SummaryThe miniseries created by Robin Veith is based on the true story of Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel), who killed her neighbor Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey) with an axe in 1980 Texas.
Created By:Nick Antosca, Robin Veith
Candy
Season 1 Premiere:
May 9, 2022
Metascore
Generally Favorable
61
User score
Mixed or Average
5.7
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All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
61
47% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
53% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
May 3, 2022
83
“Candy” works thanks largely to its well-cast leads and their archetype-bucking characters.
Oct 12, 2022
80
Candy is intelligently scripted and directed. It also has two phenomenal performances. ... Female rage is an under-explored topic – whether or not it culminates in murder. If Candy concentrates on that, rather than the 41 Lizzie Borden-esque blows, it could add something to the sum of human knowledge, if not exactly happiness.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.7
50% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
27% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
23% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
May 13, 2022
8
I really enjoyed this. It did an amazing job of encapsulating the mid to late 70s suburban Americana. Even the theme and opening credits were dreamy yet sinister. Jessica Biel was amazing in the lead role and stole the show (even with a subtly comedic cameo from her husband). I'm not a fan of Melanie Lynskey, but she too is perfectly cast due to her only mode, dour agitation (and that cringey-worthy baby doll voice). She is the Skylar White of this production, a victim who we should be supporting, but choose the bad guy to root for. Supporting cast is also stellar.
Apr 30, 2023
6
I had this one on hold and wanted to see it before I started watching the HBO version of the same story with Elizabeth Olsen. Generally speaking, it's pretty basic. Yes, the crime committed by Candy Montgomery was not the work of a deadly murderer, but 41 blows with an axe were no small feat either. It lacks tension, but survives mostly because of the strong performances.
It's only 5 episodes and it's understandable because clearly the actual story didn't have much to take from to sustain a better narrative, I wonder if HBO will experience the same problem. It's not a bad miniseries, but it's absolutely forgettable.
May 9, 2022
70
Odd and tense, Candy burnishes Jessica Biel's crime-based limited series credentials, following her star-producer turn in "The Sinner." Here, those two hats come in the service of an understated "whydunit" true crime yarn with all the trappings of a "Dateline" episode, which happily doesn't overstay its welcome at five episodes.
May 9, 2022
60
Candy hints at the more sure-footed series—or perhaps, made-for-TV movie—that might have been. ... I found myself consistently wishing that the show had allowed itself just one more inch of latitude—just a little more humor here, a bit more idiosyncratic energy there. In the absence of real tension, Candy has a tendency to spin its wheels—a slightly sour note on an otherwise sweet formula.
May 10, 2022
50
When "Candy" hits its stride in the second and third episodes, it is because Biel and Lynskey make us feel something for these women and the lack of choices they have in life aside from the roles of wife and mother. ... "Candy" stops sticking with us by its end, closing on a resolution that dissolves into nothing. Fortunately this case will be re-opened in a few months, but its squandered potential is still frustrating.
Oct 12, 2022
40
If you really like true-crime dramas, you’ll probably like this one. But if you like true stories – ones that create layered versions of real people and use them to illustrate something universal about the human experience – Candy won’t hit the sweet spot.
May 6, 2022
40
Mostly, though, it feels like an attempt by the series to put a neat little bow on a narrative that, over five hourlong episodes, has become increasingly muddled and unwieldy. ... “That’s it?” Betty asks incredulously near the close of the series, frowning at the pointlessness of it all. She might as well have been speaking for me.
May 30, 2022
4
mediocre and bloated as so many other similar shows. Just another well-produced but poor quality mass consumer good. Kleenex TV.
May 11, 2022
1
Another incredibly boring time sink from Hulu. The performances are decent but the show is designed to waste time. Doubt anything was left on the cutting room floor during editing. The biggest issue is that this style of show has been done so many times before and this is yet another, by the numbers, murder mystery. So many other, better shows out there.
Production Company:
- Iron Ocean Films
- Eat the Cat
- Boss Clown Productions
- 20th Television
- Universal Cable Productions
Initial Release Date:May 9, 2022
Number of seasons:1 Season
Rating:TV-MA
Awards
Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards
• 2 Nominations
Satellite Awards
• 2 Nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 1 Nomination
