HIM: A Unique Take on Athletic Ambition & Sacrifice

A rising star athlete comes to realize that there is a horrifying price to pay for achieving his dream. Starring Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers, Him is a rare sports horror film that examines various facets of football, its culture, and the sacrifices one makes to reach the top.

Cameron Cade (Withers) has only ever dreamed of becoming a quarterback for his father’s favorite football team, the San Antonio Saviors. And he is very close to achieving that dream as he is gaining attention from the news, agents, and fans. And despite a horrific injury, he is committed to pushing through.

He has always looked up to a player named Isaiah White (Wayans), the current Saviors quarterback. And with White approaching retirement, Cameron gets the unbelievable opportunity to train with him at his house. But when he arrives, he begins to see that there are some strange practices, and maybe his dream isn’t everything he thought it was.

Him is the latest from Jordan Peele‘s Monkeypaw Productions, directed and co-written by Justin Tipping, alongside Skip Bronkie and Zack Akers. It’s not often we get a truly unique story, especially in the sports world. This lends itself to some unexplored themes within football through a horror lens through many metaphors.

At the forefront, the film aims to comment on the sacrifices athletes make to achieve their goals. And more specifically, that impact on their body. Some of its metaphors may feel a bit shallow, but again, this isn’t a subgenre that is explored often. Especially with the ever-growing criticism of football and CTE in players, it’s an intriguing story to tell.

I felt many aspects of this film could be applied to different industries. When someone is trying to achieve peak performance or status, they can descend into a world of chaos and madness to get there. And at the end, they are at a crossroads of whether or not it’s worth it.

And there’s also a piece in there about maybe not wanting to meet your heroes, as Cameron begins to reexamine everything he thought he knew about the sports he loves and his idol, Isaiah. I enjoyed how this film dissects that hero complex, both from Cameron’s perspective and how fans, even family, can place athletes on such a pedestal — almost god-like.

One thing the film does well is capture that high energy within sports. But at the same time, there is a suffocating tension. The editing really amplifies this and toys with the viewer’s perception of the events, much like Cameron, as he begins to be more consumed by the pressures.

Visually, I think this film is a delight. For only his second film, I felt Tipping really directs the hell out of it. The cinematography and the composition of certain shots are breathtaking. There’s, of course, a ton of religious symbolism and certain things, like “The Last Supper”, are a bit of low-hanging fruit; but in the context of the film and what it’s trying to say, it is still quite effective and a feast for the eyes.

It’s not just dazzling visuals that are offered up here, though; there are also some incredible performances out of Wayans and Withers. The latter of whom you’ll recognize from this year’s I Know What You Did Last Summer. He was definitely a highlight in that film, but he really gets to showcase his acting chops in Him, and I feel the young actor has a promising career ahead. And his performance is a nice contrast to Wayans, who reaches maniacal levels at times. I think people often forget what a talent he is, and it was really fun to see him really leaning so heavily into the chaos of it all.

I will say there are some things in the film that I wish they had added a little more context around, nothing I will dive deeply into for spoiler sake. It is a very tight 96-minute film, so I’m not sure if they just lost that in the editing process or if that wasn’t the goal the whole time. It just kind of leans on its metaphors rather than really explaining things, which I can see being frustrating for some.

Him is by no means the best horror film of the year. But in terms of it tackling the pressure to be top of the game and how athletes push beyond healthy boundaries to achieve greatness, I think it nails it. With stylish visuals, unrestrained performances, and a deeper meaning—even if surface level—it’s at least an intriguing watch.

Him is in theaters now