‘Him’: Muddled Football Horror Fumbles Its Critique

Alci Rengifo

The world of sports is a corporate behemoth that turns players into commodities while feeding Americans’ leisurely obsessions. Why do we take football so seriously? These are themes and questions ripe for the kind of social horror that defines the work of Jordan Peele. It is no surprise Peele gets major billing as the producer of “Him,” a football phantasmagoria that begins as an intriguing critique. At the forefront is a tense performance by Tyriq Withers, who has the face and demeanor that embodies the ideal image of a celebrity athlete. But director Justin Tipping lets the story simply derail into a confusingly bizarre experience.

It all begins quite realistically. Withers plays Cameron Cade, a prominent college quarterback who was raised to play football by his father. As a kid Cameron would sit in front of the TV and watch in awe Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), quarterback for the Saviors. Now grown and entering the draft, Cameron suffers a sudden injury when struck in the head by a strange costumed figure (it looks like a cross between a mascot and “Sesame Street” character). Left with a serious head injury, Cameron is encouraged to maybe quit the game. He can’t, of course. “No guts. No glory” was his father’s slogan at home. A grand opportunity soon presents itself. Isaiah White is planning to retire and invites Cameron to come train for a week at his desert compound. The young athlete arrives to stay with White but soon sees alarming warning signs this place is not what it seems.

Tipping first made waves nearly a decade ago with his indie gem “Kicks.” With “Him” he’s clearly trying to aim at higher popcorn success. It’s a curious misfire clearly trying to bank off a familiar formula Peele made famous with “Get Out.” The screenplay by Tipping, Skip Bronkie and Zack Akers uses the now familiar tool of creating a lead character that is more of an idea than a person. Cameron defines the young, ambitious player seeking the all-American goal of fame and glory. He’s been conditioned for it in a home where football is treated like a religion. Cameron’s agent (Tim Heidecker) could care less about his client’s wellbeing and encourages he risk himself to try out for White. 

Essentially everything is symbol and allegory, at times to an absurdly direct degree. When Cameron is arriving at the strange compound where White lives like a virtual cult leader, a small group of weird fans painted white surround his car and snarl that they don’t want him replacing their idol. Clearly these are meant to represent the irrational fan bases that form around sports teams and figures. Inside the strange, cavernous compound Cameron is then subjected to White’s stream of consciousness chatter about strength, glory and other macho talk. There is more engaging material in brisk discussions on Black players becoming the property of white corporate owners. The material never gets provocative enough when exploring such subject matter. 

This is meant to be a horror film and is marketed as such. Tipping borrows from Peele’s sense of unease and weirdness with shallow scares. Strange mascot figures appear to Cameron without the film ever explaining if it’s a hallucination or real. White does insane things like call Cameron an “emotional little pretty boy” while another player gets his face continuously struck by footballs. If Cameron misses a pass during practice the other guy gets another ball to the face. White is also obsessed with blood transfusions and makes Cameron get them for mysterious reasons barely explained. Julia Fox meanwhile walks around as White’s odd spouse, working as an influencer. Clearly, Tipping and team believe the world of fame and sports is surreal. We are still left wondering throughout what exactly the film wants to say beyond that.

What works best in “Him” is its visual style on a purely cosmetic level. Cinematographer Kira Kelly has fun lighting the plush interiors of White’s compound from exotic saunas to transparent ice tubs. Kelly also stages some memorable images like Cameron posing in a shot inspired by “The Last Supper.” The music by Bobby Krlic, aka the Haxan Cloak, is another one of those frenetic dirges these thrillers tend to employ. What is missing is richer context to why anyone is doing what they are doing. Why is White so demented? Is it because football and fame destroyed his soul? The movie then climaxes with a wildly bloody ending. It is a satirical reveal that might make sense as pure symbolism but not as a story. We are left more confused than challenged by this film’s bizarre Hail Mary passes.

“Him” releases Sept. 19 in theaters nationwide.