“Him” is a horror thriller set in the world of pro football, and it leans hard into the rot behind fame, mentorship, and winning at all costs. Directed by Justin Tipping and produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, the movie follows Cam Cade (Tyriq Withers), a hungry young wide receiver invited to train with aging star quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) at a secluded compound. What starts as an opportunity turns into a nightmare of control, ritual, and groupthink, with lines between performance coaching and psychological manipulation getting thinner by the day.
Quick review
The setup is strong. Tipping shoots football drills like ritual trials, trading stadium grandeur for the eerie quiet of weight rooms, locker corridors, and midnight fields. Bobby Krlic’s score hums under the film like a warning siren, and the 96-minute runtime keeps the story moving without dead air. Wayans goes for a full dramatic turn as a brittle legend trying to shape an heir in his own image, while Withers sells the slide from eager prospect to trapped acolyte. Julia Fox adds tension as Isaiah’s influencer wife, a presence who both enables and complicates his myth.
The movie does stumble. The script’s big allegories about celebrity worship and toxic mentorship are so on the nose that some reveals land with less impact than they should. A few late turns feel rushed, and the final stretch aims for shock more than clarity. Still, even when it fumbles, “Him” has bite. The film works best as a slow-pressure chamber where performance culture curdles into cult dynamics.
What to expect going in
- Tone and style: More dread than jump scares. Think psychological pressure, hazing sequences, and ritualized “training” that gets increasingly violent.
- Football as metaphor: The playbook talk and drills are there, but the sport is mostly a lens on power, masculinity, and loyalty. You do not need to know schemes or stats to follow what matters.
- Performances: Wayans brings an uneasy charisma that’s both motivating and menacing. Withers is the discovery, charting Cam’s arc from hungry to hollow. Tim Heidecker pops in a smaller role that underlines how commerce keeps the machine running.
- Craft: Clean, moody visuals from cinematographer Kira Kelly and a tense soundscape from Krlic. The tight edit helps the film’s sense of inevitability, even when the writing over-explains.
Release and where to watch
“Him” opened in theaters in the United States on September 19, 2025, after an initial international rollout. It underperformed at the box office but hits digital purchase and rental on October 7, with a Peacock debut expected to follow not long after based on Universal’s windowing pattern. If you skipped it in theaters, the home release includes extras like an alternate ending and commentary, which might add context to the film’s bolder choices.
Should you watch it?
If you like horror that pokes at real-world systems rather than supernatural lore, “Him” is worth a look. The themes are blunt, but the atmosphere lingers, the performances are committed, and the sports setting gives the genre a fresh angle. It is not the next cultural earthquake from the Monkeypaw orbit, yet it has enough uncomfortable ideas and striking moments to spark conversation on the couch after the credits.
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