'Him' review: Messy football themed horror film doesn't make it over the goal line

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

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In the United States, football is more than a sport, it’s a religion. The filmmakers behind the ambitious yet aimless “Him” take that metaphor to bloody extremes. Produced by Jordan Peele and co-written and directed by Justin Tipping, “Him” puts its budget on the field, using America’s obsession with football as a lens for psychological trauma and physical sacrifice. Its frantic visuals and rapid-fire cuts emphasize the dangers of the game and the toll it takes on the body, all while circling a familiar question: How far will someone go to become the greatest of all time?

For rising football prodigy Cameron Cade (former college wide receiver Tyriq Withers, last seen in the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” reboot), the answer is: as far as it takes. Cade has dedicated his life to following in the footsteps of his idol, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans, in a wild, unhinged turn). In the world of “Him,” White is essentially Tom Brady with an even more mythic resume: eight championships, miraculous recoveries from injuries, and an unshakable reputation as the GOAT.

But Cameron’s dream almost derails after a brutal attack by a deranged fan leaves him with a devastating brain injury. When a final opportunity arises to train under White at his private compound, Cade sees one last chance to prove himself to the scouts. Yet the deeper he descends into White’s sadistic boot camp, the clearer it becomes that the sacrifices demanded extend far beyond football.

A sharper film might have bridged these ideas into a cutting commentary on the spectacle of football, our hunger for

gladiatorial violence, and the ways players surrender their bodies and autonomy for our entertainment. Instead, “Him” is unfocused and messy, more interested in allegory than character. Cade never emerges as someone we truly invest in, aside from an early flashback of him watching White orchestrate a legendary comeback.

Never mind that White, pushing 50, strains credibility as a starting quarterback. Logic isn’t really the point. The movie wants to be visceral and its blood-soaked finale delivers in shock value if nothing else. To his credit, Wayans injects electricity every time he’s on screen, playing White as a fading legend desperate to cling to relevance. His performance feels beamed in from another film entirely, but it’s also the most alive thing here.

That energy, combined with Tipping’s visual ambition, keeps “Him” from being forgettable. But it never reaches the sophistication or precision it imagines itself to have. Peele’s involvement raises expectations, yet this isn’t the next “Get Out” or “Us.” Instead, “Him” fumbles its message and never makes it into the end zone. Still, for all its flaws, it’s hard to call it boring, the spectacle alone may be enough to keep some viewers watching.

Grade: C+ 

HIM is now playing in theaters.