyman Movies Connected?
The Candyman movies are directly connected. Although it is not completely necessary to watch the first three movies if you’re only interested in the latest installment, it is always fun to do so; that way, you can witness all the fun ways cinematography evolved over the years.
Will There Be More Candyman Movies?
While the next installment hasn’t officially been announced, Candyman 2 could definitely happen. So far, the movie has mostly received great reviews (and, also, some less enthusiastic ones). Its’ ending [no spoilers included!] suggested there might be more to come, though. Feeling excited, yet?
Where to Watch the Candyman Movies?
The whole franchise can be easily streamed online. You can watch the latest installment on Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu Movie, Loud and Lit, The Roku Channel, Spectrum TV, and Redbox, along with many other video streaming services like EPIX, and ROW8. The original movie, just like its sequels, can be found on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and even YouTube. Overall, the movies are easily available whenever you feel like watching them!
