Five-episode limited series Candy premieres Monday, May 9, with one new episode a day airing through Friday.
Candy, starring Jessica Biel (in the first of two limited series about this true crime case from 1980), is a stirring, anxious examination of a ghastly axe murder that took place over 40 years ago in a quiet church-going suburb of Wylie, Texas. The first episode, "Friday the 13th," offers a compelling set up while also teasing a Pandora's Box of secrets to be revealed as the series progresses.
Biel, who also executive produces, plays God-fearing "mom who can handle it all" Candy Montgomery, who exists in stark contrast to her friend Betty, played by Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey. Betty's at the end of her emotional rope, at home with her newborn, yearning for both relief from the crying and more support from her husband Allan (Halo's Pablo Schreiber), who's a caring man but also one whose work involves travel. Meanwhile, Candy's clan, or at least the facade of it, is bustling and beaming, so much so that Candy thinks it's a good idea to have Betty's oldest child sleep over one more night because they're all going to catch The Empire Strikes Back and the girl won't get to see it otherwise.
This sets the stage for Candy having to quickly pop by Betty's house to pick up the kid's swimsuit annnnd... well, this is where the framing and format of Candy, the series, works to create and capture a really chilling portrait of insta-violence. We don't get to see what happens during this house-call. It will eventually all unfold, of course, but keeping us distant from it at the start is a smart idea. All we know is that Candy leaves Betty's house in flight mode, with blood on her and a dazed look in her eyes. As best she can, she conjures up a serviceable story as to why she's late for a Bible school talent show and we're left in shock.
Candy's release model is a curious one, as we'll get one chapter a day for a full work week in a sort of "gentleman's binge" model. Hulu has its research and algorithmic reasons for this, of course, but it could partially be because of HBO Max's Love and Death -- from David E. Kelley and starring Elizabeth Olsen as Candy Montgomery -- which also lands this year. It's going to tell the same story, naturally, but how it will tell it is unknown. Right now, Candy has given us a very spooky opening episode, never handing us the full details but instead letting us watch Candy herself try to put on a happy face, fearful of losing her entire life because of what she's done, allowing us to imagine the horror she's hiding.
First episodes always face the pressure of grabbing viewers enough to make them want more and it's a risky move to not show most of your cards. You always want to hold back a little, but "Friday the 13th" holds back a ton, and it's actually better for it. We know something absolutely gruesome happened. We don't know what and we don't know why (provided we've chosen to not do a Google search for this case). By the end, we catch a nightmarish glimpse of what went down, but it's still confusing. Watching Candy's reactions to what happened, as her family tries to have a fun outing and Betty's daughter stays with them, is mesmerizing. But the most effective bit of suspense comes from Allan, when Betty doesn't pick up the phone and he's away in a hotel room in a completely different city.
Obviously, Candy, which is based on true events, is going to dip its toe into reenactments, based on everyone's testimony and recounting. The technology of the era will also play a role in communication and the characters' ability to access information. When Allan, who left his wife in a distressed state, starts to seriously worry about her and his baby, and what she may have done, it's a very gripping watch. Schreiber is wonderful as an increasingly worried Allan, who only has a '80s telephone system to work with. He calls neighbors to knock on his door. He has his calls forwarded to the restaurant he's eating at. He even calls Candy, who's sympathetic but also working in self-preservation mode.
"Friday the 13th" takes its time and keeps us guessing.
Just from a drama standpoint, this sinister game of phone tag, which eventually leads to several neighbors entering and exploring Betty's house, is a low-fi triumph. "Friday the 13th" takes its time, keeps us guessing, and draws out the dire discovery in a way that increases the tension. The four main characters here -- a group that also includes Veep's Timothy Simons as Candy's husband, Pat -- are very good at portraying the type of nice and "normal" that masks a darker underbelly. We really do leave this episode with one answer per hundred questions, but it's all executed in a way that makes us frantic to find out the full story.
