The announcement of Jordan Peele producing director Justin Tipping’s new sports-horror film Him was incredibly exciting because it features a genre collision so rare, its presence is like a special occasion. It’s a mash-up people wouldn’t think could work, but provides the potential for a blend of intense fun and intriguing story threads. Unfortunately, while Tipping doesn’t forget to have fun with Him, the film lacks a good narrative backbone to keep itself upright. 

The film follows Cameron “Cam” Cade (Tyriq Withers), a rising star quarterback who’s set to take over for seasoned veteran Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). However, Cam’s trip to Isaiash’s desert-based facility gives him more than he bargained for as Isaiah has sinister underlying motivations. For anyone who’s concerned that Him wouldn’t feature enough horror to satisfy genre fans, Tipping quells those fears fast. There’s a demonic side to Him that blends unsettling imagery and blood-soaked brutality with football culture to create effective horror. Isaiah’s facility has a gladiator-arena design that continually fuels the lingering tension between him and Cam. The use of face paint and mascot attire mixes with the tribal, almost cult-like fandom within the sport into a chilling atmosphere of obsession. There’s a story thread surrounding a super-fan of Isaiah whose is downright horrifying that represents the worst fears of a fan’s admiration going too far. Even the glimpses into the medicinal side of sports will definitely come off eerie and weird to those outside that realm – especially as Tipping weaves in some creepy elements of his own. 

Tipping also delivers some ambitious visuals to constantly amp up the horror the moment, often to great effect. There’s an incredibly tense scene of Isaiah making Tyriq choose between perfection or watching someone else suffer a brutal punishment that sets a daunting tone. Tipping’s artistic vision drifts into music video territory at times, allowing for big splashes of color and trippy aesthetics to wash over scenes. Plus, there’s this awesome x-ray filter that’s used to elevate the shocking, adrenaline-fueled collisions that occur. It emphasizes Cam taking on Isaiah’s ego-driven domination over others excellently and flips your perspective in haunting fashion. Admittedly, it would’ve been nice to see Tipping’s vision include big scares since the film is definitely light on those. But, there’s enough bloody goods, especially in the final stretch to make Him a delight for horror fans to feast on. 

At the center of it all is Wayans delivering a standout performance so insanely unhinged that audiences will be captivated by it. He comes with such a big presence that fits Isaiah’s legacy of an all-time great perfectly and boasts a mix of charm and aggression anyone would expect of an iconic quarterback. Wayans can flip on a dime to scare the hell out of viewers and change the tone in an instant to make his personality wildly unpredictable. Now, he can get a little too over the top to the point where he feels like a parody in Scary Movie. But, he’s the clear anchor for the film’s horror and fully delivers a high-energy performance that keeps you locked into an, unfortunately, otherwise lackluster story. 

Overall, Him isn’t completely bad storywise and does show potential for an interesting blend of themes surrounding the changing of the guard, which we’re seeing a lot of in sports. Whether it’s the continued GOAT debate between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes or Lebron James and Michael Jordan, there’s always conversation around different generations of athletes. Even now, we’re wondering who’s going to become the next big thing once Lebron finally hangs things up. So, the central concept of two generational athletes, one who’s determined to prove himself and another who’s time is almost up, is very timely and could’ve touched on our perception of athletes in gutting ways. However, there’s a lack of balance between the horror and sports trappings to create any real depth, which causes Cam to be an incredibly bland protagonist. 

Withers’ performance is actually fairly solid and he can deliver the shifts in energy for Cam trying to take control really well. Plus, his background of being a former FSU wide receiver gives him the right presence in this sports story, even in a different position. However, the film often aggressively injects horror in such a way that’s unwarranted. Even simple moments of Cam getting spooked while he’s walking around or recovering come off unnecessary and usually rob him of moments to get personal. It’s a big reason that storylines surrounding his late father’s influence on him and Isaiah’s true intentions fall flat, and the ending is just slop horror at its most bland. Tipping definitely tries to channel the cult story approach of films like Midsommar, but has none of the refinement or focus to pull it off cleanly. We shift so much between genres at extreme rates that the narrative fades too much to the background and is crudely stitched together to get to a twisty finale that lacks genuine satisfaction outside of some bloodshed. 

Him falls short of its potential to be the GOAT of a rarely-seen genre blend. Tipping and Wayans definitely bring the vision and energy to please horror fans wanting to see a distinct aesthetic that brought an intense sports setting in its most brutal and bloody horror form. But, it misses the mark on its fairly forgettable story to achieve something great, making it a backup to better sports-horror experiences to come.