“Say his name” is repeated constantly throughout Candyman (2021).

As you watch, you have to wonder why anyone would take the risk of saying it. Of course, if no one said “Candyman” five times while looking in a mirror, there wouldn’t be one Candyman movie, let alone four of them, but still, knowing there’s at least a chance that invoking this particular urban legend could result in you being gutted, why would anyone tempt fate in such a way?

At least, unlike with say, ‘Bloody Mary’ or ‘Beetlejuice’, one has to say it five times, and not three, which gives one a chance to change one’s mind. Not that anyone does.

If you go to see Candyman, now playing only in theaters, try to watch the original 1992 version. The 2021 version is a sequel to that movie, referencing the story multiple times, even bringing back a cast member (or two) from the original. Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) directed from a script written by her, Jordan Peele (Us) and Win Rosenfeld (BlackkKlansman.)

The original story of a grad student whose investigation of urban legends went a bit too far is retold not with video flashbacks, but with a cleverly stylish shadow puppet show. This time around, the story centers on a young artist whose search for artistic inspiration lead him to investigate the Candyman legend.

Visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Aquaman) has a showing in his girlfriend Brianna’s (Teyona Parris, WandaVision) gallery, but he needs new material. Brianna’s brother Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Mope) recounts (wrongly) the story of Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen in the original) casting her as the villain of the story – the one who committed murders and kidnaping in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green projects, blaming it all on the hook-handed, bee-loving serial murderer Candyman.

Anthony wants to know more about the murders, so he breaks in the abandoned projects to have a look around. There he meets William Burke (Colman Domingo, Fear the Walking Dead), a laundromat owner who is more than happy to recount the story of Candyman.

Anthony becomes obsessed with the story; he not only starts to create art based on the legend, he toys with the idea of bringing Candyman to life, which he does, in a way. Some people, after seeing his Candyman-based art installation, repeat the incantation at their peril. But Anthony takes it even further: he starts to become, and see himself as, Candyman.

As his obsession grows, the transformation into Candyman becomes more and more gruesome – the movie has some body horror moments that are not for the squeamish. And it becomes clear that Candyman isn’t a single entity, because there are (and have always been) more than one Candyman. The one eviscerating half the cast operates unseen (except in the mirror) when Anthony is not around.

There’s a lot more going on; there’s backstory involving Helen and Anthony’s mom (Vanessa Williams, who looks about five minutes older than she did in the 1992 movie), backstory involving Brianna and Troy’s father, William Burke’s backstory, and a lot of social commentary about the police and gentrification. The Candyman from the original movie (Tony Todd) was the first, but not the last. It’s like Candyman is a franchise opportunity or position.

The first Candyman movie had an art-house feel; Candyman was a murderer, but he brought a certain elegance to the role. His character was almost courtly in his pursuit of Helen Lyle. This iteration has a less straightforward plot and POV; we see the story from William’s, then Anthony’s and finally Brianna’s perspective, with detours into the lives of other victims of Candyman. The first movie also had social commentary, but it was done with a lighter touch.

Fans of the bees in the original will be happy to know they are still buzzing around Candyman like they always did.