Some of you have heard the phrase, "Football is a religion in this house," or, "Football is our religion in this town." Well a new film takes that sentiment and goes to very sinister places. This new release is a psychological horror called Him exploring themes of identity, sacrifice, and tradition in the world of men's sports.
After suffering a head injury, promising quarterback Cameron Cane (Tyriq Withers, "I Know What You Did Last Summer," 2025) starts feeling his professional future slip away soon before the NFL draft announces their new team member selections. But a miracle appears out of nowhere when an established champion, named Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans, "Respect," 2021), invites Cameron to his private compound to train, and hopefully rehabilitate, his body for the big league.
The longer Cameron lives at this giant compound in the middle of the desert, the more he realizes the terrifying spooky plan for him to reach greatness. "Him" has many interesting moments combining the pressure and seriousness of athletic perfection with the sanctity of Christian religion. (Some engaging similarities to righteous glory can pop up when you're devoting your life to perfection.) A sauna, ice bath, and nightclub become strange gateways to danger and infernal transformation. Images of faceless mascots and maniacal fans are odd and unsettling.
So the visual language here is super fun with extreme closeups, vibrant colors, and strobing lights. But that's really the only notable fun to be had with this film. "Him" has strong reminders of other darkly psychological pictures like "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) and "The Wicker Man" (1973) as well as more recent examples like "Black Swan" (2010) and "Nocturne" (2020). It's entertaining to see a film like this set around a traditionally male figure (instead of a screaming female one) and in a world not often associated with supernatural peril.
Aside from the sexy visuals, the most exciting part of Him is Marlon Wayans' performance. Watching him play a bombastic sports legend pushing a novice into the spotlight is like watching a savage German shepherd escaping from his leash. He screams with the authority of a thundering god, and he has an appetite to match.
But all the symbolism and scary moods don't add enough clarity or momentum to the story. Because of this lacking clarity and momentum, I felt bored through the middle of "Him." Many scenes are acted well and have a believable tone of simmering fear. But too many times I asked myself, "What was that all about?" or "What is this moment even trying to say?" Too many scenes of mystery and blood appear to be saying the same thing over and over: "Cameron, you're in danger!" or "Cameron, you're becoming part of a cult!"
Football players and teams have a cult-like status being worshipped as nearly perfect symbols of masculine greatness. This theme is an interesting one to explore in the horror genre, I just wish this film could have done it more cohesively to build up more successfully to a satisfying climax. Justin Tipping ("Joe vs. Carole" miniseries, 2022) is the director and co-screenwriter for this, and he comes from directing experience mostly in television. (Maybe that's partly why this film doesn't grow enough in its one hour 36 minute length.)
"Him" is not a travesty, nor is it a great achievement. Being too devoid of narrative content makes this just a little under an "okay" rating. But I'm hoping Justin Tipping can make something better in the future.
