The cult of the GOAT
If your teen spends their Saturday mornings watching highlight reels and their Saturday nights arguing about who the greatest of all time is, HIM will feel like a targeted attack. The movie takes the "grindset" culture of professional sports and turns it into a literal nightmare. It’s not just a football movie; it’s a critique of the isolated, hyper-curated world of modern superstars. Isaiah White isn’t just a quarterback here; he’s a cult leader with a celebrity influencer wife and a compound that feels more like a prison than a training facility.
The film tries to capture that specific brand of modern fame where every workout is a piece of content and every injury is a weakness to be purged. For a student-athlete, the early scenes of Cameron Cade’s training might feel familiar—the pressure to perform, the "no days off" mantra—but the movie quickly pivots into something much more unsettling.
Visuals in search of a plot
Critics have described this film as a "carpet bombing of the optic nerve," and they aren't exaggerating. The director uses a chaotic, surreal style that makes the football field look like a gladiator arena from another planet. If your kid is into the "elevated horror" vibe seen in Jordan Peele’s Social Thrillers, they’ll recognize the visual language immediately. The problem is that while the movie looks expensive and stylish, the story often feels like it’s running in circles.
It wants to be a profound statement on brain trauma and the cost of success, but it often settles for being weird instead of being clear. You get a lot of bold symbolism—think distorted faces and abstract shadows—that doesn't always pay off by the time the credits roll. It’s the kind of movie that generates "ending explained" videos because the actual narrative is so thin.
The Wayans factor
The biggest surprise for most viewers is seeing Marlon Wayans in a role this heavy. He plays the legendary Isaiah White with a simmering, ego-driven intensity that is genuinely creepy. It’s a far cry from his comedy roots, and his performance is arguably the best reason to hit play. He manages to make the transition from a charismatic mentor to a psychological predator feel earned, even when the script around him starts to fall apart.
However, the film’s "grotesque" label is earned. It leans into the body horror of football—the crunch of bones, the flickering consciousness of a concussion—in a way that might be a bit much for anyone who has recently dealt with a real-world sports injury.
Who is this actually for?
If your teen is a horror completionist who loved Get Out or Us, they will likely want to see what the "Peele camp" has produced lately. Just manage their expectations: this doesn't have the tight, clockwork plotting of those films. It’s more of a vibe-check horror movie.
- If they liked Creed: They might appreciate the training montages but will be baffled by the third-act shift into surrealism.
- If they liked Black Mirror: The commentary on influencer culture and the "compound" lifestyle will hit home.
- If they just want a football movie: They should look elsewhere. This is a movie about the destruction of an athlete, not the triumph of one.
Ultimately, HIM is a 96-minute experiment that is more interested in making you feel uncomfortable than making you cheer. It’s a bold swing that misses the mark, but for a certain type of viewer, the visual flair might be enough to justify the watch.
