Him Review: A Fumbled Tale of Football, Fame & Sacrifice

Written by Olivia Aiere

Him is a highly anticipated psychological thriller produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions and directed by Justin Tipping. This tale of obsession and sacrifice within the world of sports follows Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers, Atlanta) as he is trained by his idol Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans, White Chicks) and discovers the sinister underworld of the sport he loves.

Cameron is set to become the next GOAT and succeed White as the quarterback of the San Antonio Saviors. After an attack, Cameron is cautioned against exerting himself before he has time to heal. He sports a head injury that resembles the shape of a football for the rest of the film, which is just a part of the clever imagery present in Him. Cameron is invited to Isaiah’s compound to train and learns how Isaiah kept playing after his own injury. Cameron is given injections by Isaiah’s trainer Marco (Jim Jefferies, The Librarians) and pushes through his own injury at the insistence of Isaiah. Everyone in Isaiah’s world is set on corrupting Cameron and stripping away any focus he has besides football. 

Withers’ solid performance carries Cameron’s arc to a satisfying conclusion. Cameron enters every situation wide-eyed and with an eagerness to work with his idol, while also sticking true to his family-first motto in the face of corruption. Withers sells the trip down the rabbit hole by giving Cameron the proper mix of innocence and curiosity.

Wayans’ performance feels a bit more hard to contain given the over-the-top nature of his character. Isaiah’s motivations don’t surface until the end of the movie, and they seem to fluctuate from scene-to-scene before that. Wayans portrays Isaiah with an intensity that matches the tone of the film but ends up clashing with the on-the-nose writing. When on screen together, the two do a great job of creating the tension between a revered athlete and his replacement. Despite Cameron’s idealization of Isaiah, his ego challenges the other man and Isaiah’s jealousy is made immensely clear.

The imagery, as mentioned before, is quite clever at times. The lighting looks beautiful and feels intentional for every scene. Cameron’s hallucinations – which start pretty early on – are masterfully designed, even if their meanings aren’t fully cleared up by the end of the movie. The repetition of animal horns contribute to Cameron’s pressure to be the GOAT, but the design of the flashy figure he encounters in the desert gives no indication of a deeper meaning. 

At one point during training the scene adopts an X-ray view of the action, with skeletons charging at each other under their helmets. This view flashes by whenever Cameron receives injections, connecting the injections with his newly developed ability to push himself despite his injury. While this instance of imagery presents its purpose by the end of the movie, most of Cameron’s visions cannot say the same. With stunning cinematography and impeccably built suspense, this movie delivers on the promise of a haunting sensory experience just short of a solid plot.

Him’s biggest shortcoming is its divided attention to two allegories. With football being compared to gladiator battles and religion, both comparisons feel watered down due to the lack of commitment to either. The gladiator allegory would’ve been much stronger to stick to, especially if they had given more weight to the fan culture of football. Isaiah White has a cult-like following from Saviors fans and hints at his desire for their approval during one scene. This symbiotic relationship with fans could’ve been explored further, along with Isaiah’s own motivations. Had the themes tipped more towards the price of fame, the movie might have more closely resembled real football fan culture.

The dialogue of Him stays serious with the exception of a few jokes. With the already wacky nature of Cameron’s visions and Isaiah’s demeanor, more humor throughout the script could’ve helped the heavier moments pack more of a punch. The writing is just a bit too grounded for the whirlwind story this film has to tell.

While not a theater must-see, catching this one when it releases on digital could be worth something. If you really want to make it to the theater for some horror, however, check if Weapons is still playing near you.

Him is currently playing in theaters nationwide.