Factual error: When Virginia Madsen's character sees Candyman in the mental hospital, a male nurse calls for the injection of 1000 milliliters of sedative to calm her down. 1000 milliliters is equal to 1 liter, which certainly could not be injected, let alone as fast as it was.
Candyman (1992)
Ending / spoiler
Directed by: Bernard Rose
Starring: Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd, Kasi Lemmons
Helen hears the baby crying in the junk pile and searches through it using a hook as a climbing tool. The little boy sees someone climbing through the pile, and mistakes Helen's hook for Candyman's. The citizens of Cabrini-Green set ablaze the junk pile into a huge bonfire. Helen finds the baby, but Candyman grabs Helen. Helen stabs Candyman with a burning stake. Candyman dies in the fire. But Helen gets caught in the rubble, and is set aflame herself. She brings her burning body out of the fire, but keeping the baby safe. She hands the baby to his mom before she dies. At Helen's funeral, the little boy drops Candyman's hook into her grave. A year later, Trevor is living with the girl from his class. He walks up to the bathroom mirror and says her name 5 times. She appears behind him and guts him with Candyman's hook.
Shane
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Suggested correction: The nurse said 1000mg, which is true and accurate wording for medication.
First off, he actually said "bring me a thousand mills." Second, 1 gram equals 1 milliliter, one is liquid and one is solid.
Bernadette 'Bernie' Walsh: This is sick, Helen! This isn't one of your fairytales, a woman got killed here.
Trivia: The film is notable for featuring a sympathetic but still truly evil African American villain (garbed in a black long-coat) and for exploring the harsh conditions poor African American families are often forced to live under. This is actually quite ironic, as in the original short story by Clive Barker ("The Forbidden"), the action all takes place in England and the Candyman is portrayed as an incredibly pale white man with long, blonde hair and an weirdly colorful coat made up of patches of different materials.
Question: I'm confused by the ending. Did Helen herself become just like Candyman, was it really Candyman using Helen's body, or did Helen simply decide to make a brief return from the dead to make her husband pay for his betrayal?
Chosen answer: It's a bit ambiguous, but just as Candyman became a tortured soul who suffered a painful and unjust death, to too did Helen.