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'Candyman': Ending Explained

What is the true meaning behind the legend of 'Candyman' and how is Anthony tied up to it?

'Candyman'

The 2021 Candyman has revealed a much more complex back story to the beloved horror villain. 

Candyman is not alone. The racist violence in the past decade has created new versions of Candyman and they ultimately joined him in his hive. 

Candyman's story got lost in the new generation, but someone wants to bring him back to protect Cabrini-Green from further gentrification. 

Here is a very detailed look at everything that happened in 'Candyman.'

Candyman Synopsis and Ending Explained

The 2021 Candyman served as a sequel to the first movie. Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is the crucial link to the two films. 

In the original film, Candyman kidnapped the infant Anthony. Helen Lyle, the protagonist from the first movie, saved the young Anthony. Helen died of her injuries, but she gave Anthony and his mother a second chance at life.

Anthony's mother, Anne-Marie, left Cabrini-Green. She never told Anthony about the Candyman incident. 

When the grown-up Anthony moves back to a now gentrified Cabrini-Green residence, he had no idea about his connection to the dark history of the place. 

Anthony meets William, an old-time Cabrini-Green resident who tells him of the legend behind Candyman. 

The original Candyman is Daniel Robitaille (Tony Todd). He was a black man who got killed for loving a white woman in the first film.

However, William spoke about the creation of a different Candyman in the 2021 film. 

When William was young, he saw the police kill Sherman Fields (Michael Hargrove), a black guy wrongly accused of handing out candy with razor blades in it.

The legend of Candyman enthralled Anthony. He decided to make him the subject of his art installation. His art piece unwittingly encouraged people to say "Candyman" five times. Of course, he is unaware of the dangers that lurk ahead. 

Anthony's art brought the legend back to life, opening a portal to grizzly murders. Sherman's Candyman answers the summons and takes new victims. 

While investigating the Candyman further, a bee stung Anthony's hands, and he slowly plunges into madness. His girlfriend Brianna (Teyonah Parris) eventually left him as the infection spread further.

Anthony finally discovers the truth about his childhood from his mother. He goes missing right after learning the shocking truth, prompting Brianna to return. 

Brianna looks for William to seek answers, but he ends up kidnapping her. William took Brianna to an abandoned church, and there she saw the hallucinating Anthony. 

Candyman

Why Did William Kidnap Anthony? 

William wanted to create a new Candyman to prevent further gentrification of Cabrini-Green. The modernization and the new high-rise buildings drive out much of the black community who lives in Cabrini-Green. In a way, gentrification is a form of oppression. The poor black people get driven away from their homes, and the rich white people who can afford the high-rises take over the place.

William believes that they need Candyman to protect them from social injustice. He wants to transform Anthony into the new Candyman as a sacrifice for the common good. To do this, he must recreate the injustice that created Candyman in the past. 

William cuts Anthony's hand and replaces it with a hook. After that, William calls the police. Anthony is already a suspect in the recent Candyman murders, and William is hoping that the authorities will kill him to complete the sacrifice. 

Brianna manages to kill William, but the police do as William planned. They killed Anthony, completing the ritual to transform him into the new Candyman. The police arrested Brianna. In desperation, she looks into the mirror and calls out Candyman's name. Anthony, who is now Candyman, arrives and kills the police. A swarm of bees wrapped Anthony, and after which, Anthony's face has transformed into Daniel's. He instructed Brianna to "Tell everyone." 

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Why Did Anthony Become Daniel?

The 2021 film made it clear that there has been more than one Candyman, but Daniel is the original. Each time a black person gets killed in violent racism, he becomes a version of Candyman and joins Daniel's hive. 

In the original film, the bees appear because they played a part in Daniel's death. However, the bees became a symbol of Candyman's legacy in the sequel. As new versions of Candyman get created, they join Daniel's hive. 

The Candyman is a legend, and his existence relies on people's stories. That is why he tells Brianna to tell the story to everyone, so his presence and his mission could go on.