HIM topped the weekend box office with an impressive $13.5 million opening, proving plenty of folks were ready to see some football drama on the big screen.
But does the film itself score big? Let’s talk about it.
“Boy, I’m ‘bout to put you in football. You need to get from up under me!”
That was the exact quote my mom hit me with when I was about eight years old.
Dayum, ma, tell me how you REALLY feel. Thus began my short-lived gridiron career.
Spoiler: I sucked. Running routes and getting hit by true players was not for me.
Playing with Star Wars toys? Yeah, that was more my speed.
Sorry, ma, you could’ve saved that money and bought me more action figures.
Football dragged me back in during 8th grade after I got tricked into lacing up again.
This time, the kids were bigger, stronger, and hungry.
I quickly realized I was better at learning cheers from the sidelines than running plays.
Eventually, I faked a sprained ankle for two months just to sit it out.
Some young men eat, sleep, and breathe football. Me? I was fine watching it on Sundays.
In the new movie HIM, a promising young football prospect gets the opportunity of a lifetime, but it just might cost him his life.
Is this film a touchdown, or did it get shut out?
The Setup
“I’ve been waiting all day for Sunday niiiight, the tough get rough in a primetime fiiight!”
You know the vibes.
HIM stars Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade and Marlon Wayans as legendary quarterback Isaiah White.
The film is directed by Justin Tipping and produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
Quick disclaimer: Peele didn’t write, direct, or even suggest camera angles. His name’s attached through production, but that’s it.
The story follows Cade, a young quarterback molded his entire life by his father to be elite.
With the draft approaching, he gets invited to a one-week camp with his idol, White, a decorated QB with more Super Bowl rings than fingers.
Cade jumps at the chance, but soon finds out that meeting your idols may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
The Good
I’ll give HIM this much: it looks stunning. The cinematography is on point.
The visuals are like an art exhibit, full of symbolism and style that spark your imagination.
It’s beautiful, eye-catching, and bold.
The Not-So-Good
Unfortunately, all that pretty imagery is a distraction from what is ultimately a convoluted, confusing mess.
From the very beginning you’re asking, “WTF is going on?!”
HIM is a mashup of symbolism, brutality, and perplexity.
Scenes feel like dream sequences until you realize they’re actually real. Dialogue gets misplaced. Symbolism stacks on symbolism.
Cohesion? Nowhere to be found until the third act, and by then, you’re exhausted.
It’s the kind of movie where you nod and say, “Yeah, I see what y’all were going for,” but you never actually feel it click.
The Performances
The acting is the saving grace here.
Tyriq Withers gives Cameron Cade depth, and Marlon Wayans delivers a surprisingly intense and commanding performance. He kills it!
The cast leans fully into the material, even when the script doesn’t make sense.
Final Verdict
HIM is like an extremely attractive person with no real depth.
Got-damn, they fine—but you definitely aren’t marrying them.
The visuals and acting are strong, but the writing and structure leave you scratching your head.
If not for the performances and cinematography, I’d give this my lowest score.
But since I’m feeling generous, HIM gets my straight-to-streaming co-sign.
Honestly, it should’ve sat the bench with me back in the day.
At least then it might’ve picked up some catchy cheers.
Sha-boom! Sha, sha, sha-boom, ROLL CALL!
Did you see HIM over the weekend?
If so, drop down in the comments below and let me know your thoughts on the film.
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