Helen Lyle is writing a thesis on Candyman, a supposedly mythical killer who attacks his victims with a hooked hand when they say his name in front of a mirror. During her research, she meets up with the killer, who wants her to join him in his "mythic" world; when she refuses, he murders those in her wake, leaving her to be charged with the crimes. She tries to explain who the real culprit is, but her efforts fail, and authorities commit her to a mental hospital. Desperate to prove her sanity, she summons Candyman, who comes and helps her escape. But he has more murderous impulses to quell, and still wants her to join him in his parallel life.