History Film / Candyman

** Early on after his lecture Trevor and an attractive female student share a LongingLook while Helen's back is turned. Said student is also the last one to leave [[spoiler:He's having an affair with that exact student.]]

* BeeAfraid: [[spoiler:Candyman was tortured by having his hand hacked off with a saw, then being covered in honey, which attracted bees that stung him to death. His ghost now uses those bees as weapons.]]

* HeroWithBadPublicity: Helen Lyle, due to being suspected for the murders.

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: [[spoiler: In both the story and movie, [[TheHeroDies Helen dies]]. However, in contrast with how in the former she died in the bonfire as the Candyman held her down, she manages to escape but dies from the flame wounds as she was rescuing Anthony and herself in the latter ([[AndThenJohnWasAZombie then later comes back as a vengual spirit like Candyman]])]].

* UrbanLegends: The legend of the Candyman is an InUniverse combination for the "Bloody Mary" and "Hookman" myths, and a few of the kills that happen on-screen on this and other films in the series occur because of people daring each other. Exploring the application of urban legends as a boogeyman in modern living is the reason Helen becomes involved in the Candyman's horror to begin with, and the "urban" part is highlighted with the fact most of the plot of the first film happens within the (now-demolished) Cabrini-Green projects in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}.

* GroinAttack: [[KickTheDog A very disturbing example]] happens to a mentally disabled kid in a park restroom.

* AdaptationalKarma: In the short story, [[spoiler: the Candyman wins in the end by successfully trapping Helen in the bonfire, preventing her from taking the child's corpse to the authorities to prove the culpability of Butt's Court's residences in his death, and strengthening his legend through their demises.]] In the movie, this is changed to Helen managing to escape his grasp, while leaving him to be burned alive in the bonfire. [[spoiler: Although Helen still dies, she becomes a legend in her own right instead of being immortalized as one of his victims.]]

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: In the original story, the Candyman isn't formerly introduced and namedropped until after [[spoiler: Kerry (Anthony's book counterpart) is killed by him and Helen investigates his stomping grounds again.]] In the movie, Candyman's voice is heard in the opening, first physically appears in the flashback, and shows up before the kidnapping. Due to also now being a known legend (in contrast to being only heard around the neighborhood he dwells), he's namedropped sooner as well.

A "[[SoftReboot spiritual]] [[{{Sequel}} sequel]]" with Creator/JordanPeele producing and writing, Nia [=DaCosta=] (''Film/LittleWoods'') directing, and Tony Todd returning to the titular role will be released in 2021. [[Film/Candyman2020 The page for that film is here.]]

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Due to his expanded background being influenced by the movie's SettingUpdate, Candyman is depicted as a TragicMonster born from the cruelty shown to him in his past life, in contrast in the original story [[ShroudedInMyth where his exact origins are a mystery]].
* AdaptationalAttractiveness: In the movie, Candyman is portrayed by Creator/TonyTodd as a well-groomed normal looking man that wears [[BadassLongcoat a nice brown fur coat]] and has a seductive BadassBaritone voice. This a stark contrast with how in the story he is portrayed as an unkept figure: he wears [[BrightIsNotGood patchwork outfit of many colors]], has gaunt yellow skin, wearing rouge on his lips as one would put on a corpse, and a light voice that resonated like honey.

* AdaptationalSuperpowerChange: In the story, Candyman could materialize in front of people at any time in the neighborhood he terrorized. The movie on the other hand gives him the ability to appear anywhere when someone chants his name five times in a mirror.

** [[spoiler: [[YourCheatingHeart Trevor's infidelity]] was just a throw away line in the short story, but in the movie it becomes a subplot where he's having an affair with one of his students and when Helen is sent to the mental ward he allows her to move in, with the strong implication he was going abandon his wife and start a new life with her.]]

* TeacherStudentRomance: [[spoiler: Trevor is [[YourCheatingHeart revealed to be having an affair]] with his student, Stacy, behind Helen's back.]]

* YourCheatingHeart: [[spoiler:Trevor's TeacherStudentRomance with Stacy behind Helen's back.]]

Now confirmed to have a "[[SoftReboot spiritual]] [[{{Sequel}} sequel]]" being made with Creator/JordanPeele producing and writing, Nia [=DaCosta=] (''Film/LittleWoods'') directing, and Tony Todd returning to the titular role. [[Film/Candyman2020 The page for that film is here.]]

* OurSlashersAreDifferent: The Candyman is a slasher but erudite, intelligent, and possessed of powers relating to both being a ghost as well as an urban legend.

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: [[In both the story and movie, [[TheHeroDies Helen dies]]. However, in contrast with how in the former she died in the bonfire as the Candyman held her down, she manages to escape but dies from the flame wounds as she was rescuing Anthony and herself in the latter ([[AndThenJohnWasAZombie then later comes back as a vengual spirit like Candyman]])]].

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: In the original story, the Candyman isn't formerly introduced and namedropped until after [[spoiler: Kerry (Anthony's book counterpart is killed by him) and Helen investigates his stomping grounds again.]] In the movie, Candyman's voice is heard in the opening, first physically appears in the flashback, and shows up before the kidnapping. Due to also now being a known legend (in contrast to being only heard around the neighborhood he dwells), he's namedropped sooner as well.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Anne-Marie and her neighbors were much more culpable for the murder of [[spoiler:her baby]] in the original short story.

** [[spoiler:Also averted with the boy who had a run-in with Candyman in the restroom in the backstory.]]
* InsufferableGenius: Philip Purcell, one of Trevor's academic buddy's,is a condescending know it all, who is very dismissive of Helen and her credentials. He also prides himself on being expert on the Candyman legend.

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: In the original story, the Candyman isn't formerly introduced and namedropped until after [[spoiler: Kerry (Anthony's book counterpart is killed by him) and Helen investigates his stomping grounds again.]] In the movie, Candyman's voice is heard in the opening, first physically appears in the flashback, and shows up before the kidnapping.

** The [[GroinAttack castration]] of the mentally challenged boy in the bathroom would terrify any parent that their child could be attacked by an unknown assailant when they are left alone, especially if they are disabled.

** The victim of Candyman's castration goes from a mentally disabled twenty year old man in the book to a [[WouldHurtAChild mentally disabled child in the movie]].

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: Candyman styles himself like this. He's an immortal spirit with supernatural powers that cannot be truly killed. He subsists on the faith of those who believe in him, sleeps on a concrete bed resembling an altar, and his lair resembles a rotting, dessicated old church. The graffiti on the windows and paintings on the walls and ceiling give it the air of a horrifying chapel. [[spoiler: But while he can't die he can be beaten. Just as Helen destroys him in the climax.]]

* TheCameo: Ted Raimi as the boyfriend in the opening scene.

** The nameless estate boy that leads Helen to Anne-Marie's house in the short story is expanded into the character of Jake, who becomes a prominent side character and [[spoiler: even rallies the people of Cabrini Green to destroy the Candyman when he mistakes her for being him.]]