Get ready for a whole lot of bloodshed. The Hulu original true-crime series Candy is arriving on the streamer soon, and it promises to spare no detail as it’s based upon the shocking real-life events surrounding a small-town murder in Texas during the 80s. Starring Jessica Biel as the titular character, Candy Montgomery, she plays the notorious mother and housewife who transforms into an axe murderer. The upcoming series is just the latest in a string of true-crime hits that Hulu has released this year, and the hard-boiled axe murder case is a sprawling, dark story.

Candy is based upon the life of Candy Montgomery, a native Texan, churchgoer, mother, and housewife who killed one of her neighbors with an axe in the suburbs outside Dallas during the summer of 1980. The woman killed was Betty Gore, one of Candy’s friends and a school teacher. Suppressed by the stifling suburbs and all their expectations, Candy began an affair with Betty’s husband Allan Gore, and Betty eventually found out. This all led up to a deadly confrontation between Candy and Betty which resulted in Betty’s death. During her trial, Candy claimed that she killed Betty in self-defense after Betty confronted her about the affair by attacking her with an axe. Candy then claimed she used that same axe to kill Betty to save herself and was found not guilty. The upcoming series will consider Candy’s side of things while also letting the viewers decide for themselves if she’s a reliable narrator or not.

In addition to starring in the series, Biel is an executive producer, similar to when she starred in and executive produced the first season of the USA anthology series, The Sinner. A critically acclaimed murder mystery series, Biel also played a woman accused of murder, and she went on to executive produce the following seasons. Melanie Lynskey is co-starring opposite Biel as the murder victim Betty Gore. Lynskey is currently starring in the Showtime hit thriller series Yellowjackets and is best known for her work in the films Heavenly Creatures, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Hello, I Must be Going, and Don’t Look Up. The cast is rounded out by Raúl Esparza, who will portray Candy’s defense attorney and is known for his work in NBC’s long-running series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Timothy Simons (Veep) will portray Candy’s husband, Pat Montgomery, and Pablo Schreiber (Orange Is the New Black) will play Betty’s unfaithful husband, Allan Gore.

Nick Antosca and Robin Veith serve as the series creators and are co-executive producers as well. This isn’t Antosca’s first project at Hulu, as he also co-created the critically acclaimed Hulu original limited series The Act, another true-crime murder series starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King. Antosca also served as co-creator on the Netflix original limited 2021 horror series, Brand New Cherry Flavor. Veith is a well-renowned television writer, best known for her work on the AMC series Mad Men, and she was nominated for the Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Emmy Award for co-writing the season 1 finale episode, “The Wheel.” As the two join forces in the creative department for the upcoming series, both Antosca and Veith co-wrote the first episode of Candy together.

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Image via Hulu

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Can I Watch a Trailer for Candy?

The full-length trailer for Candy is a tension-filled pressure cooker of a thriller that cooks all the way on high. Biel has transformed into the Texan housewife with a complete 80s makeover, courtesy of a permed wig, high wasted jeans, and the trademark larger-than-life vintage glasses. As the trailer offers flashbacks and flash-forwards surrounding the murder, axes are swung, nails are broken, and lies are told. Lynskey, Simons, and Esparza all make appearances in their respective roles, with the focus primarily being on the relationship between Betty and Candy. Friends become enemies quickly in Candy as the trailer suggests, and the true-crime series paints a confounding portrait of a woman who may or may not be a cold-blooded murderer.

Where Can I Watch Candy?

Candy is a Hulu original and can only be streamed exclusively on the streaming platform. In order to watch, you either already have to be a subscriber or set up an account to watch the series, and you can choose between a standard plan with ads for $6.99 a month or a premium subscription that entails no ad interruptions for $12.99 a month. You can also subscribe to the Disney Bundle that includes Hulu alongside Disney+ and ESPN+ for $13.99 a month with ads and $19.99 a month without ads. If you're one of the many cord-cutters out there you can get Hulu+Live TV for $69.99 a month with ads and $75.99 a month for the ad-free tier, both include Disney+ and ESPN+. Unfortunately, the series is not available to watch anywhere else and as of now won’t be available on places like iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, etc.

