TL;DR – A fascinating film full of a brooding presence that builds throughout, leading to an ending that feels less satisfying the more I ponder on it.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Warning – Contains sequences that include flashing lights.

Setting the Scene

If there was ever a time to get me interested in a sports horror film, it is this week, as we are currently sitting in between the AFL and the NRL grand finales, and my teams are in both. It gives you a little buzz around the sporting world and prepares you to dive into some of the more questionable sides of the industry.

So, to set the scene, Cam’s (Tyriq Withers) whole life has revolved around football, conspicuously not the NFL, but I digress. All his life has been focused on making it to the top, and just when he is about to make his debut, someone cracks him in the back of the head. The doctor is sure that if he gets another crack on the head, it could stop him playing for good. But when Cam’s manager, Tom (Tim Heidecker), calls with an offer to train with his idol, Isaiah (Marlon Wayans), the current quarterback of the San Antonio Saviors, it is an opportunity he can’t turn down, even when all the red flags start popping up.   

Casting

While I did have a lot of issues with the film, one of them was not the casting. Tyriq Withers is such a commanding presence on the screen, and he captivates in almost every moment in the film. It is his drive and understanding that help pull the film together, and without that, I am not sure it would have worked. This is juxtaposed with the intensity that Marlon Wayans brings to every moment in the film. You are never quite sure what his deal is throughout the film; is he a demon, an ally, or a jealous aging footballer trying to hold onto the last gasp of relevance? Then you have these character actors like Jim Jefferies popping up and capturing the scene. Given that there is a level of wackiness throughout the film, you need those performances to ground you.

Production

Another strength of the film is the production. This is not an expensive film, but they make every dollar count. One good example of this is the lighting. Every frame of this film is exquisitely lit and framed. A lot of it is there to help support the iconography Him is dabbling in. And it works, even the more ‘on the nose parts’ which I would give an example of here, but the best one is so blatant that it would be a spoiler. There is a lot of the story hidden away in the worldbuilding, and that is kind of my jam. Even before the story unfolds, there is nothing more telling than arriving at a place that has gone out of its way to destroy all the local vegetation around the campus.

The Build and the Conclusion

However, while there was a lot out there to recommend it, there was one continuous frustration that brewed throughout the film, but to talk about this, I need to engage [SPOILERS] for the rest of the review. Much of the tension in the movie is the slow build as more and more unsettling things occur in this apparent ‘training week’ where you have to wonder if this is more than one man trying to scare his replacement. But that brooding tension is essential as we explore the pressures of the sport, family, groupies, owners, and performance. Where there are doping players, the doctors are abetting or forcing the products on the athletes. All this build keeps you constantly tense, waiting for the next horrifying thing to happen in a sauna or hyperbolic chamber.   

However, all that build must find a release somewhere in the story. This can come in moments throughout the story, like the odd humour moments in Weapons. For one person in my screening, who laughed throughout, the tension-release dynamic clearly worked. For me, it didn’t. But, if you want to commit to one long build to the ending, you can do that, but then that ending must stick the landing. Unfortunately, the more I think about it, the more I feel that Him didn’t pull this off. Is the ending bombastic, absolutely. Does it finally give credence to the compound fracture that the film subjected us to in the opening, of course. Does it provide a thematically and narratively satisfying conclusion to the build? No. Part of that comes from the film’s need to dabble in ambiguity right to the end. But also, bombast and vibes can only carry you so far, and unfortunately, that was not to the end.

Conclusion

In the end, do we recommend Him? I’m honestly not sure. There is a lot to recommend: the cast, the production, and its brooding nature. However, the more I think about it, the more the ending feels like a missed opportunity. Have you watched Him? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Him, we would recommend Talk To Me to you. It has that same build as you wonder how it would all play out, but lands that ending moment.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Him
Directed by – Justin Tipping
Written by – Skip Bronkie, Zack Akers & Justin Tipping
Music by – Bobby Krlic
Cinematography by – Kira Kelly
Edited by – Taylor Joy Mason
Production/Distribution Companies – Monkeypaw Productions & Universal Pictures
Starring – Tyriq Withers, Marlon Wayans, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies, Maurice Greene, Indira G. Wilson, Gerone McKinley, Heather Lynn Harris, Don Benjamin, Guapdad 4000, Richard Lippert, Naomi Grossman, Tierra Whack, Chase Garland, Norman Towns & GiGi Erneta
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; Germany: 16; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 18; United States: R