HIM (2025)
SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
HIM flirts with some big ideas - toxic masculinity, morality, exploitation in sports, the power of fame, the importance of legacy.
Though his performance is all over-the-map, there are moments where we are reminded that Marlon Wayans can be quite an impressive dramatic actor.
Cinematographer Kira Kelly captures several compelling images and visuals that keep you invested in the increasingly bizarre series of events which unfold.
NO
Exhausting. Justin Tipping’s film is incoherent, haphazardly pieced together, and lacks tone, rhythm and is relentlessly edited.
I know he looks like a million bucks, but I am not sure Tyriq Withers is ready to be a leading man with the range and presence he has shown us so far.
Chaotic symbolism and rudderless storytelling. At times, HIM is simply nonsensical.
OUR REVIEW
Have you ever watched a movie that has your mind racing in a bunch of different directions? Those moments where you think of memorable dialogue, stunning visuals, a twist or two, and find yourself contemplating the overall theme of the movie?
And after doing so, have you ever found yourself coming back to the place you started and thinking, this is actually one of the worst films I have seen in a long time?
One of the most obnoxious misfires of the decade, HIM has been misconstrued by many (and perhaps marketed intentionally) as a new Jordan Peele film (he has a producer’s credit). Instead, director Justin Tipping (Kicks) delivers a supernatural psychological horror film about a young quarterback and his mentor that lacks any logic, meaning, or depth. No amount of jump scares, gore, and frantic editing can disguise how simple and empty this thing really is.
HIM ain’t it.
For a moment though, things look potentially promising. A young Cameron “Cam” Cade (Austin Pulliam) is watching a Super Bowl-style pro football championship game on television (references to the NFL and their teams were apparently not permitted). During a pivotal moment, star quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) suffers a grotesque injury that threatens his career.
Over the years, we learn that Cam’s father instilled in him a desire to become the GOAT - the greatest of all time. And as the film pivots to the present day, Cam, with his father now deceased, is set to become the most coveted player in the upcoming pro football draft.
Things change when Cam (portrayed as an adult by Tyriq Withers) is assaulted, suffering what is determined to be a traumatic brain injury. When word spreads that the young QB will not be attending the upcoming collegiate combine, his draft prospects begin to tumble. Eyeing a potential retirement, White contacts Cam’s agent (Tim Heidecker) and the rookie agrees to come to White’s home to train for one week in an attempt to restore his status as the game’s future #1 draft pick.
And that’s when things get silly. The symbolism that begins to overwhelm the film is either so obvious it annoys, or so strange that it distracts from the story we are trying to follow. Tipping has no handle on any of this and feels as if he has no restraint in his approach. Plus, you recognize very quickly that HIM thinks it is far more deep and profound than it truly is. Tipping’s screenplay, co-written with Skip Bronkie and Zack Akers, is hopelessly simple.
Sure, it dabbles with a lot of ideas - toxic masculinity; how much one is willing to sacrifice to try and become the greatest; the depths with which one can compromise their own morality. There’s even ample ground to cover on how white owners profit off of athletes of color, and how the best of the best handle fame and are uniquely positioned to define their own legacy.
Yet these ideas never blossom into anything meaningful. Tipping is seemingly all about the show, and not interested in the tell.
Wayans’ performance veers from very good in moments to manic, absurd, and totally outrageous. You simply cannot take his character seriously and the fact that Cam doesn’t see through everything like we do pushes even this movie’s willing suspension of disbelief a bit too far.
And let’s just acknowledge that Withers is not a leading man … at least not yet. His second high-profile performance this year, following July’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, finds him wooden and stoic, lacking range as an actor. Despite his striking appearance and male model looks, I never once bought him as a star quarterback. Quite frankly, he looks lost here, and Wayans’ over-the-top histrionics do him no favors.
Tipping’s decision to have Emmy Award-winning editor Taylor Mason (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”) slice and dice this film into oblivion drains the film of any rhythm. The movie never settles down until its garish and gory conclusion. And though cinematographer Kira Kelly finds some interesting ways to try and draw us into Cam’s nightmarish week of training, Tipping’s inability to tell a cohesive story, combined with Mason’s cinematic death by a thousand cuts, makes HIM almost unbearable.
Julia Fox has only a handful of minutes on screen as White’s influencer wife. There are some moments of humor with White’s trainer, Marco, played by Jay Jefferies. Some may even recognize “American Horror Story” favorite Pepper (Naomi Grossman), showing up here as a crazed, obsessed fan.
But as we get to Cam’s last day, we have endured so many bizarre moments and abandoned subplots that there is nothing left to care about.
HIM is a movie buried in incoherence, over-editing, and inconsistent performances. By the time it reaches its blood-soaked finale, the only thing this movie has been great at is establishing itself as one of the year’s most exhausting and frustrating moviegoing experiences.
CAST & CREW
Starring: Marlon Wayans, Tariq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies, Naomi Grossman, GiGi Erneta, Norman Towns, Akeem Hayes, Tierra Whack, Don Benjamin
Director: Justin Tipping
Written by: Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Justin Tipping
Release Date: September 19, 2025
Universal Pictures