“HIM” Can Be Interesting, But Ultimately Fumbles the Ball

Cameron Cade is a rising quarterback who suffers a potentially career-ending injury after being attacked by an unhinged fan. Just when all seems lost, Cam receives a lifeline when his hero, Isaiah White, offers to train him at an isolated compound.

However, as the training accelerates, Isaiah’s charisma turns into something darker, sending Cam down a disorienting rabbit hole that may cost him more than he ever bargained for.

When I first started seeing the trailers for this Jordan Peele-produced horror movie, I was actually intrigued by it. A horror movie centered around a sport is really rare and I don’t think has been done that often. Now, while “HIM” features some very striking visuals, strong performances (especially from Marlon Wayans) and an interesting premise, the overall execution seems a bit underwhelming and the plot can feel disjointed.

One aspect of this 2025 movie that I really enjoyed is that the movie is beautifully shot, which also helps with some of the creative visuals. The movie’s cinematographer, Kira Kelly, created a vastly impressive, visceral world using some intense imagery and some rather unique camera angles. There are a few moments scattered throughout that use X-ray vision, UV scans and some CG renderings to show the body’s damage that’s actually a standout visual element.

While lead actor Tyriq Withers (also co-starred in the legacy sequel “I Know What You Did Last Summer”) delivered a decent performance throughout most of “HIM,” it was really Marlon Wayans’ portrayal of an aging quarterback that really surprised me and absolutely steals the show.

There are quite a few moments in the movie where Wayans (Isaiah) can be both compelling and intense, especially in a few of the football drills that they have at the compound. His performance actually carried some of the movie’s weight and his tense portrayal is a refreshing change of pace for the actor who is known for his comedic work.

“HIM” also explores the dark side of professional football, the physical sacrifices athletes make and cult-like fandom, which can be interesting but that’s also where the movie starts to lose focus. The movie struggles to build its initial grounded story with later supernatural-demonic elements, which can get a little confusing. “HIM” also goes back and forth with its inconsistent tone (going from horror to borderline horror-comedy and back again) which can also make this movie feel disjointed.

While some critics and audiences praised “HIM” for its striking visuals and ambition to critique football’s toxic culture and commodification of athletes, it has been widely panned for its inconsistent tone, over-reliance on confusing symbolism, and a disjointed ending, leaving many critics and audiences feeling it fumbled its potentially great ideas despite promising elements.

MPA: Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual material, nudity and some drug use   (runtime 96 minutes)

You can currently stream “HIM” on Peacock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccmQETThJgs

• Marlon Wayans took to Instagram to defend the film in light of negative reviews, he posted on Instagram: "Just to be clear I respect critics," Wayans wrote in the caption. "Their job is to Critique. I respect their work. It shapes our industry. But an opinion does not always mean it's everyone's opinion. Some movies are ahead of the curve. Innovation is not always embraced and art is to be interpreted and it's subjective. I've had a career of making classic movies that weren't critically received and those movies went on to be CLASSICS. So don't take anyone's opinion just go see for yourself. Love to all. Him in theaters now."

• Justin Tipping said he focused his research on better understanding the societal critiques levied against football by academics, media types and former players. He watched multiple documentaries in ESPN's "30 for 30" series, which examines issues in sports beyond the playing field, and read "Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America," by Jason Reid, who investigated racial bias in football's most prominent position. Tipping also talked to the former N.F.L. player Ricky Williams, who used marijuana partly for pain tolerance and was suspended multiple times by the league for violating its drug policy. The director said his conversation with Williams enlightened him about the corporate-like atmosphere of sports, which is increasing across the professional and college realms. Most leagues have embraced gambling, which can correlate to heightened harassment for athletes on social media. As sponsorship money balloons, players face added obligations from endorsement partners. And in recent years, athletes, including the Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles and the tennis star Naomi Osaka, have become more vocal about their straining mental health, "There's constant pressure to perform at higher and higher levels throughout our sports culture, and this is becoming more and more prevalent," said Robert Andrews, a peak performance coach who has worked with Biles. "There are very, very high expectations of perfectionism."