Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the limited series holds a 72% approval rating based on 47 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Candy's sour aftertaste is counterbalanced by uniformly terrific performances, but it only takes a couple licks before this true crime drama loses its flavor." On Metacritic, the series has a score of 61 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Josh Bell of Comic Book Resources remarked that the series effectively captures a late 1970s aesthetic through its décor and costumes. Bell commended the miniseries for its portrayal of the main characters' struggles through its dark tone and praised Biel's performance as Candy Montgomery, as well as the work of the supporting cast. Brian Lowry of CNN found that Candy surpasses many true crime dramas in effectiveness, highlighting the convincing and well-rendered performances of Biel and Lynskey. Lowry also praised the miniseries for incorporating solid additional scripted elements, distinguishing it from other contemporary series in the same genre.
Joel Keller of Decider praised the cast's performances, particularly those of Biel and Lynskey, and found the decision to begin the miniseries with Betty Gore's death intriguing. Keller appreciated how the series later delves into the events leading up to her death through a reconstruction of the characters' interactions. Matt Fowler of IGN rated the miniseries seven out of ten, commending the cast's performances and praising the show for maintaining a sense of tension without revealing too much information in its early episodes.
Maggie Boccella of Collider awarded the miniseries a C+ rating, describing it as a satisfactory true crime drama. While Boccella praised the actors' performances, they criticized the series for its lack of character development. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian commended the interesting study of female rage and miscarriages of political, social, legal, and justice systems represented articulately in the series. According to Mangan, the film elaborates the events that often flesh out the intangible features of a story not designed for factual programming.
Following the release of Love & Death in 2023, Candy, which is also based on the same events, was likened by some critics for its similarities and differences to the former. Alexis Soloski of The New York Times said that while understanding the "why" behind the crime is important, a true-crime drama must also address the "how." They found that since both Candy and Love & Death are categorized as prestige dramas rather than pure true-crime, despite being fact-based, both series struggled with the portrayal of violence and the perspective from which it is presented. Soloski found that both shows ultimately depicted the killing in ways that aligned with Montgomery's trial testimony, creating scenes that were disturbing even to those involved in their production. Shikhar Verma of High on Films asserted that Love & Death takes a more traditional approach, offering a dramatic retelling of the events. In contrast, they stated that Candy adopts a different perspective by focusing heavily on the psychological aspects of the case. Verma praised Candy for its portrayal of the story as a character study of female rage and noted that, unlike Love & Death, Candy immediately reveals the victim's identity, which creates an air of suspense and mystery.
Steve Greene of IndieWire noted that the residual horror of Betty Gore's death is portrayed differently in each series. They found that in the second-to-last episode of Candy, Pat Montgomery is depicted as horrified by the physical demands of killing someone with an axe. Conversely, Greene observed that Love & Death presents Candy's trial with a focus on the grisly evidence considered by the defendant and the jury. While one show was described as primarily confronting the audience with sensational details, the other was praised for exploring the broader impact of those details on individuals, families, and communities. Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times stated that both series effectively recreate the late 1970s/early 1980s small-town atmosphere and detail the case. However, they found Candy to be slightly superior, noting that it presents the story over five episodes, whereas Love & Death extends the narrative to seven episodes. Roeper observed that Candy's earlier release made Love & Death seem somewhat redundant and unnecessary.
