AXE MURDER REVEALED

DETAILS OF SHOCKING CRIME SLOWLY REVEALED

By PETER THOMAS BUSCH

The suburban family becomes torn apart by a bit too much liberation in the true story about a Texas housewife and her church friends.

Jessica Biel stars as Candy Montgomery, a woman, wife, and mother to two children in this reenactment of ’80s America in Candy (2022).

The five part television series by Hulu is also executive produced by Biel.

Writer Nick Antosca (Creator) subtly layers in a wraparound as the narrative reveals a murder early on, but then he gradually seeps in the details of the crime only to leave the why to the bitter end. The tinkling music score underwrites this process of ever so gradually allowing the truth to come out.

Melanie Lynskey plays the biopic victim Betty Gore with a young daughter and second child on the way. Gore is more entrenched in her role as suburban housewife, eventually resulting in Montgomery and Gore clashing physically.

Timothy Simons performs as Pat Montgomery. And Pablo Schreiber plays Allan Gore. Both actors in supporting roles play passive aggressive income earners for the classic suburban nuclear family.

Simons shows his character as a loving doting father but a bit too boring as a husband for his wife, while Gore seems more dedicated to his career than his wife and children.

The big hair of the decade provides a bit of the physical masks for the husbands, but the metaphysical masks are also present as well for the creation of the supporting characters.

While Candy plays the role of a housewife, Biel is the leading actor followed about by the camera of director Michael Uppendahl.

Uppendahl finds a nice fit of styles by meshing the television dramatizations with a bit of tone and atmosphere taken from documentary and reality television. 

Biel shines through though by creating a character mask in part with the big ’80s eyeglasses and a Shirley Temple hairstyle but also by developing the carefree non-cholent Texas Christian hubris.

Biel also creates a Texas accent, while using the body language of a submissive Texas Christian woman in contrast to her assertive attitude.

Candy is able to create two lives for herself by maintaining a Christian suburban family home while seeking sexual liberation with her friend’s husband in a cheap motel.

Uppendahl films numerous close ups while Biel performs the shifting emotions of a Godly person slowly being overwrought with guilt.

Candy remains forthright in seeking out Allan Gore with whom to have an affair. But the sin becomes irrevocable and unforgivable in all consequences.

Uppendahl does a good job in storytelling by essentially providing the backstory after the murder but before the jury verdict.

This simple narrative is produced with splashes of complexity by reminding the audience that the lead character has committed a murder.

All in all, the film is a character study of an honest Christian good hearted suburban housewife committing sin by violating two of the Holy Commandments. And Biel ever so gently creates that character to great success.

Candy is a Hulu production streaming on Disney in Canada.