“HIM” – So Close, Yet So Far

Editor’s Note: The Views expressed in this article are those of the author.

I still remember the first time I saw the trailer for “HIM.” I was at the opening night of “Sinners” when Jordan Peele’s name flashed across the screen. Was this the long-awaited new project from the horror legend? Then the title appeared: “HIM”. Short, punchy and very much in line with Peele’s previous titles. The audience chuckled at how silly it looked, but I could feel the curiosity buzzing.

Later, I learned Peele wasn’t directing at all—he was just a producer. The actual director was Justin Tipping, who had only previously directed one film, “Kicks” (2016) and a couple episodes for a television series. Still, the marketing machine pushed the idea that this was “the next Jordan Peele film,” and the comparisons stuck, even without his creative involvement. I told myself that if Peele was willing to attach his name, it had to be worth seeing. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

The audience follows rising quarterback Cameron Cade, mentored by his idol, football star Isaiah White, only to discover more to White than meets the eye.

On a technical level, “HIM” impresses in the early portions. Kira Kelly’s cinematography borrows heavily from Peele’s visual style, and the football sequences immerse the viewer into the kinetic and frantic nature of the sport. A helmet point-of-view shot stood out as especially inventive. Even the much-mocked X-ray visuals gave the film a fun, Mortal Kombat energy. The sound design and scoring are also stellar, with needle drops like the legendary 90s East Coast hip-hop track “Shook Ones, Part II” by Mobb Deep weaving seamlessly into the scenes.

Performance-wise, Marlon Wayans steals the show. Anyone who’s watched “Requiem for a Dream” knows he can go dramatic, but here, he fuses that intensity with his natural comedic instincts to create a performance that’s both chilling and magnetic. Julia Fox also delivers by playing a character that closely resembles her very eccentric and avant-garde real-life persona. Tyriq Withers, however, struggles to convey the desperation his character needed, leaving Cade’s arc undercooked.

The real downfall is the writing. The premise has potential. The violent culture of football, the sacrifices players make, and the crushing weight of expectations could’ve made for a sharp film about grooming, ambition and peer pressure. At its best, the movie briefly explores this through Cade’s strained relationship with his late father.

The climax is especially baffling. Extremely rushed and shot with a shaky digicam and drenched in red light, it looks more like a parody than a horror payoff. It all happened so quickly, it made me think I was crazy and that I missed something. Worse, Cade’s final decision undercuts the themes the film had been carefully building. If he had embraced the immortal bargain presented to him, the ending could’ve reinforced the idea that greatness requires sacrificing your humanity. Instead, the film dodges its own argument.

For two-thirds of its runtime, “HIM” builds toward something meaningful. Then the final act arrives, and the whole thing collapses. Instead of deepening its commentary, the film defaults to the most uninspired direction possible: a cult story. And not even a fresh one, as it leans on tired pagan tropes, even tossing in a half-baked Christian angle with an awkward Last Supper recreation. The double meaning around “GOAT” had potential, but it’s so poorly developed that it feels empty.I’m not as harsh as some critics—Robert Daniels of Roger Ebert.com review might just qualify as professional hating–but “HIM” is undeniably a letdown. It starts strong, brimming with potential, only to unravel into cliché and incoherence by the end. For a film I had anticipated since its announcement, I fail to come away from a feeling other than that they fumbled this one pretty badly.