A HIMconcievable Watch: Justin Tipping’s new football-horror film “HIM” is so outlandish that it works

Out of the tens of thousands of films in the world, 60 of them are about American football. Out of those 60, only one is a horror movie: “HIM.” 

“HIM,” released in theatres on Sept. 18, is a fresh football-horror film that is either genius or god-awful — I can’t decide. 

The film follows aspiring pro-quarterback Cameron Cade, played by Tyriq Withers, after he misses the tryout for the United States Football Federation  — the NFL equivalent in the film. Cade was mysteriously attacked and incapacitated by a masked figure right before the event, leaving him desperate for a second chance to get into the league.

Cade is then invited by legendary QB Isaiah White, played by Marlon Wayans, to train with him for one week to earn a spot on his favorite team: the San Antonio Saviors.  

Wayans’ performance as Isaiah White is unquestionably the best part of this film. As Cade progresses in training with White, the old-timer quarterback slowly reveals his gruesome methods of success at any cost, which is masterfully alluded to in subtle mannerisms Wayans works into his performance. 

For example, White sets up a QB drill for Cade: he must catch a hiked ball with his eyes closed, turn 180 degrees and throw a spot-on spiral to a receiver more than 20 yards down the field, all in a matter of seconds. 

Difficult, but not scary.

Except, every time a receiver drops the ball, or Cade is too slow, a willing wide receiver is hit in the face with a football launched out of a throwing machine at 70 miles per hour. Each time the football smashes into his face, he’s slightly less recognizable: all deformed and bloody.  

The exercise is White’s twisted way of motivating Cade to be perfect, as Cade does not want to see the receiver get hurt. However, Cade doesn’t protest because everyone else at the facility acts like everything’s completely normal, gaslighting him into believing the same.

Each day that passes in the training camp, the more violent and ridiculous the occurrences become. The film ends with the final day of camp, and while the ending was amusing, I really think it could’ve been improved by seeing Cade actually play the game. 

A common motif of the film was the idea that Cade would be taking White’s starting spot on the Saviors, something White wasn’t happy about. White didn’t want to have his spot taken; he wanted to train Cade to become his successor after he willingly retired.

If Cade had entered the league, the back-and-forth mind games between him and White in the game would’ve given the film a lot more room for creativity and depth. Additionally, the fact that Cade knows about White’s violent tendencies could lead to a very dynamic relationship of blackmail, threats and suspense.

But no, Tipping decided to keep it in the camp, which is fine. For what it is. It’s not wasted potential, just misused. 

The ending is weird, to say the least. In the IMAX theatre, I watched “HIM” in, there were a lot of laughs during the film’s final scene, built up from White and Cade’s conflict after Cade finally calls White out for his wrongdoings. For me, it’s genuinely impossible to tell which parts of the movie are meant to be funny and which parts aren’t. I don’t know if I was laughing at or with Tipping as the film came to a close. 

Although the film’s direction was misguided, its aesthetics and imagery were unbelievably cool. Nearly every time there was contact between two players, an X-ray scan of the player’s head was put over the clip of the hit. Whenever you saw the hit, you saw their brain and skull get hit too. This effect added to the weight of the situation Cade was in and the “horror” feeling of anxiety while watching it. 

Coupled with the real-life dangers and effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy — brain damage — caused by contact sports, the stakes of “HIM” were both very believable and completely arbitrary at the same time, something I found quite fun.

Despite its faults, I can’t applaud the film’s originality enough. It’s ideas like a trippy football thriller that should run Hollywood: original and out-of-the-box scripts, not endless sequels and cinematic universes. 

Yes, they could’ve taken “HIM” in a better direction. But the fact that this wacky concept of a film was carried all the way to theatrical release gives me hope for the future of film.