‘Him’ Is Far Less Than The Sum Of Its Parts

For as long as stories have been written, the tale of all-consuming obsession that strips an individual of their humanity has featured often and has been presented in a variety of ways. Perhaps the most notable example of this idea is Damien Chazelle’s 2015 film Whiplash, which applies this idea to the world of jazz music. Writer and director Justin Tipping’s Him appears to offer such a story presented in the world of American football through the lens of psychological horror. While the premise sounds promising, that is all the film truly has going for it.

Produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, the film follows young up-and-coming football player Cameron “Cam” Cade, played by Tyriq Withers. After suffering a severe head injury that leaves his future in doubt, he is invited to train by his idol and retiring quarter-back Isaiah White, played by Marlon Wayans. What follows is a psychologically intense week of training that pushes Cam to his absolute limit as he aspires to become one of the greatest players of all time.

Suffice to say, this premise is fascinating and offers a lot of potential for powerful drama. It can explore the thematic symbolism of football, the mental and physical toll on a person, the impact of injury, and the ever-looming dread of retirement. The film could even explore the cult of personality and fan obsession surrounding certain players, the power of ego in the game, and the callousness of team owners who treat their players like products. The film decides to take a swing at all of these, and unfortunately, fails to hit the mark on all of them.

The plot itself is primarily divided into seven days of training, with each focusing on a specific facet. Throughout the process, Cam is subjected to the various brutal and violent methods of Isaiah, each steadily increasing in intensity and violence. But unfortunately, the premise wears thin very quickly with each day feeling repetitive, and there is a severe lack of variety between sequences. The day will start out fairly normal, then become increasingly abnormal and perhaps violent. Cam will initially question Isaiah’s methods before going along and eventually shedding a piece of himself. This is then occasionally interrupted by Cam experiencing certain visions which add absolutely nothing to the story.

The film flirts with ideas of the supernatural but never wholly commits to it. The audience is left questioning if what they see is even real, but not in a way that generates interesting discussion, but rather in a way that is simply confusing. The climax especially suffers from this. It is incredibly surreal, combining big reveals about the club and posing the final choice for Cam. But due to the film’s lack of clarity between what is real and what is a vision, it all rings hollow. It feels more like an excuse for a protracted, graphic, and violent climax. All these elements ultimately add little to the overall story and arguably take away at times. There is little in the way of build-up for them, resulting in lackluster payoffs.

While this structure and supernatural ideas could work, what ultimately kills it all is the characters, who lack any real depth or reasons for the audience to remain invested. Cam as a protagonist is incredibly bland. The audience is never given a glimpse into his personality, his desires, his hobbies, or his personal life before his training with Isaiah begins. There isn’t a single scene where he plays a proper match of football, and the film operates on a tell-don’t-show basis where the audience is constantly told what Cam wants and desires instead of being shown. By the end, it feels like his character has barely changed despite what he’s been through because the filmmakers did not take the time to sufficiently build his character before the training begins. In fact, the film seems more interested in rushing to the training part rather than developing or setting up its characters.

This is most apparent with Isaiah, who is ultimately a baffling antagonist. Never does the audience find out what his end goal truly is, and as such, his motivations for why he does what he does is left muddled and confused. The filmmakers can’t seem to decide if they want him to be an obsessed sociopath, a cult leader, or an abusive mentor. They try to do all three, and as a result, succeed at none of them. Isaiah could have tied together the elements of career ambitions, obsession, and the supernatural together, but ultimately leaves little impact apart from pushing Cam in the right direction for the plot.

Because of the lack of character depth, the cast is left with little to go off on. Tyriq Withers often looks stiff and emotionless during most scenes despite the horrific things he is subjected to. He plays a confused outsider well enough, but at no point does he get across Cam’s obsession or drive. Furthermore, there is a lack of emotional intensity in Withers’ performance that results in almost zero psychological insight into his character, which was likely absent in the script. The only scene that achieves any true depth for the character and showcases Withers’ talent is when Cam talks about his father’s guidance and untimely death and the subsequent guilt. It is a rare moment where the film slows down to interrogate the Cam’s character and motivations, allowing the audience to get a proper look into Cam’s mind . It unfortunately stands out because the rest of the time, Cam is about as interesting as a plank of wood.

Unfortunately, that moment further stands out because the rest of the film feels simply like one surreal music video after another. Every scene switches jarringly to the next, accompanied by a song that then proceeds to spell out what is going on. The film moves at too quick a pace, and any moment of tension feels empty due to the lack of characterization and build-up. The film does not lack for surreal visuals; the most striking are moments where the film is depicted through X-ray imaging. These moments hint at promising insight and new angles of depicting the gruelling nature of football and the damage Cam’s obsession is having on him, but it unfortunately amounts to very little. There is certainly talent on display when it comes to the direction and cinematography, but it’s ultimately in service to a hollow script.

Overall, Him takes numerous swings and misses nearly all of them. It is a poor psychological horror, a poor sports drama, and a poor film. It rushes through character development and build-up to get to what are ultimately repetitive scenes of gruelling training with some surreal visuals. It required more focus and character to truly get its message across, but as it currently exists, it will likely leave the viewer’s mind the moment they finish watching it.