When Can I Watch Candy?

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Image via Hulu

The premiere episode of Candy will debut on Hulu Monday, May 9. The streamer has advertised the series as a 5-episode event and is releasing one episode every day for five nights in a row, with the finale airing on the foreboding Friday the 13th. Releasing its final episode on Friday, May 13 carries significance as Candy Montgomery murdered Betty Gore on Friday the 13th of June 1980. Coincidence? Probably not.

Candy Episode List

Episode 1: “Friday the 13th” Monday, May 9

Episode 2: “Happy Wife, Happy Life,” ... Tuesday, May 10

Episode 3: “Overkill” ... Wednesday, May 11

Episode 4: “Covergirl” ... Thursday, May 12

Episode 5: “The Fight” ... Friday, May 13

Related:'Candy': Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything You Need to Know

Do I Need to Know Any Background on the Case in Order to Watch Candy?

No, audiences do not need any information surrounding the murder prior to the debut episode. Candy will walk audiences through the entire, messy case from beginning to end. Told from Candy’s point of view, it will follow her life in the suburbs of Dallas and how her ill-fated affair with her neighbor Allan led to a murderous confrontation between his wife Betty and herself. It’s not necessary to do further research on the famous true-crime case, but as it’s told from Candy’s perspective, there are many more takes on the case out there that cover every aspect. If you want to learn more about the notorious murder case, try the groundbreaking true-crime novel from 1983, “Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Love in the Suburbs,” and the nationally covered “Love and Death in Silicon Prairie” article published in 1984. Additional coverage on the case includes the Rotten Mango Podcast episode “Friday The 13th Axe Killer (Case of Candy Montgomery)," and Oxygen’s Snapped episode “Candy Montgomery.

What Are Some Other Shows Like Candy?

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Image via Hulu

Pop culture is currently swimming in an abscess of true-crime products, and it seems like a new series based upon an infamous case gets released every single day. If you can’t get enough of a series based upon real-life events that involve cold-blooded killers and engrossing murder mysteries, here are a couple more titles to check out.

The Sinner (2017-2021) - Jessica Biel stars as a murderous mother in the first season of the USA anthology crime series The Sinner. Focused on why rather than whom, the series begins when Biel’s character inexplicably murders a man on the beach in front of her family, and from there Detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) tries to figure out why she did it. Running for a total of four seasons and executive produced by Biel, each season follows Detective Ambrose as he solves a murder. The Sinner is currently streaming on Netflix.

The Thing About Pam (2022) - Starring Renée Zellweger in the titular murderous role, the NBC true-crime limited series The Thing About Pam is adapted from the smash hit Dateline NBC podcast under the same name. The series is based upon the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, a friend of Pam Hupp’s whose murder led to a complicated and corrupt investigation in large part thanks to Pam’s sabotage. A fantastic, 6-part limited series, The Thing About Pam is available to stream on Hulu and Peacock.

Sharp Objects (2018) - An HBO limited series based upon the Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) novel under the same name, the southern murder mystery centers around the killing of two adolescent girls in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Amy Adams portrays a reporter returning home to the small town to try and solve the case while dealing with her estranged mother, family, and a killer on the loose. Sharp Objects is available to watch exclusively on HBO Max.

Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)- An adaptation of the novel Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Hate written by Jon Krakauer, the FX true-crime series is based upon the 1984 murder of young Utah mother Brenda Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her baby daughter. Taking place in a highly religious community of Mormons, detective Jeb Prye (Andrew Garfield) must solve the crime while he’s forced to confront his religious beliefs as he discovers the true intentions behind the brutal murders. Under the Banner of Heaven is available to watch on Hulu.

Additional series like Candy to watch next include Hulu’s The Girl From Plainville and The Act, Netflix’s Alias Grace and Unbelievable, Bravo’s Dirty John, and TNT’s I Am the Night.