Helen and Bernie (Candyman)

FEAR: BEING PUNISHED FOR STEPPING OUT OF PLACE

There are two horror heroines within the film Candyman, and both of their storylines illustrate the danger in doing what you’re told not to do.

Helen and Bernie are similar. They’re both headstrong women with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, specifically on the legend of the Candyman, a Black man in Chicago who was murdered in the 19th century for his relationship with a well-to-do white woman.

He now kills anyone who says his name five times into a mirror, and it seems that he prefers to haunt the tenants of Cabrini-Green, the apartments that were built on the ground he was killed on.

Right from the start, literally everyone tells Helen and Bernie not to go through with their plan- their plan being: write a thesis on Candyman, which would entail them trying to summon him. Do they listen? There would be no movie if they listened.

Their decision to snoop around the apartments trying to get to the bottom of the urban legend comes back to haunt them in a number of different ways.

Everybody in the film is wary of Helen and her strange obsession with the legend. The tenants find her hard to trust, some clearly thinking of her as spoiled white woman with nothing better to do than to exploit the countless tragedies of Cabrini-Green, because she’s got too much time on her hands. She’s subsequently beaten by a local gang, but that’s the very least of her worries.

The Candyman begins to frame her for more murders in the area, further alienating Helen from the people she’s desperately trying to win over.

The Candyman also appears to be infatuated with Helen, as she bears a striking resemblance to his 19th century lover, so there’s that on her plate as well.

All because she’s a smart, curious woman who just couldn’t help but get involved in something she was interested in.

In all honesty, Helen is probably one of the characters in my line-up that I like the least. I don’t despise her, but I do think that her actions, while not abhorrent, are reckless to an extent, especially when they result in the death of other innocent characters.

Bernie is a supporting character, and kind of acts as Helen’s right-hand-man. Unfortunately, she is one of the people in the film who must pay the price for Helen’s determination to get to the bottom of the legend.

She begins to fear the consequences of their actions, and attempts to distance herself from the plan. It’s too late by the time she decides, and she is murdered by Candyman.

Helen doesn’t fare much better than her friend in the end. Both are ultimately punished for daring to explore a taboo topic, and refusing to completely give in.