THE STORY – A young athlete descends into a world of terror when he’s invited to train with a legendary champion whose charisma curdles into something darker.
THE CAST – Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker & Jim Jefferies
THE TEAM – Justin Tipping (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 96 Minutes
In Justin Tipping’s “Him,“ a socially conscious horror film set in the world of professional football, there’s nothing else that matters than being the greatest of all time. But what does it take to be the GOAT? For one to stake the claim that they are him? It’s a mindset derived from a self-assured confidence that could never waver even when the lights get bright. It’s just a part of the job for professional athletes to put their minds, bodies, and souls through the ringer to strive for utter perfection. Tipping attempts to shine a light on the cost of athletes selling themselves to achieve greatness, but falters under a film that is skewed under the weight of its ideas, or lack thereof.
There are many things that “Him“ constantly reminds audiences of, but Marlon Wayans’ Isaiah White states its main concept succinctly: “What are you willing to sacrifice?“ Greatness is all that rising superstar Cameron Cade, played by Tyriq Withers, thinks about. Since he was a child, he was raised by his father to do one thing and one thing only: play football. Now, the big leagues are calling his name as the USFF (the equivalent of the NFL in this film) views Cam as a worthy prospect living up to the title of GOAT. The GOAT in this scenario is Isaiah, an eight-time champion as the San Antonio Sinners quarterback, making Tom Brady look like a Pee Wee football player. Even when Cam’s draft stock implausibly takes a hit after a horrible incident, already hitting the danger zone of taking hits like he’s Tua Tagovailoa, Isaiah invites him to his remote desert compound. This could be his last chance not only to join the league, but also to possibly take Isaiah’s mantle as retirement rumors begin to swirl.
No phones. No pornography. Only football!!
Isaiah quickly introduces these rules to Cam as he’s walking into an earthy San Antonio mansion that doubles as an isolated training ground. With all the fruit he can have and medical services on standby, this lavish lifestyle gets Cam to slowly drop his guard, which anyone in his position would easily have done. Yet what appears to be a glamorous way of living slowly bastardizes from an opportunity for Cam’s career to advance into a psychological battle of his soul, laced with blood doping, Isaiah’s brutalistic training methods, and pushing himself to a point where he might permanently break. “Him“ is at its best when Withers and Wayans are constantly trying to out bro each other. Both performers perfectly tap into the hyper-masculine nature that competitive sports naturally bring out of these men—turning an instinct that feels inherently primal into something far more sinister. Wayans, who often steers away from dramatically heavy roles, certainly shoots for the sky with his work here. Oftentimes, he is successfully able to induce the intimidating presence that someone of Isaiah’s position could hold over Cam.
Then there are times where he’s totally hamming it up to a million, where it’s nothing but laughable. It’s hard to be scared of this guy in moments like when Wayans hocks a loogie then deepthroats a Glock, instantly taking Isaiah’s malicious use of playfulness to a level of ridiculousness. There is a scene involving Wayans and Withers, in which Wayans delivers a monologue about the emptiness that may result from the possible absence of the game from his life. It explores how athletes like this are conditioned for one purpose, and when the game is gone, they are questioning what the point even is. It’s one of the film’s few highlights, but audiences will have to slog through the majority of it to get to this point.
Withers, a relative newcomer, delivers a solid enough performance in the film despite the character of Cam operating as a confused passenger in a hedonistic ride to the big leagues. The characterization of Cam isn’t anything revelatory, but Withers rolls with every hit that comes his way. In terms of his physical dedication to the role, that alone is more than impressive, perfectly embodying a quarterback (almost in the vein of someone like Marcus Mariota) at his full potential. Wither’s presence gives audiences the appearance of a believable rival for someone in Isaiah’s position.
Besides these two actors, “Him“ is wide off the mark in terms of its commentary actually being impactful. Tipping, Skip Bronkie, and Zack Akers’s screenplay is a blender of relevant criticisms of professional sports organizations that just don’t hit their target. “Him“ wants to tackle every issue related to the sport, from the grooming-like nature of predominantly Black athletes to play and be controlled by white owners, to the environment of hostility these sports create, especially with male players. What doesn’t help is the cherry on top that is Tipping’s direction, as unsubtle as it may seem, with an excruciating display of messianic imagery that bombards audiences throughout the film and even drags in those who are fans of the game. There are crosses, pentagrams, and constant mentions of God. The literal team they are competing for a spot on is called the Sinners… It’s only hammering a regurgitated talking point of the way fans worship these athletes in an almost pious manner. The ridiculousness is displayed by fans of the sport who put these athletes on a pedestal like deities, which is portrayed in the film by Isaiah’s cult like following that hovers around his San Antonio compound. That almost parasocial mindset is now more prevalent than ever, thanks to social media, not only in sports but in nearly every facet of life today. It just feels a bit reductive, as if Tipping and company are coming in from the perspective of non-fans of sports only to poke a dead body, reminding us how medieval the entire system is, from the league itself to those that devote their energy to enjoying it.
There is something to be said about Tipping’s acknowledgment of the sociopathy deemed necessary by individuals to truly be the absolute best in their trade. Not that aspiring for greatness is inherently a bad thing, but those willing to chip away at what makes them human for them to succeed is absolutely fair game to set one’s criticism on. Hell, that mindset will forever be permanently ingrained in most professional athletes. Michael Jordan alienated almost everyone in his personal life to be the greatest in his sport. Brady, even after seven Super Bowl rings, ruined his longtime marriage to the mother of his children instead of hanging up the cleats for good. There’s no nuance present, as even Tipping’s direction lacks restraint. Not even Julia Fox’s blonde-browed Elise pushing sex toys will get a laugh out of viewers as much as watching Cam amongst the white owners of this sport recreating the Last Supper.
“Him“ falters as a comedy and even more so as a horror film, rarely putting in the effort to build tension or create memorable scares. At least Taylor Joy Mason’s editing attempts to do something, conveying the feeling of one’s head getting bashed in repeatedly, as if we were playing football. Even an occasional directorial flair from Tipping, such as the skeletal collision sequences, couldn’t give this project any forward progress.
