7 minute read
REVIEW
3
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Candyman (2021).
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Any movie involving mirrors should employ a visionary director who knows where to put a camera, and Nia DeCosta sets an appropriate tone for this 90s reboot, with atmospheric lighting, Joseph Nelson unique imagery and claustrophobic perspective shots. While the movie’s creepy soundtrack feels undeserved during the first half, Robert A.A. Lowe composes a skillfully scary score, synced to the film’s frightening, finale frames to a T. The cast brings their A-Game as well, bringing horror, care and charisma to characters flimsily written. Jordan Peele co-produced and co-wrote “Candyman,” and the screenplay definitely doesn’t live up to his previous work, injecting social commentary into an unstable plot at odds with the themes wished to be expressed.
I should confess I’m a new viewer to this franchise, but I know a messy plot when I see one. “Candyman” brings the decades-old, amputated slasher to new audiences, with flair and top-notch talent, but the stunted story length makes characters seem to turn on a dime at plot’s convenience. Perhaps this is par for the course in the “Candyman” franchise, but I found it jarring, especially when barely any time was paid to set a stage for some character transitions.
I would be charitable and cautious if the title was “Candyman II,” where we were supposed to already know how some characters relate to the film’s mythology. However, the film’s title has no subheadings or numbers after it. So, I feel permitted to watch this movie as a standalone. If the film had another half-hour devoted to prefacing some of the sudden plot shifts and thrown in characters, I could have been on board. As things stand, the pacing is way off. As an example of the messiness, a character has a flashback of their father committing suicide, and the film never addresses it again.
While some elements are disjointed, the plotline feeling most developed is thankfully the main character’s. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II brings a convincing portrayal of the curious protagonist named Anthony, who becomes obsessed with the Cabrini Green legend and commits his artistic talents to rendering the killings in canvas form. His investigation of the titular villain seems unfounded, but, unlike other plot details, the seemingly contrived curiosity pays off in intriguing ways, during the movie’s latter half.
Anthony’s descent into the mythology is engaging, and terrifying, but what his character’s supposed to represent remains unresolved. An art critic inside the movie, in reaction to Anthony’s inspired art, remarks that his work comes from a point of privilege: analyzing oppression under a microscope and profiting from the art while the problem still exists. This contention addressed by the art critic, played by Rebecca Spence, seems to turn a mirror on a film that artistically depicts police brutality and gentrification when those problems still exist. Then, the film never addresses this criticism again. Of course, if they took another half hour to flesh out some of these thematic dead ends, the movie would have been a lot better. Unfortunately, they never offer a rebuttal to this point, and it leaves a bad taste, especially in a movie that seems to take pride in the social commentary it’s espousing.
I’m a big fan of movies that can mix political messages into their plots, as stories are the best way to get people to accept premises they would otherwise find at odds with their ideologies. Jordan Peele’s “Us,” one of my favorites, takes class warfare and gives an allegorical spin that could make even the most ardent capitalist somewhat sympathetic to the “tethered.” However, “Candyman” expects its viewers to already be on the same page. We are very far from the “mostly good people with some bad apples” description. Police officers are as bad as mobsters in this movie, beating people to death in groups and forcing witnesses to say things easily disprovable by a crime scene investigator. You either believe the premise or you don’t, and the writers don’t really care to invite outsiders to be sympathetic to the issues they’re exploring.
“Candyman” is well-made with a great cast and a director whom I look forward to future films by, as the atmospheric and technical elements are on point. However, the script needed thirty more pages to flesh out some of the dead ends and artistic hypocrisies. While fans of the original horror might find enjoyment in how Candyman is redefined, the only scene I see myself watching again is the villain’s first killings, which still give me chills. The movie as a whole is disjointed, cut short, and self-contradictory.
Joseph’s Film Rating: 2.5/5
undergraduate research
EMILY BEAMAN NEWS EDITOR
Atotal of 16 Enhancing Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities scholars and mentors were chosen to receive funding for their research this year. They include research from the Dillard College of Business Administration, the West College of Education, Prothro-Yeager College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the McCoy College of Science Mathematics and Engineering.
“We have students from all disciplines and professors from a variety of disciplines [who] all have to interact at different points through the term,“ Stacia Miller, director of undergraduate research and a EURECA mentor, said.
Students or mentors can submit a research proposal to the committee. Fall semester applications are due on Dec. 1 every year and spring applications are due on June 1 of every year. After it has been submitted, the application is evaluated by faculty volunteers based on a scoring instrument written by a university assessment committee to determine which proposals are chosen. Then the groups get to work.
“[The mentors are] like a support system to facilitate undergraduate research. We support [the students], teach them and guide them,” Leann Curry, chair of undergraduate education and a EURECA mentor, said.
Students and mentors meet regularly to discuss, brainstorm, plan and look over their individual research and progress. Yu Guo, associate professor of engineering, is mentoring four separate research groups. He has been involved with EURECA since its formation in 2013.
“We meet every week where each group will report their progress. When there is a problem, we also discuss it in the meeting. And students could receive suggestions or learn possible solutions from me or other groups,” Guo said.
Wanting to begin research as an undergraduate student can be difficult without any guidance or assistance. It can be especially difficult for students who want to research a topic past a class assignment and learn about it at a deeper level.
“Our office provides that opportunity for students who are wanting to build their resume, wanting to go beyond the classroom learning and get involved in their discipline in a different way,” Miller said.
All research projects are unique, but not necessarily disconnected from one another. In this way, students can learn from other scholars and research throughout the process.
“Students could learn and get experience from other groups. Sharing information between the groups allows them to put more time and work on researching the unique portion of their own project,” Guo said.
Some students work with multiple mentors. When this happens, especially if the mentors are from different disciplines, students can see the varying ways research can occur.
“When you have a co-mentorship, that student is getting that training from two different people…. It expands their research knowledge,” Miller said.
While students are pursuing much of the research by themselves, the mentors themselves gain a lot from the process as well. Most mentors assist with research close to their passion and love to share it with students.
“The faculty mentors get as much, in a different way. It’s a collaborative partnership. The faculty get something from it and the students get something from it. It’s not just student benefits,” Miller said.
EURECA offers collaboration on all levels for research. Through them, many researchers can come together that may never have spoken otherwise.
“Many opportunities for the mentors and the students to come together for collaboration. The students can support each other [and so can] the mentors,” Curry said.
EURECA also offers workshops throughout the year on different research aspects, such as how to write a proposal or give a presentation. Undergraduate students interested in research can stop by the Undergraduate Research Office.
“A lot of students hear that word ‘undergraduate research’ and it scares them and they’re… intimidated by it…. It’s for anybody interested. If you don’t think undergraduate research is for you, you’re wrong,” Miller said.
