By George & Josh Bate
The sports and horror genres rarely, if ever, intersect. But, thanks to director and co-writer Justin Tipping and producer Jordan Peele, they do now with the new movie Him.
Him stars Tyriq Withers, seen in another horror film this year with the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot, as Cam Cade, a young football star whose career is suddenly threatened by a head injury. As his career seems to be slipping away, Cam receives an offer from his hero Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) to train at his isolated compound. But what initially appears to be a career-saving, once-in-a-life-time opportunity transforms into something far more insidious for Cam.
Given its status as the rare sports horror film, Him makes for refreshing and novel viewing. Director Justin Tipping’s movie is far from the first film to explore the psychological demands of being a professional athlete, but coupling this exploration with more overt dread and horror sees it stand out from other sports dramas. The bulk of the more overt scares come in the form of fairly routine hallucination sequences that lead character Cam experiences as his training at Isaiah White’s compound grows increasingly demanding. While these scares are marked by some striking imagery, the grueling psychological endeavor that Cam embarks on proves far more terrifying.
Aligned with the toll of Cam’s training throughout the film, Him is an abrasive experience, assaulting the senses on all fronts. Propelling forward with brisk pacing from the get-go, Tipping’s movie features abrupt edits, piercing sounds, and uncanny imagery that foster discombobulating and viscerally unsettling viewing. Through such sensory overstimulation, Tipping excels in evoking the kind of psychological distress that his lead endures in his audience, which creates a palpable intensity and anxiety. But, despite this intensity and anxiety, kinetic and dynamic directing makes it near impossible to take your eyes off the film. There is almost always something of interest happening – some jolting image or sound to snap you back into attention whenever it lapses for the slightest moment.
Encompassing the grating, stylized filmmaking style is a fascinating story about sacrifice, mentorship, and toxic masculinity. Him wears its themes and messaging firmly on its sleeve as each and every piece of dialogue reflects some twisted component of sports culture and motivation. As many horror films do, Him takes its themes to the extreme in highlighting just how destructive unrelenting pursuits of greatness can be with little, if any, subtly. But despite its lack of nuance, Tipping certainly has something interesting to say here in crafting a damning critique of conventional masculinity.
This critique works as well as it does due to commanding performances from Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans. Withers delivers what is easily his best performance to date as he crafts the determined yet vulnerable Cam. Much of the film requires Withers to realistically react to increasingly unusual circumstances of Isaiah White’s training, a task the actor excels with, which ensures the film seldom creates distance from its audience in raising questions about Cam’s decision-making. Withers does excellently in conveying great emotional depth and insecurity through facial experiences and body language alone with a masterful, physical performance.
Wayans, meanwhile, chews up the scenery as the legendary football player Isaiah White. The actor known for his comedic work seamlessly steps into a rare dramatic outing and crafts a distinct, menacing antagonist. Wayans is clearly having so much fun flexing his acting muscles here and commits fully to a role that the film’s commentary and horror hinge on. As increasingly disturbing events occur at the compound, Wayans strikes a brilliant balance between outward calm and, subtly under the surface, something far more insidious that makes Isaiah White a truly memorable horror movie character.
As the film progresses, the sensory overload and unusual occurrences amplify before culminating in a mixed climax. The film mostly does well to obscure its secrets until the end, even as it seems it is heading in a direction that will mirror Jordan Peele’s Get Out. Eventually, all the reveals unfold in a largely comprehensible manner, although there is a key lingering question that, without a provided explanation, creates somewhat of a plot hole. Despite the intrigue fostered by these reveals, the lore surrounding them goes disappointingly underexplained and poses questions that go frustratingly unanswered. The reveals then give way to a grand finale that unfortunately misses the mark. Too much happens too quickly and spectacle is prioritized over narrative substance in a conclusion that is not nearly as rewarding as the filmmakers clearly intended.
VERDICT: 7/10
Refreshing and novel in its status as a rare sports horror movie, Him excels as an abrasive, sensory, and psychologically taxing endeavor. Kinetic directing from Justin Tipping, filled with piercing sounds, abrupt edits, and uncanny imagery, makes the Jordan Peele-produced film a visceral and palpably anxious viewing experience that proves more effective with its psychological terror than its myriad of routine, hallucinogenic horror movie scares. Although its commentary on toxic masculinity and pursuits of greatness lack subtly, they nonetheless strike a chord and interestingly reflect real issues. A commanding, physical lead performance from Tyriq Withers ensures that great emotional depth and insecurity shine through facial experiences and body language alone, while Marlon Wayans chews up the scenery in crafting a truly memorable horror movie villain. Disappointingly, the film fumbles in the end zone with a conclusion that prioritizes spectacle over narrative substance and leaves intriguing elements of its reveals underexplained. Horror is the rare genre that, when done correctly, fosters a visceral, physical reaction in its viewers. Unlike many horror outings nowadays, Him does exactly that.