It’s hard to criticize a fiercely original film in this cultural moment.
Wait … it’s not a re-imagining, a reboot, a sequel or a prequel? Give me my ticket … now!
“Him,” a football-themed horror film, opens with all the goodwill we can muster. It’s a harrowing tale of a can’t-miss quarterback prospect who learns what he’ll have to sacrifice to make it to the NFL-like league.
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Until we realize the film has little interest in the sport, the culture at large or common sense. Maybe the inevitable remake will be better.
Young, dynamic Cameron Cade (a solid Tyriq Withers) is thisclose to his football dreams coming true. A shocking assault threatens his rise, leaving him with an ugly scar and susceptible to long-term brain damage.
Could the dream die before it even begins?
Enter Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), the current football GOAT (the term GOAT is tossed around in the script as often as “Smurf” in that kiddie franchise). Isaiah wants to personally groom Cameron to be his successor, and everyone is eager to memory-hole the young man’s brain injury.
Heck, the screenplay plays out as if the authors (director Justin Tipping, Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie) had suffered a collective concussion.
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So Cameron, nicknamed “Him,” enters Isaiah’s creepy compound to learn the tricks of the trade. Right away, there’s something odd about the drills. Casual cruelty abounds. So does mental abuse.
Cameron, we’re told, is a good kid eager to do as he’s told. It still doesn’t explain how he doesn’t balk at what he witnesses.
And it’s only just begun.
Tipping shows a flair for unnerving images and claustrophobic framing. This looks every inch like a transformative horror film, only it quickly becomes dull despite its tight running time.
It’s not Wayans’ fault. The comic actor buries his glib side to create a portrait of a self-satisfied superstar. Is he a monster, or does he exhibit the skills necessary to rise to the top of his profession?
“Him” mesmerizes for a while until we realize there’s little underneath the surface. The stunning visuals grab you and, soon enough, you wanna glance at your watch rather than see what happens next.
But why?
There’s little insight here, either about the psychology of modern sports or the need to succeed at all costs. It’s all surface-level tics, hardly enough to sustain a thriller like this.
An effective Jim Jefferies plays against type as Isaiah’s medical guru, but he’s not on screen enough to elevate the story. Julia Fox’s brow-less character, ostensibly Isaiah’s wife but they’re barely seen together, also shows potential that never arrives.
The film eventually wilts under its ambiguous nature. It’s nearly impossible to determine what “Him” wants to do or say, so the film’s bloody finale lands with an earth-shattering thud. It’s more noise, albeit with enough gore to placate horror junkies.
Producer Jordan Peele’s attachment received plenty of pre-release attention, but his socially-charged shockers have far more to say and typically deserve our respect. (ix-nay on “Ope-nay”)
Tipping’s film falls on both fronts.
The screenplay delivers a few random nods to black victimhood, but even those elements don’t coalesce into something meaningful or deep.
Tipping’s biggest achievement? Taking an original premise, adding a career-changing turn by a comic actor and rendering it all as a regrettable bore.
HiT or Miss: “Him” offers strong visuals, powerful performances and a story that wears out its welcome.
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