Warning: Spoilers for Him ahead!
Him is getting poor reviews, but it’s a far more compelling and visually striking film than many are giving it credit for. Produced by Jordan Peele, Him has been taking a hit from critics, including Screen Rant’s own Mae Abdulbaki. At time of writing, Him has a 28% Rotten Tomatoes-Tomatometer score, with many critics calling out the film’s writing.
While the story could have been refined, I’d argue that’s a bug of the finished product and not a feature. Him‘s problems are the result of ambition, and the core themes about the world of football are still very compelling. Coupled with good performances and striking visuals, Him may be flawed but it’s also an engrossing and thematically rich film.
The Raw Execution Of Him Is An Impressive Visual And Acting Showcase
I’ll die on the hill that Him is a terrific experiment, whose ambitions may sometimes outpace its reach but don’t deserve the critical drubbing it’s been receiving. Directed by Justin Tipping, Him is largely defined by its visual style and theoretically straightforward story about an aspiring football player getting lured into a corrupting world.
From a visual standpoint, Him has lots of fun with the kinetic speed and weight of the game. Tackles hurt, and the chaos of a scramble all the harder because of the film’s perspective. It brings the audience to the player’s level, refusing to shy away from the brutality of a hard hit or the grace of a well-performed play.
This builds to moments like Cam’s head-to-head hit against another player, cutting to a stomach-churning x-ray of their brains shuddering. It’s an effective touch of body horror that only gets more unsettling as the film becomes more overtly scary. The movie loses momentum when it goes too ambiguous, but Cam and Isaiah’s confrontations bring the film back up to pace.
Isaiah is a compelling antagonist for a horror movie, a charismatic, horrifying, and pitiful star who has come to embrace the legacy of pain and death that comes at the cost of stardom. Marlon Wayans is terrific in the role, embodying the best, worst, and most human qualities of Isaiah while making him just inhuman enough to be deeply unsettling.
It’s a tremendous performance that works in direct contrast to the more understated Cam, played by Tyriq Withers. It may initially come across as one-note, but Cam’s wide-eyed calm and growing coldness reflect a practiced approach to the calm and confident Quarterback that’s always fighting back an angry outburst or vulnerable admission.
It’s reflected in Cam and Isaiah’s conversations about how black Quarterbacks have to be great to be considered good in “their” league. The movie is rooted in these questions about race and culture, the darker sides of American fame as a whole, and all the ways the pursuit of personal accomplishment can condemn the individual to raise up corrupt systems.
Him Is Trying To Say A Lot And Does It With Style
Him has a lot to say, and tries to get all of that across in under 100 minutes. Some elements don’t work as well as others, specifically the revelations about the demonic cult. It’s ambiguous in a way that can be confusing, and overcomplicates a movie that’s better focused on Cam and Isaiah’s dynamic and what it says about society.
However, it does work as a visually distinct metaphor about the “deal with the devil” that players make by trading their futures to sports teams and their owners. What makes it work is how it pays off the film’s themes with a defiant rebellion and bloody catharsis against the men who profit off the struggles and suffering of their players.
The foundation of Him is a compelling story that tackles questions about race, power, fame, and legacy, illustrated through one of the nation’s most prolific sports. Cam’s desire to be the GOAT is akin to the American dream, something the film reinforces and deconstructs by calling out past generations who force their personal vision of that greatness onto children.
The reveal that Cam’s father bargained with the cult for Cam to become the GOAT comes suddenly and should have been unpacked more, but it’s a thematically strong turn that underscores how Cam is just part of a cycle, like Isaiah before him. Just as fathers browbeat sons into unwanted paths, the league churns out players for “legacy” and profit.
That same underlying question, the cost of success for the sake of the system that built it up, is at the core of Him‘s themes. It’s the closest thing the film has to an overarching arc, serving as a connecting thread between the satanic cabal of financial elites and the personal drive for greatness that drives players.
The biggest problem with Him is its overambitious nature. It’s dealing with a lot of ideas, when a slight refinement and consolidation of plotlines could have improved the overall tidiness of the film. However, I’d always rather have a film stumble with compelling ideas than be too basic or forgettable, and Him has interesting observations about the world to spare.
Him isn’t perfect, but it’s not nearly as bad as many of the reviews have claimed. In fact, I’d argue that the visuals and acting elevate the film on a pure spectacle level, while the thematic elements are compelling. It’s questions about the cycle of abuse that comes from a sport that genuinely stirs pᴀssion are intriguing and important.
As a sports fan, a horror nerd, and someone who loves philosophical reflection, Him was tailor-made for me. It didn’t nail the landing, but there’s a lot to love about it. I’ll die on the hill that Him is a good (if messy) horror movie with a lot to say and with plenty of flair.
