The Wasteland Reviewer

HIM (2025) Written Review

What will you do to be the greatest of all time? This takes a special type of drive and ambition to long to be the greatest of anything in the world. Professional sports are one of the most elusive dreams for so many people in the world. You must be exceptional to even get the chance to lace up those shoes (whichever type they are) and play any sport professionally. Then you must take things to an unbelievable level to be considered one of, if not, the greatest of a given sport. The term GOAT gets thrown around a lot these days and it certainly does in the Jordan Peele produced, Justin Tipping directed, new horror film…HIM. 

What is this new sports-infused horror film about? Well…that is an easy question to answer because HIM is one of the bluntest films you are going to watch this year. Tipping’s film basically yells its themes and ideas at you the whole time. The climax of the film is exceptionally blunt as the term “GOAT” is literally yelled as the film has no other approach to convey its themes. When you have a metaphorical horror film like this, generally you want to find some clever and intriguing ways to get those themes across. HIM is too obvious of a film to make its themes hit with any real impact. You know what this film is about from the opening scene and never once does it surprise you with new layers of it either. Even the “twists” of the climax can be seen coming from a mile away and are not as clever as the film thinks they are. Unfortunately, the film is also saddled with a protagonist who is not interested in the least. There are plenty of other elements along the way that feel so out there and random that the film struggles to even stay focused with its simple and obvious plot. 

Does the direction from Tipping inject something special into this overly blunt experience? The direction of the film is quite inconsistent. There are some impactful and evocative visuals in the film that will grab your attention for sure. The final sequence of the film is probably the most memorable with a mixture of football iconography, sharp visuals, striking costuming, dark humor, and buckets of blood. The whole film feels like it is leading up to this point and the climax embodies everything the film is hoping to accomplish. This is in stark contrast to one of the key confrontations between our two most significant characters that feels so horribly put together that it undercuts the impact of the moment (including some horribly cringe-inducing dialogue as well). There are some unexpected injections of dark humor and camp throughout the film including a wildly over-the-top performance from Marlon Wayans. This is a serious film that has a lot to say about sports, legacy, fandom, and ambition but the erratic nature of its presentation makes it hard to nail down the tone that Tipping is really going for here.  

Does the cast make the experience better? Wayans is certainly by far the most interesting element of the film. He wavers between an intense mentor’s presence in the film to all out mania that is quite something to watch. There are certainly moments when he takes the whole film up to a campy and ridiculous level but at least he is consistently entertaining to watch. The same cannot be said about our protagonist who is flat and bland in comparison. Tyriq Withers is admittedly not given much depth or characterization to work with, but he also lacks the presence and charisma to make much of his leading role either. For someone who is meant to show he had the greatness in him all along, the performance and presentation of Cameron Cade lacks that type of energy. Julia Fox brings that specific energy and presence that she always gives her roles and, to be honest, she is quite a bit of fun in the film. There are a few other performers in the film, but it really is just this trio who take up most of the space and screen time in the film. 

Is HIM a worthy horror flick for this incoming spooky season? Tipping certainly has a lot to say about the football world in the film but unfortunately it is a bit too obvious in its presentation. Wayans is a fun time in the film and makes the film a lot more entertaining, which balances out some of the shortcomings of the rest of the cast. The inconsistencies leave this film feeling like a middling effort even with its own merits.