Continue reading...
Candy, starring Jessica Biel (in the first of two limited series about this true crime case from 1980), is a stirring, anxious examination of a ghastly axe murder that took place over 40 years ago in a quiet church-going suburb of Wylie, Texas. The first episode, "Friday the 13th," offers a compelling set up while also teasing a Pandora's Box of secrets to be revealed as the series progresses.
Biel, who also executive produces, plays God-fearing "mom who can handle it all" Candy Montgomery, who exists in stark contrast to her friend Betty, played by Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey. Betty's at the end of her emotional rope, at home with her newborn, yearning for both relief from the crying and more support from her husband Allan (Halo's Pablo Schreiber), who's a caring man but also one whose work involves travel. Meanwhile, Candy's clan, or at least the facade of it, is bustling and beaming, so much so that Candy thinks it's a good idea to have Betty's oldest child sleep over one more night because they're all going to catch The Empire Strikes Back and the girl won't get to see it otherwise.
This sets the stage for Candy having to quickly pop by Betty's house to pick up the kid's swimsuit annnnd... well, this is where the framing and format of Candy, the series, works to create and capture a really chilling portrait of insta-violence. We don't get to see what happens during this house-call. It will eventually all unfold, of course, but keeping us distant from it at the start is a smart idea. All we know is that Candy leaves Betty's house in flight mode, with blood on her and a dazed look in her eyes. As best she can, she conjures up a serviceable story as to why she's late for a Bible school talent show and we're left in shock.
Candy's release model is a curious one, as we'll get one chapter a day for a full work week in a sort of "gentleman's binge" model. Hulu has its research and algorithmic reasons for this, of course, but it could partially be because of HBO Max's Love and Death -- from David E. Kelley and starring Elizabeth Olsen as Candy Montgomery -- which also lands this year. It's going to tell the same story, naturally, but how it will tell it is unknown. Right now, Candy has given us a very spooky opening episode, never handing us the full details but instead letting us watch Candy herself try to put on a happy face, fearful of losing her entire life because of what she's done, allowing us to imagine the horror she's hiding.
First episodes always face the pressure of grabbing viewers enough to make them want more and it's a risky move to not show most of your cards. You always want to hold back a little, but "Friday the 13th" holds back a ton, and it's actually better for it. We know something absolutely gruesome happened. We don't know what and we don't know why (provided we've chosen to not do a Google search for this case). By the end, we catch a nightmarish glimpse of what went down, but it's still confusing. Watching Candy's reactions to what happened, as her family tries to have a fun outing and Betty's daughter stays with them, is mesmerizing. But the most effective bit of suspense comes from Allan, when Betty doesn't pick up the phone and he's away in a hotel room in a completely different city.
Obviously, Candy, which is based on true events, is going to dip its toe into reenactments, based on everyone's testimony and recounting. The technology of the era will also play a role in communication and the characters' ability to access information. When Allan, who left his wife in a distressed state, starts to seriously worry about her and his baby, and what she may have done, it's a very gripping watch. Schreiber is wonderful as an increasingly worried Allan, who only has a '80s telephone system to work with. He calls neighbors to knock on his door. He has his calls forwarded to the restaurant he's eating at. He even calls Candy, who's sympathetic but also working in self-preservation mode.
"Friday the 13th" takes its time and keeps us guessing.
Just from a drama standpoint, this sinister game of phone tag, which eventually leads to several neighbors entering and exploring Betty's house, is a low-fi triumph. "Friday the 13th" takes its time, keeps us guessing, and draws out the dire discovery in a way that increases the tension. The four main characters here -- a group that also includes Veep's Timothy Simons as Candy's husband, Pat -- are very good at portraying the type of nice and "normal" that masks a darker underbelly. We really do leave this episode with one answer per hundred questions, but it's all executed in a way that makes us frantic to find out the full story.
Continue reading...