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Candy is the latest true-crime mini-series from Hulu as a part of the recent boom of shows inspired by real-life events. Comprising five episodes, the show chronicles the infamous murder of Betty Gore (played by Melanie Lynskey) by her neighbor Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel) dating back to the 1980s.
For a case as intense as this one, the build-up is sufficiently slow, perhaps intentional, but a little off-setting in the first episode. According to the investigators, Betty was hacked with an axe 41 times.
The first episode of Candy dropped on May 9, 2022. There will be a new episode of the show dropping every day for the next four consecutive days.
Read on for a detailed review of the first episode of the new Hulu series.
Candy premiere review: Crime as a product of the environment?
From the very beginning. the show dived into the lifestyle of suburban Texas during the 1989s, especially that of housewives. The creators made it a point to depict the monotony of everyday activities and the sheer pressure women had to shoulder to be considered "ideal" in a place where respect was reserved for the repressed.
This episode deals largely with character introductions and establishing the rather suffocating setting, which will play a big part in the crime.
Melanie Lynskey's character did not have much screentime but was instrumental in establishing the suburban lifestyle of the 80s. The first episode is set on the day of Betty's death, but instead of diving straight into the crime, the show takes it slow by focusing on the hours preceding her death.
The episode successfully portrays the sheer unease of the environment with grace and panache. The unsettling ambience is a constant, creating a sense of tension and urgency that is important moving forward.
This is not a perfect episode by any means, not even a satisfactory one, but the show has plenty of time to fix that. If the first episode was primarily meant to create a sense of uneasiness, reflect on the setting of the time, and serve as character introductions, then it did its job perfectly.
Technical aspects of Candy
It is still too early to comment on the script and pacing, but this episode was primarily very slow. It took its time in places where it could have lingered for a shorter duration.
The technical team could execute the 1980s suburban setting with unmatched flair, even if it meant some things went overboard at times. Melanie Lynskey and Jessica Biel were excellent in their respective roles, bringing out incredible realism to the story.
Hulu's productions always look and feel good, and this is no different. The camera, sound, production design, and editing were all satisfactory, with little to complain about.
The next episode of Candy will air on May 10, 2022, on Hulu.
