Disney+ in the UK has had its fair share of true crime dramas with big names attached so far this year, like the gripping Under the Banner of Heaven, which featured Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar Jones and the Dakota Fanning-starring The Girl From Plainville. October is set to add a new one to this list: Candy stars Jessica Biel as Candy Montgomery, a housewife accused of a particularly grisly murder. Much like those other two shows, Candy originally aired over in the US on Hulu, and is now getting a release in the UK and the rest of the world.
The events depicted are fictionalised from a real case that occurred in Texas in the 1980s. Candy Montgomery is a housewife living in the city of Wylie, and though married is seeing another man, Allan Gore. In June 1980, Allan’s wife, Betty is suddenly found murdered, struck by a wood axe a total of 41 times. Allan is out of town, and perhaps unsurprisingly suspicion falls on Candy, accused of murdering Betty in an act of jealously. The show jumps time frames, depicting Betty’s murder before then going back and showing what happened between Betty and Candy prior.
Suspicion falls on Candy, accused of murdering Betty in an act of jealously...
When Candy originally released on Hulu back in May, it received positive reviews from critics, with Biel’s performance as Montgomery in particular being singled out for praise as convincing and enthralling, as well as the show’s late 70s suburbia aesthetic. Alongside Biel, acclaimed New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey (Two And A Half Men, Yellowjackets) stars in the opposite role as Betty Gore, Pablo Schreiber (The Wire, American Gods) as Allan Gore, Timothy Simons (Veep, The Interview) as Pat Montgomery and Raúl Esparza (Hannibal) as Don Crowder. Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake has a recurring role as Deputy Steve Deffibaugh.
The series is five parts long, weaving in and out of different points in time recounting the most important points leading up to Betty Gore’s death, before concluding with Candy standing on trial as the suspected murderer. However, in real life (and in the show) Candy was acquitted by the jury and never saw jail, despite some evidence pointing that way, and managed to convince the court that she had acted in self defence, rather than murder. Her aquittal, and the reasons why, are explored in the show and pose extra questions for the viewer, wrapping you further into the story.
You can watch the trailer below to get a glimpse of the 70s look and Biel’s performance as the hard-to-decipher Candy, and see the full series for yourself when it releases for UK viewers on Disney+ on 12th October. And if you’re looking for more true crime stories, you can check out The Handbook’s Best True Crime Documentaries.
CANDY RELEASES ON DISNEY+ ON 12TH OCTOBER
