I caught the trailer for Him when I went to the movies for a film that wasn’t screened for press. The trailer had me instantly intrigued and hopeful for an incredible horror experience that takes place in the world of professional sports. Though the visuals are often striking, the editing, the writing, and sometimes the acting are so bewilderingly bad. Writer/director Justin Tipping and his co-writers take what could have been an interesting and powerful film on the dark side of sports and completely squander the concept with a ridiculous exercise of pointlessness.
Since he was a young child, Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) was groomed and raised on football. Cam’s father (Don Benjamin) instilled in his son a deep love and admiration for the athletes who risked their bodies and lives for the chance to win. Cameron particularly worshipped quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), the star quarterback of the San Antonio Saviors, a football player who is considered the greatest of all time. After the audience gets this glimpse at Cam’s childhood, the movie launches ahead to when Cam is a new young college legend, who hopes to take that throne from Isaiah.
Despite a tremendous injury, Cam remains undaunted in his quest to be the best. After getting selected as the backup quarterback of the Saviors, he is tasked with training under the intense tutelage of Isaiah Washington. As he undergoes the strict, intense regimen, something begins to feel off, as Cam’s sanity, in addition to his body’s limitations, is challenged. The hero he once worshipped gets revealed to be a dark, sadistic person who has obviously sold his soul to get where he is now.
What intrigued me the most about the trailer of this film is the concept. Tipping and his writers have what should have been an inventive take on professional sports, but the execution of their ideas falls apart along the way. The writing and presentation of the story are so on the nose and heavy-handed that it’s undeniable what they are trying to accomplish. At the same time, the choices they make in developing the story and characters are often so bewildering and irritating that this 96-minute movie feels way longer than that.
Tipping, his cinematographer Kira Kelly, and their production designers make this movie look horrifically beautiful, but the haphazard editing and terrible writing totally derail everything. Both Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans have some great acting moments, but they also have their share of terrible ones. They are, appropriately, the standouts of the film, but that isn’t saying much.
I believe that Him is one of the worst movies I have seen this year. Though Tipping has a great, stylistic eye for visuals, he needs a way better story to express his talent. I do hope that an outstanding script comes his way, because I see his potential. It’s not evident within this terrible horror movie.