Original movies rightfully excite us all. While sequels, remakes and reboots are undoubtedly on the rise, there’s still a collective thirst for the unknown — just take a look at the success of Ryan Coogler’s fresh and inventive “Sinners.” So it was no surprise when the trailer for “Him,” a new football horror film produced by Jordan Peele’s production company, Monkeypaw Productions, amassed 20 million views from its trailer. But the novelty of the premise and Peele’s involvement are the only two elements worth being excited about.
“Him” opens with a young Cameron “Cam” Cade (Austin Pulliam) watching his idol Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), quarterback for the fictional San Antonio Saviors, endure a seemingly career-ending leg injury. Despite this tragedy, Cam’s father uses White’s intense devotion to the game to instill an important message in his son: “No guts, no glory.” Fourteen years later, Cam (Tyriq Withers) is the top prospect in the upcoming draft. Desperate to prove his readiness for the big leagues, Cam accepts an invitation to train with White for a week at his remote compound.
Pairing football with horror is an admittedly engaging premise. Director Justin Tipping and his team present intriguing insights into the sports community, particularly the cult-like relationship between athletes and fans. While the cast takes a unique approach to the subject, the film suffers from a lack of thematic depth beyond all-too-obvious statements: Isn’t it crazy how much we all care about football?
Despite creative plays and a high-profile coach, “Him” feels like a drive that ends in a missed field goal. It’s truly frustrating how many original ideas are disregarded entirely or given a once-over. The writing isn’t nuanced enough to dig deeper than a hollow recognition of the absurdity of sports fandom. An apt example is when the movie reveals that White uses blood infusions and other unknown substances to enhance his quality of play. Given recent controversies involving performance-enhancing drugs, it would have been intriguing to see the filmmakers uncover why athletes feel the need to enhance their capabilities.
The film prioritizes a breakneck pace with music video-style editing instead of making us care about the characters. The lack of bite can largely be attributed to the disconnect between the movie’s technical aspects and its plot. Scenes employ infrared x-rays of the football players, a visually arresting choice that enhances the violent sections of the film; in the training compound, the dark lighting adds to the already unsettling atmosphere. But “Him” looks good without any substantive purpose — it has the flashiness of a touchdown celebration but lacks the effort needed to score in the first place.
While “Him” was marketed heavily as a Peele film, it’s important to note that he served only as a producer. His company Monkeypaw Productions financed, marketed and distributed the project, but Peele lacked the creative control of a writer or director. For this reason, the movie doesn’t belong in the conversation of Peele’s other projects, not to mention that it lacks his ingenuity when presenting unfamiliar concepts like clones in “Us” or aliens in “Nope.” This carefully constructed commentary is something the filmmakers behind “Him” clearly failed to grasp.
Besides the originality of the concept and occasional moments of visual flair, it’s hard to award “Him” much praise. Diehard football fans and Peele enthusiasts alike will be disheartened to see a concept so promising fumbled so badly. If you plan on seeing “Him,” don’t expect a touchdown — all you’ll get is an interception of your time and money.
Contact TJ Giles at [email protected].