‘Him’ Review

Every month, something happens that makes being a fan of the NFL difficult to stomach. Football is a sport that rewards violence, pushing young men, who often look at the sport as an opportunity to escape poverty into a meat grinder in which they are lucky to get out with only some broken bones or torn ligaments. These risks are by no means limited to NFL players, as just recently a CTE-addled former high school football player shot up an office building in Manhattan, using his debilitating brain injury as an excuse.

Violent as it is, the NFL as a multibillion dollar entertainment complex feels like ripe terrain for any number of horror treatments, be it body horror, psychological, or more nuanced character driven thriller. And yet ‘Him’ flounders all of that potential, offering instead a frustrating, shallow and confused story that can’t decide if it wants to critique the system that exploits young men’s dreams or lionize the warrior mentality that is required for somebody to become the greatest of all time.

‘Him’ follows Cam Cade (Tyriq Withers), a highly touted college quarterback looking ahead to the upcoming draft, as analysts extoll his potential as an heir apparent to the current GOAT, Isaiah (Marlon Wayans). In preparation for going pro, Cade receives an invite to train with Isaiah at his compound in the middle of the desert. While there, Cade is faced with all of the physical and emotional challenges required to tap into his ultimate potential and determine whether he really has what it takes to succeed as a professional.

As a critique of the current NFL landscape, ‘Him’ never really goes beyond surface level observations, depicting a sport that challenges the body in inhumane ways and rewards inflicting pain upon your opponent before they have a chance to hurt you. For a movie like this, a lack of incisive commentary could be forgiven if the horror is effective, but here again the film fails to achieve a single successful fright, with even its attempts at cheap jump scares undermined by poor execution. The sound design and framing never packs any punch, resulting in scares that evoke less “AHHHH” and more “ohhh…”.

Then there are attempts at humor, which are not funny in the moment and only confusing in hindsight. Often I would watch a scene, get well into the next one, before I reflected on the prior one and wondered if that was supposed to be funny. Casting Marlon Wayans, Tim Heidecker and Jim Jeffries in prominent roles seems to telegraph more satirical goals, and yet the jokes don’t land and the mismanaged tone compromises any attempt at tension and suspense.

Director Justin Tipping often leans into superficial style, at his best during montage sequences that feel like an audition reel for Nike commercials or Sunday NFL Countdown, with quick cutting as the characters sweat and flex their way to greatness. Many of the directorial choices seem to be driven solely by the question of “does this look cool?”, looking to inspire social media posts and provocation at the expense of narrative richness. Some of the monsters are weird looking, sure, but they all feel lazy and shallow without being unique enough to be memorable.

If there is a strength in the film, it’s Marlon Wayans’ performance as Isaiah, the greatest quarterback in the fictional league and the reclusive icon, commanding a cult like following. Wayans is charismatic and intense in equal measure, constantly teasing whether the goal of his training camp is really to build the best possible athlete or something more sinister.

By the end of the movie, there are plenty of twists and plot developments that render an already frustrating story nearly incomprehensible. Sure, I understand what’s happening, but why? Are great athletes made through their own dedication, the support of their family, or something else entirely? Is this a cynical takedown of a system that builds up and breaks down young men, tossing them into the dumpster bin of history at the first sign of age and injury? Or is this a celebration of the bravado and commitment required to be among the sport’s greats? Despite so many questions that could be explored in a more fulfilling way, there was only one question I had leaving the theater.

Who cares?

Him
Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual material, nudity and some drug use.
Running Time: 1 hour and 36 minutes

Director Justin Tipping
Writers Skip Bronkie, Zack Akers, Justin Tipping
Stars Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker
Rating R
Running Time 96 Minutes
Genres Horror, Sports