“Him” is presented as a sports horror that tries to combine the dynamics of professional sports with elements of suspense. The film immediately attracts attention with its trailers and genre statement, leaving whether it can really surprise or scare the viewer. A young athlete is at the center of the story, and the promise of unexpected twists and dramatic moments makes us look forward to watching it, even if the genre sounds a bit unusual.
Pluses:
Solid cinematography and the right color palette; the music enhances the atmosphere and fits the genre; Tyreek Withers looks convincing in the title role; the scenes of visions and hallucinations are effectively shot
Minuses:
Predictable screamers and body horror are not frightening and often look like inserts without meaning; weak plot; underdeveloped characters; superficial psychology; the ending is unconvincing and a bit trashy, which kills the idea of the movie; Jordan Peele among the producers did not add the expected depth and surprises
“Him”
Genre sports horror
Director Justin Tipping
Starring Tyreek Withers, Marlon Wayans, and others.
Premiere September 18, 2025, cinemas
The trailers for “Him” promised something fresh — a sports horror that would combine the adrenaline of big sports with psychological tension and fear. The viewer’s curiosity immediately sparks: what will happen to a young quarterback who, after an injury, finds himself on the verge of glory and failure? The reality of professional sports is presented here as a zone of constant risk, where physical injuries are only the tip of the iceberg. The real pressure is on the psyche, on relationships, on inner demons that do not give rest even in silence.
It sounds promising in words, but the first minutes of the movie show that the filmmakers decided to play more on effects than depth. Screamers and moments of body chorus start appearing after ten minutes, but instead of scaring or disgusting, they are rather annoying and look like insertions without meaning. Sometimes it really feels as if someone just decided to “add horror” without regard to the logic of the plot.
Modern horror films often don’t know what they really want to be. Sometimes it’s a mixture of thriller, horror, and psychological drama that doesn’t work well, and because of that, most of the scenes of fear or tension lose their effect. “Him” also feels a bit confused in this sense: the genre ambition is there, but it doesn’t always find the right balance, and the film partly becomes more of an experiment than a complete sports horror story.
The protagonist, played by Tyreek Withers, looks convincing: his fear, confusion, and struggle with himself are palpable, and there are moments when the viewer really feels for his condition. But the problem is that all psychological depth stops there. Marlon Wayans as a celebrity mentor tries to add authority and emotional weight, but his character is so flat and banal that his interaction with the protagonist does not cause the expected tension or sympathy. At times it seems that they are just in the frame and that’s it.
Technically, the film looks solid: the cinematography is on par, the shots of training and sports moments are dynamic, the right palette emphasizes the tension, and the scenes of “hallucinations” or visions, when the hero sees his own fears, are shot well, sometimes very well.
The music is chosen to enhance the atmosphere, although at times it is too predictable and doesn’t add to the sense of “great horror.” All of this creates the right mood, but nothing more. No wow effect is even in question, and I wanted it and the potential for it was enormous.
The plot tries to convey a metaphor: the price of fame, sacrifices for success, and moral and physical exhaustion in professional sports. But then everything slides into an uncertain trash: the ending, which could have emphasized the main idea, ends up seeming rushed and a bit ridiculous. The screamers and body chorus elements that were supposed to add weight look like artificial insertions, sometimes pulled by the ears. This kills any emotional effect that might have been left after watching the movie.
When you see Jordan Peele’s name among the producers, you automatically expect something more — depth, unexpected moves, real psychological tension. Here, his influence must have been minimal, or he simply wasn’t interested, because there is almost no sense of “freshness” or fear. Perhaps if he had been the director, the film would have gained a completely different pace and poignancy.
The movie “Him” tries to be something new, to combine sports and horror, but the result is more disappointing than exciting. This is neither a horror movie that scares you nor a psychological thriller that makes you think.
The idea of the price of fame and the pressure on the athlete remains only at the level of conception — there is no real depth, and the meaning of the story is blurred in a sea of predictable scenario solutions. Watching the movie leaves you with a feeling of incompleteness and regret that the potential was wasted. Technique, actors, music — everything is in place, but the heart of the story beats weakly.
If one expects a real sports horror, where tension and psychology are deeply intertwined, “Him” fails to deliver. There is a feeling that the center is an idea that could be interesting and relevant, but the realization makes the film more of an average horror movie with a couple of decent moments. And although it’s not boring at times, it doesn’t evoke any emotions.
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