Critic Reviews

There’s a more pragmatic approach here that still finds room to live in the psychological margins while trying to make sense of a senseless death. There’s a bit of messiness on the way to its ultimate conclusions, but given the nature of why this show exists in the first place, tidiness wouldn’t suit “Candy” anyway.

“Candy” works thanks largely to its well-cast leads and their archetype-bucking characters.

The strength of Candy rests in this being an old crime that we know very little about. Being first out of the gate works greatly to Candy’s advantage. The series will leave you with more questions than answers, right down to the kicker of a final line.

There is also the reasons why the seemingly put-together Candy managed to snap to begin with. Going back to reconstruct all of that will be interesting to watch, especially given the performances of Biel and Lynskey. ... Candy makes a good case that more true-crime dramas should be about the lead up and the aftermath of an event, not the event itself.

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.

“Candy” becomes a courtroom procedural in the later episodes, but it remains a fascinating psychological character study throughout.

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.

Biel’s stuck playing too many conflicting notes: jealous housewife, traumatized child, Ryan Murphy-level camp queen. And really, it’s that disconnect between the low-wattage horror movie and the John Waters-y camp trappings of the story that keeps Candy from feeling consistent or all that complete.

Candy prefers to examine how the madness of a monotonous life can kill someone spiritually, and it’s most interesting when it locates the humanity that even the most depraved among us possess.

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.