The Him trailer reveals Marlon Wayans as a satanic football cult leader in a Jordan Peele-produced horror movie. Known as one half of Key & Peele, the sketch comedian burst onto the horror scene in 2017 with his directorial debut, Get Out, which was a mᴀssive success that won him the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and quickly established him as an auteur, following it up with equally original horror movies – 2019’s Us and 2022’s Nope. Peele also frequently produces horror movies through his Monkeypaw Productions banner, including 2021’s Candyman and the upcoming horror movie Him.

Now, Universal Pictures has released the first official teaser trailer for Him. The trailer introduces the former college football wide receiver Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade, a promising young quarterback who, on the brink of the pro football scouting combine, is brutally attacked by a deranged fan, leaving him with a serious brain injury that threatens to end his career before it even begins.

Cam is thrown a lifeline by his idol, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), an iconic quarterback with eight championships to his name and a mᴀssive cultural presence, who invites him to train at this remote compound. But as the training intensifies, Isaiah’s charm begins to shift into something far more sinister and unsettling, sending Cam into a surreal and dangerous spiral that could cost him everything. Check out the trailer below:

What The Him Trailer Means For The Movie

Jordan Peele Defies Expectations Once Again

Each of Jordan Peele’s horror movies has an expectation-defying aspect to them, and Him, which he produced, appears to be no different. For the first minute of the teaser trailer, Him appears to be a traditional football drama in the vein of Friday Night Lights or Any Given Sunday. However, it takes an unexpected turn when Marlon Wayans’ character appears to be some kind of satanic cult leader. In turn, Him will be the latest in a long line of recent horror movies about cults, including A24’s Opus, Midsommar, or even Peele’s own Get Out.

Marlon Wayans is also an interesting casting choice for Him, considering he is known for his comedic performances in the sitcom The Wayans Bros., the horror parodies Scary Movie and Scary Movie 2, and White Chicks. In turn, one might expect Him to have some sort of comedic element. However, based on the trailer, it also seems to defy that expectation, presenting itself as a straight horror movie.

Our Take On The Him Trailer

Jordan Peele Provides More Social Commentary

Though Him is directed by Justin Tipping in his feature debut, the horror film, like much of Jordan Peele’s work, appears to contain some stark social commentary about the inner sanctum of fame, idolatry, and the pursuit of excellence at any cost. It, if nothing else, appears to be another wholly original horror film from Jordan Peele. Him shows that when the pursuit of greatness turns into blind devotion, the real horror lies in who we choose to follow.

Source: Universal Pictures