Posted in: Movies, Review, Universal | Tagged: HIM, marlon wayans, Tyriq Withers, universal

HIM Fumbles At The Goal Line, Wastes An Interesting Premise {Review}

HIM has a promising premise, but it ultimately does not live up to expectations. The film opens in theaters this weekend.

HIM had a chance to be a very unique viewing experience, as many have wondered what a sports-set horror film could look like. While an interesting idea, the film gets lost in a sea of horror cliches and becomes the most uninteresting version of the concept. Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans are trying very hard, but by the end, all feelings of warmth towards either of them are lost, and you want the end to come already. Said ending has some of the best gore in a horror film in 2025, so it does have that going for it. Unfortunately for HIM, it is too little and too late.

HIM Is Too Flashy For Its Own Good

Cameron Cade (Withers) has been a fan of Isaiah White (Wayans) his entire life, as White becomes the greatest football player of his generation. As he ages, Cade becomes the most significant prospect in the sport himself. After a horrific attack, Cade begins to spiral, and is invited to his hero's home to train with him for a week and see if he truly can become the next generational talent. Once he arrives, however, he quickly discovers a secret that will change how he sees Isaiah and the sport of football forever.

The first mistake HIM makes is not finding a way to flesh out the beginning of the story. Many moviegoers complain these days about the length of films, but this is a case where some run time needed to be added to get us more invested in the characters. We spend five minutes with Cameron as a child, and hop right to him being an adult and a huge prospect, arriving at Isaiah's house in about 15 minutes. It is way too fast, primarily when the rest of the film relies on his relationship with his father and the lessons and principles he taught him, which we never see. That was an interesting choice by director Justin Tipping and his screenwriters Skip Bronkie and Zachary Akers. They have a great idea; the script was chosen for The Black List in 2022. But now that they have a crack at it, some of the stylistic choices harm the film. Quick cuts, cutaways, and strange angles become a crutch and often make things confusing and nausea-inducing. The story was enough, but it doesn't feel like the filmmakers trust it enough to carry the viewer through. They even skimp on the flash and pomp of the sport itself during the game scene at the beginning and during highlights; everything looks cheap and generic.

They only seem to be interested in telling the story of HIM through the relationship between Cade and Isaiah. Withers is charismatic enough, but he has a ways to go before he can carry a film to the end. Not unlike the characters they are playing, he is completely swallowed up by the dynamite performance from Wayans. His charm, underlying devilishness, and ability to turn up the volume on each of those attributes are sorely missed when he is not on screen, and it grinds the whole film to a halt. By the end, though not earned at all, Withers gets his moment in the sun, and it is so cliché and telegraphed that it loses all meaning that it could have had. The gore is excellent, and some of the best in a theater this year, but it rings hollow.

HIM ultimately fails its concept, but there have been way worse films this year, especially in the horror genre. Far from being the GOAT that it claims to be, at least the pace is fast, and at 96 minutes, it flies by. Go for Wayans, and have fun discussing what could have been after.

HIM

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Review by Jeremy Konrad

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5/10

HIM has a really good premise, but ultimately it cannot live up to the expectations.

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