Him
Him
Starring Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker
Directed by Justin Tipping
Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) is the best quarterback in the football league, playing for the San Antonio Saviors for years, and young Cam Cade (Austin Pulliam) worships him and wants to be like him - the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), and after watching Isaiah suffer a possible game-ending injury, Cam's dad tells him that that's what real men do - sacrifice. Fourteen years later, Isaiah is considering throwing in the towel, and a now-grown Cam (Tyriq Withers) is the most sought-after quarterback about to enter the combine. Then he's assaulted by someone in a goat costume and suffers severe head damage, but despite that he pushes on when he learns Isaiah wants to train with him personally.
When he arrives at Isaiah's private compound, he learns how much Isaiah loves football and the lengths he goes to train Cam to become his successor - including verbal abuse, physical abuse to others around them, and increased physical and psychological games he plays on Cam. Cam pushes on, because he wants to be the best, and in order to do that he has to take down the man he considers the best, pitting the men in an intense battle of wills where only he who sacrifices the most wins.
"Him" is a movie that for starters isn't particularly geared for me, as I never watch football nor do I really care about it, but with the promise of unique visuals, body horror, and a compelling story, I was more than ready for it. While the visuals and body horror were on par, the story itself was lacking in cohesion - it wanted to tell different stories but never fully focusing on any one thing. There's many themes that the movie could've hit, but much like a failed pass (I think that's a sport's reference), it never goes in for the touchdown.
The overarching theme of the movie seems to ask "what are you willing to sacrifice," and that could've been an intriguing premise to fully explore. Cam, ultimately, doesn't seem to sacrifice a lot in the movie, as he's given the chance to work with Isaiah even after a head injury and the only thing he sacrifices is his phone (obviously, since a movie like this can't have technology around for an easy out) and time with his family. He's treated like a king (with the exception of Isaiah's sometimes hostile treatment of him), and doesn't really seem to lose much. The ending tries to throw in what Cam's real sacrifice was, but even that wasn't necessarily life-changing, just somewhat tragic - or at least it would've been if we had any depth of character development for Cam at all.
Speaking of, Tyriq Withers had a disastrous breakout year, starring in this and the reboot "I Know What You Did Last Summer," and pretty much played the same role in both movies: the jock who isn't the brightest bulb in the bunch who makes more errors than successes. At least here Cam is more sympathetic, but we don't get any character out of him other than he wants to be the best quarterback ever, he loves his mother and girlfriend, and is easily susceptible to outside influences like Isaiah. A particularly strange scene where another man is pelted in the head by footballs each time Cam misses a throw would've led anyone with an ounce of common sense to walk out and never look back, but Cam fully embraces the abuse he sees. Essentially, this seemed like a vanity project for Withers to allow him to strut around shirtless for the majority of the film.
On the flip side, Marlon Wayans gives a great performance as the unhinged Isaiah, who is charming and disarming one moment then screaming and spitting in your face the next. He's manic to the extreme, a man who both doesn't want to give up his title and seemingly is preparing for it, but in that lies another issue with the movie - we never really know Isaiah's true intentions, as to whether or not it's his decision to throw in the towel or a greater force, or both. Maybe we do see it and I didn't get it, but in that case it could've been told more directly than subtly.
Back to the story, there's also the theme of the White man in football, and how they abuse the Black body to achieve fortune. Isaiah and Cam are just two Black men who've sacrificed their bodies for the game, while the elite White old men sit back and gain the riches. Again, this isn't fully developed in the movie either, but it does lead into the film's greatest strength - the conclusion, and not because it's ending, but the insane way it does end. It's like waking up from a turkey coma after Thanksgiving and finding your team running for the fourth goal conversion (again, I think that's sports).
During Cam's time at Isaiah's compound, he's haunted by visions and crazed fans at every turn that seemingly comes from the attack he suffered at the beginning of the film, and allows the movie to throw in unique visuals that helps make it less boring. Utilizing techniques like switching to X-ray vision when two heads collide or faces turning colors in intense moments make for fun viewing, but it's merely window dressing in an otherwise dull story that doesn't stick the landing.
While 2025 has been an incredible year for horror, there's still some duds in the mix, and while not as bad as others say it is, "Him" is hindered by a lack of cohesive storytelling, a middling lead performance, and an overall feel that it could've been something great if it had focused on one theme and stuck with it.
The Score: C
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