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Nia DaCosta's buzzed about sort-of sequel (its IMDb description calls it a "spiritual sequel") to the 1992 film "Candyman" is finally hitting theaters after being one of the many films to be pushed back a year due to the pandemic. As movie theaters steadily make their return, horror movies have continually proven to be the great unifier for audiences, so the new "Candyman" should hopefully introduce moviegoers to a filmmaker on the rise.

"Candyman" is DaCosta's second film (after the indie "Little Woods" starring Tessa Thompson and Lily James) and it comes before she enters the Marvel universe with "The Marvels," the upcoming sequel to "Captain Marvel." As of late, the trend has been for directors who make independent films to graduate to the big budget operations of Marvel. Making "Candyman" in between proves DaCosta's ability to handle a big, slick, and well-paced studio movie. "Candyman" will impress some more than others, especially if you have an affinity for the original, but one thing is certain: DaCosta is going to be making movies for a long time.

The new movie takes the same route as the 2018 "Halloween" film, so "Candyman" operates in a world where the 1995 and 1999 sequels do not exist; instead it calls back to the original 1992 film (there are mentions of Virginia Madsen's character). Set in present-day Chicago, "Candyman" continues the legend of the Candyman, a vengeful phantom who can be summoned by saying his name five times in a mirror. Emmy-winning actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (HBO's Watchmen) stars as Anthony McCoy, a painter living with his successful girlfriend Brianna (Teyonah Parris, of Spike Lee's excellent "Chi-Raq"). Brianna is an art dealer working at a gallery and she wants to help Anthony any way she can to get his work seen, but Anthony is having a hard time finding inspiration. When Anthony learns about the legend of Candyman from William (Colman Domingo), it sets off a chain of reactions, and suddenly Anthony finds new inspiration for his work.

The screenplay, co-written by DaCosta, Win Rosenfeld, and Jordan Peele ("Get Out," "Us") situates the latest "Candyman" in modern day gentrified Chicago, offering a lot of depth and discussions for its characters. It's interesting to see the newest film compared to the first one through that lens, which allows the juxtaposition of a transformed neighborhood that is home to an age-old story. The issue with the "Candyman" films is that they sometimes raise more questions than they answer, and this can take away from uneasy atmosphere DaCosta creates.

Still, DaCosta knows how to pace a movie and doesn't waste any time in reintroducing us to a story that has previously been told, but unfolds this time in a new version of the same setting. To be completely effective horror movies can't waste any time, and while the Candyman mythos might feel repetitive, DaCosta's camerawork and eye for the unsettling create an entertaining new product.