HIM — Review
Justin Tipping’s HIM fumbles the opportunity to pack a powerful statement about America’s favorite sport. While football fanaticism is a topic ripe for tackling, the film fails to dive deeper than surface-level commentary on the cult-like obsession. Moreover, the narrative is overly simplistic in its message but scattered in its execution. Tipping’s sophomore feature feels more like an experimental exercise in style over substance.
Source: Universal Pictures
Tyriq Withers stars as football player Cameron Cade. Withers does his best with the material provided, but his character often feels like a thinly written stereotype. For example, in the film’s opening scene, we see Cameron as a child watching footage of pro athlete Isaiah White dealing with an injury on the field. As the camera closes in, Cameron’s father ferociously insists that a real man makes sacrifices. This moment highlights Cameron’s pressure-fueled upbringing as well as the toxic masculinity deeply embedded in his father’s philosophies.
Marlon Wayans delivers a fiercely committed performance as the perplexing and enigmatic “GOAT” Isaiah White, Cameron’s idol and eventual mentor. It’s quite possibly Wayans’ best dramatic turn since his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream. And Julia Fox seems to be having the most fun of all, fully embracing her role as Isaiah’s influencer wife, Elsie.
HIM is an amalgamation of genres, blending together a sports movie with elements of supernatural and psychological horror. It also feels like an attempt at satire, but the humorous moments are few and far between. The attempt to juggle multiple genres and tones undercuts the film's effectiveness. The scares are sporadically effective, but had the film leaned more into the horror genre, it could have been a potent commentary on the dangers of the sport and the way obsessed fans worship their favorite athletes. And if it skewed more toward comedy, it could have been a scathing satire about the fervor surrounding the sport. Instead, the film struggles to strike a balance between horror and comedy, diminishing its overall efficacy. The mantra “no guts, no glory” repeats throughout, and the film takes that idea quite literally, relying more on bloodshed, violence, and the occasional jump scare for its thrills rather than moments of genuinely unsettling horror.
Source: Universal Pictures
The story unfolds with uneven pacing and combines numerous tropes we’ve seen before. The intense mentor whose tactics are questionable and borderline abusive at best calls to mind Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, while the young prodigy going to stay with his wealthy idol at his isolated home feels almost akin to Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. It even shares some similar narrative DNA with another 2025 release, Mark Anthony Green’s Opus, for the way it depicts a mystifying star inviting people—or in this case, one person—to his home to participate in some unconventional and questionable cult-like rituals. It isn’t every day that we see a sports horror movie, but all of these elements ultimately make HIM feel less original than the concept would initially suggest.
Source: Universal Pictures
HIM’s message becomes evident early into the film, and the themes are relatively straightforward. However, the film administers its themes and ideas in such a haphazard manner. Despite delving into some potentially hard-hitting themes, the film lacks the narrative cohesion to truly make an impact.
What makes HIM feel unique beyond its hybridization of genres is its style. Kira Kelly’s cinematography feels heavily stylized with intricately composed symmetrical shots and experimental filmmaking techniques. In one of the most striking shots, the film implements thermal cameras to create an X-ray-like image of the football players’ skulls. One can’t help but admire the commitment to a distinct visual style, even if not all of the creative choices pay off. The ominous lighting and Bobby Krlic’s operatic score contribute to the film’s haunting, sinister atmosphere. The film’s elliptical and erratic editing style works to make viewers feel as though they’re enduring a head injury right alongside our protagonist. There are also some not-so-subtle nods to iconic religious imagery throughout the film, underscoring its themes.
Overall, HIM drifts by on its style and vibes. The focus on hyperstylized visuals, combined with its scattered storytelling, oversimplified themes, and surface-level commentary, results in a film that ultimately feels more like a music video than a narrative feature.
HIM hits theaters on September 18, 2025.
