I’m not a sports guy, which I feel is important to state before I go any further in this review. Friends and family have tried many times before to teach me the rules of games like football and baseball, but to no avail. I can analyze a Broadway show or movie with ease, but try to explain the Cruyff Turn to me, and I’m lost. I was the boy in the marching band who brought a book to the games, which sounds just as funny as it truly was. So when the invite for sports horror film, HIM, came across my inbox, I was apprehensive to say the least.
Sure, I’m an avid horror fan, but when the Venn diagram crosses over with sports, would I be out of my element? And ultimately, the answer is no, as HIM emphasizes the horror aspect of the story, while also living in a world where American football reigns supreme. Under the creative direction of Justin Tipping (Black Monday, Dear White People, Kicks), Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, along with Universal Pictures, was hoping to capture something new and exciting for fans of both horror films and the NFL. However, what audiences received was a film that was beautiful to the eye but lacked pretty much everything else.
[Warning: spoilers from HIM are below!]
The desire for greatness lies within HIM
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A rookie player discovers the all-star athlete he’s idolized his entire life turns out to be a jerk. That they never had to become his idol, as the greatness to be a star in his own right resided in him all along. HIM draws on many of the stereotypes we’ve seen in a plethora of sports-related films and weaves a horror element throughout the narrative.
Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) has loved football his entire life, a bond he shares with his father even after the latter’s passing. The loss of such an important part of his life only pushes him to be the best player he can and achieve greatness in the NFL, in an attempt to make his parents proud. However, not long before being drafted into the league, he was attacked by a man in a goat costume, suffering a brian injury.
There’s a strong possibility that Cam will be unable to play in the upcoming season, a fact that he tries so hard to push against. Any more damage to his cranium and he might never recover. Faced with the harshest of realities, the lost Cam received an invitation that might just put him back on course. The G.O.A.T., the MVP himself, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), invites Cam to come and train at a desert compound in the middle of nowhere.
While everything starts off innocently enough, as Cam’s time at the compound continues, things become sinisterly weird. Trapped there without access to his cellphone and a retiring Isaiah who seems to be off his rocker in more ways than one, Cam’s going to have to start using his brain to survive. What exactly is going on at the compound, and can Cam make it out of there alive? Perhaps some of those answers you’ll find out by watching HIM.
This Universal film gets lost in translation
While I don’t know much about sports, there was a part of me that wanted to like this film, and at the beginning of HIM, I did. The first thirty minutes showed incredible promise, with an interesting premise and characters I would have wanted to see more of. However, somewhere along the way, HIM seemed to lose sight of what the story was actually about and instead prioritized the film’s visuals.
There’s no denying just how beautiful this film looked, as the cinematography was some of the best I’ve seen from a horror film. The use of color, contrasting the intensity of some scenes, was striking, impossible to look away even if you wanted to. HIM is visually stunning in ways I can’t even begin to explain, but your eyes will definitely enjoy the feast it’s given from Monkeypaw Productions and Universal. However, when you begin to look a little deeper, the horror film lacks any real substance in which to feed the mind.
I wish I could say that there’s a lot going on; however, the film itself is a little dull, and the story starts to fall apart by the time Cam arrives at the compound. It feels like the writers and creatives couldn’t decide on the film’s narrative, themes, or tone. I completely understand that they wanted to subvert the audience’s expectations, but they subsequently missed the mark. So what if everyone was expecting a killer/slasher film, with Isaiah wanting to kill Cam? That story was more intriguing, instead of jumping headfirst off the cliff into the odd and not nearly as satisfying.
That isn’t to say that HIM isn’t without some praise, as the acting from Marlon Wayans was exceptional and fantastically creepy as Isaiah, making this a standout role and performance for him. It was completely unexpected for me, as I honestly expected him to be a “funny man” in HIM, but instead, he showcases his range and proves just how good an actor he is. There’s talent in those bones, and Wayans deserves to have his pick of the roles, because I have no doubt in my mind that he can crush any film that comes across his desk.
HIM is far from a touchdown
However, unfortunately, Marlon Wayans doesn’t save HIM. The film itself gets so lost and confused on the way to the ending that nothing sticks or makes it memorable. Instead of creating a well-developed story, they’ve gone for the shock factor, showcasing plenty of body horror meant to make audiences look away rather than engage with the material in front of them. Am I glad I’ve seen it once? Absolutely, every film deserves a chance in the sun. Will I ever willingly choose to watch it again? No, but that said, I hope there is an audience for this film and that it connects with them. However, for myself, HIM is a reminder that perhaps football (and most sports for that matter) just aren’t meant for me.
HIM is currently in theaters and available on digital platforms.
Learn more about the film, including how to watch, at the official website for the title.
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