Candy (TV Series)

''Candy'' (released internationally as ''Candy: A Death In Texas'') is an American true crime drama streaming television limited series created by Nick Antosca and Robin Veith. The series stars Jessica Biel as the real-life Candy Montgomery, who was accused of the axe murder of her neighbor, Betty Gore (played by Melanie Lynskey) in 1980, in Texas. It premiered on May 9, 2022, on Hulu, with a new episode for five nights until May 13.

Premise

In Wylie, Texas, in 1980 suburban housewife Candy Montgomery is accused of murdering her neighbor Betty Gore, after having an affair with Gore's husband Allan.

Cast

Main

*Jessica Biel as Candy Montgomery
*Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore
*Pablo Schreiber as Allan Gore
*Timothy Simons as Pat Montgomery
*Raúl Esparza as Don Crowder

Recurring

*Jessie Mueller as Sherry Cleckler
*Adam Bartley as Richard
* Justin Timberlake as Deputy Steve Deffibaugh
*Jason Ritter as Deputy Denny Reese

Episodes

Production

Development

In July 2020, it was announced UCP was developing a series revolving around Candy Montgomery, with Robin Veith writing the pilot for the series, and Nick Antosca set to executive produce under his Eat the Cat banner, with no network attached. In December 2020, it was announced Hulu had landed the series. In October 2021, it was announced Elisabeth Moss, who was originally set to star as Candy, had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts and would be replaced by Jessica Biel.

Filming

Principal photography began in December 2021 and continued through February 2022, and took place in Austell, Georgia.

Release

''Candy'' premiered on the streaming service Hulu in the United States on May 9, 2022, with new episodes airing for five subsequent nights until May 13. Hulu majority-owner Disney has also confirmed that ''Candy'' will be coming to its Disney+ Hotstar service in India on July 15.

''Candy'' was released on Disney+ in Canada, Australia and New Zealand on July 27 and for Singapore on August 10 and in the UK and Ireland on October 12 as a Star Original. On Latin America, the series debuted on July 27, 2022, on Star+.

Internationally, the show's main title is ''Candy: A Death In Texas'' despite the thumbnail on Disney+ simply listing it as ''Candy''.

Reception

Audience viewership

According to Whip Media's viewership tracking app TV Time, ''Candy'' was the 5th most anticipated new television series of May 2022. According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, ''Candy'' was the most streamed television series across all platforms in the U.S., during the week of May 9, 2022 to May 15, 2022. According to the streaming aggregator Reelgood, ''Candy'' was the 8th most streamed television series across all platforms, during the week of May 14, 2022, and the 3rd during the week of May 21, 2022. Media play news

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the limited series holds a 71% approval rating based on 34 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Candy''s sour aftertaste is counterbalanced by uniformly terrific performances, but it only takes a couple licks before this true crime drama loses its flavor." On Metacritic, the series has a score of 64 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Josh Bell of ''CBR.com'' stated that the series manages to provide a late 1970s aesthetic through its decor and costumes, complimented how the miniseries succeeds to depict the struggles of the main characters through its dark tone, and praised Biel's performance as Candy Montgomery, while complimenting the rest of the supporting actors. Brian Lowry of CNN found that ''Candy'' manages to be more effective than most true crime drama series, stating that Biel and Lynskey's performances are convincing and well-rendered, while complimenting how the miniseries manages to provide solid additional scripted elements compared to other contemporary series of the same genre.

Joel Keller of ''Decider'' praised the performances of the cast, especially Biel and Lynskey's, and found interesting the choice to start the miniseries with Betty Gore's death, followed by the reconstitution of what has occurred between the characters in the later episodes. Matt Fowler of ''IGN'' rated the miniseries 7 out of 10 and complimented the performances of the cast members, while praising how the show manages to keep an atmosphere of tension without providing too much information during its first episodes. Maggie Boccella of ''Collider'' gave the miniseries a C+ rating and claimed that the show manages to be a satisfactory true crime drama, while praising the performances of the actors, but criticized the lack of development of the characters.

Accolades

See also

* '' Love & Death'' (2023), another television miniseries based on the same case

References

External links

*

{{Hulu

2022 American television series debuts
2022 American television series endings
2020s American crime drama television series
2020s American drama television miniseries
Adultery in television
Collin County, Texas
English-language television shows
Hulu original programming
Serial drama television series
Television series by 20th Century Fox Television
Television series by Universal Content Productions
Television series set in 1980
Television shows about murder
Television shows filmed in Georgia (U.S. state)
Television shows set in Texas
True crime television series