Review
Any film that has a mute, developmentally disabled child as its only redeemable character is bound to have a bleak world view, and The Candy Snatchers is such a picture. This grimy kidnapping yarn has earned a reputation among movie buffs as being particularly reprehensible, and if it isn't quite as savage as reports would suggest, the relentlessly downbeat tone is suitably disturbing. The Candy Snatchers is a competently made thriller with TV-movie gloss and respectable, if one-dimensional, performances from a cast of television and exploitation film professionals. While the trio of villains wouldn't be expected to be sympathetic, none of the characters are anything less than contemptible. The kidnapped girl's stepfather is greedy and amoral, her mother is a self-absorbed alcoholic, and the parents of the aforementioned mute boy are physically and emotionally abusive to the handicapped child they're so ashamed of bearing. Candy (Susan Sennett), the abducted victim, has little to do other than scream and writhe in her Catholic school girl outfit, and can hardly be counted as a character; she's more like a plot device, a symbol of purity that needs to be abused in order to create conflict for the rest of the cast. As for the kidnappers, they're the usual cinematic losers who ultimately turn on each other, leading to murder and even rape within their ranks. Throughout the film, the only person with knowledge of Candy's whereabouts is Sean (Christopher Trueblood), who may not have the power to communicate but obviously possesses the mental acuity to grasp the danger of the situation. He also proves capable of operating a firearm, leading to a grim conclusion that claustrophobic viewers will want to avoid. Director Guerdon Trueblood moves the action along swiftly and evenly, stopping only to plumb the depths of his characters' spiritual ugliness, so crime film fans with a taste for nihilism won't be disappointed. Trueblood never directed another feature film after The Candy Snatchers, but later served as screenwriter for several "nature runs amok" thrillers, including Jaws 3-D and The Savage Bees. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
On the DVD
Trailers
Subversive trailers
Still gallery
Featurette: "The Women of Candy Snatchers"
Bios: Susan Sennet, Ben Piazza, Tiffany Bolling, Vincent Martorano, Guerdon Trueblood, and Bryan Gindoff
Stereo audio track
