Him Movie Review 2026: Brutal Truth About Jordan Peele’s Horror

Let’s be real—when you hear “Jordan Peele” and “horror” in the same sentence, you expect something groundbreaking. Get Out. Us. Nope. These films redefined modern horror with sharp social commentary and unforgettable scares. So when HIM hit theaters on September 19, 2025, expectations were sky-high.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: this Him Movie Review has to address that the film stumbled harder than a rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl.

Don’t get me wrong—there’s plenty to admire. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Marlon Wayans delivers what might be his best dramatic performance. And the premise? Fascinating. A young athlete training with his idol only to discover something sinister lurking beneath the surface of greatness. It’s Black Swan meets Friday Night Lights meets… well, something that never quite finds its footing.

Honestly, I walked into the theater pumped. Sports horror? Jordan Peele’s production company? Marlon Wayans playing against type? Sign me up. But by the third act, I found myself checking my watch, wondering where exactly this train was headed and why it had derailed so spectacularly.

If you’re looking for an honest Him Movie Review that doesn’t pull punches, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive deep into what works, what doesn’t, and whether this film deserves your time and money.

📊 Quick Movie Info

⭐ Rating: 2.5/5
🎬 Genre: Horror, Sports Thriller, Psychological Horror
⏱ Duration: 1h 36m
📅 Release Date: September 19, 2025
🎭 Cast: Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker
🎬 Director: Justin Tipping
📺 Platform: Theaters / Peacock (Streaming from Oct 7, 2025)

Is HIM worth watching? HIM delivers striking visuals and a powerful Marlon Wayans performance but suffers from confusing storytelling and heavy-handed symbolism. With a 31% critic score and 56% audience score, the film divides viewers. While ambitious in exploring sports culture’s dark side, it ultimately feels disjointed and unsatisfying despite its bold ideas.

Plot Summary: The Dark Side of Greatness

Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) lives and breathes football. The rising-star quarterback has sacrificed everything—relationships, personal identity, normalcy—for a shot at the pros. Just as he’s about to attend the NFL Combine, disaster strikes. An unhinged fan attacks him, causing potentially career-ending brain trauma.

Just when hope seems lost, Cam’s hero extends a lifeline. Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), a legendary eight-time championship quarterback and cultural megastar, invites Cam to train at his isolated compound in the New Mexico desert. Isaiah shares this retreat with his celebrity influencer wife, Elsie (Julia Fox), who radiates an unsettling energy from the moment you meet her.

What begins as a dream training scenario quickly spirals into something far darker. Isaiah’s charisma curdles into something sinister. The training intensifies beyond normal limits. Strange rituals emerge. Other trainees behave oddly. And Cam finds himself descending down a disorienting rabbit hole where the pursuit of excellence demands sacrifices he never anticipated.

The film explores themes of fame, idolatry, toxic masculinity in sports, and the cult-like devotion surrounding professional athletics. It asks uncomfortable questions: What are you willing to sacrifice for greatness? How far is too far? And what happens when your hero reveals their true, monstrous self?

Sounds compelling, right? It should be. But execution matters, and that’s where HIM struggles.

Him Movie Review: Performance Analysis

Marlon Wayans Delivers

Let’s start with the brightest spot: Marlon Wayans is phenomenal. If you only know him from Scary Movie or White Chicks, prepare to be shocked. As Isaiah White, Wayans brings an electrifying intensity that commands every scene. He’s charming, terrifying, vulnerable, and monstrous—sometimes all at once.

This is a career-best performance that deserves recognition. Wayans embodies the charismatic quarterback with such conviction that you understand why people worship him. But he also reveals the rot beneath the surface, the darkness that fame and power have cultivated. His physical transformation is impressive too—the man looks incredible at 52-53, showcasing the dedication his character demands from others.

In several scenes, particularly his intense training monologues and that explosive “Show me!” sequence, Wayans disappears completely into the role. Critics and audiences alike have praised his work, and it’s genuinely heartbreaking that the film around him doesn’t always match his commitment.

Tyriq Withers Holds His Own

Tyriq Withers, a former college wide receiver making his mark as Cameron Cade, delivers a solid performance. He brings physical authenticity to the role—you believe he’s an elite athlete. His descent from hopeful prospect to broken disciple feels genuine, even when the script doesn’t give him enough to work with.

That said, Withers faces an uphill battle. The character’s arc requires him to be increasingly passive and accepting of clearly insane situations, which strains credibility. How long would it take YOU to realize something’s wrong when you witness someone taking a football to the face? Withers does his best, but the writing doesn’t always serve him well.

Julia Fox Steals Every Scene

Here’s something most reviews miss: Julia Fox is the film’s secret weapon. As Elsie White, Isaiah’s trophy wife, Fox brings a malevolent energy that’s absolutely captivating. Every scene she’s in crackles with tension. She’s mysterious, dangerous, and utterly mesmerizing.

Critics have noted that HIM only truly comes alive when Fox is on screen, and they’re not wrong. Her presence suggests depths the film never fully explores, leaving you wanting more. If there’s one performance that hints at the movie this could have been, it’s hers.

Supporting Cast

Tim Heidecker and Jim Jefferies provide comic relief as the creepy coaches, though their roles feel underdeveloped. MMA fighter Maurice Greene and hip-hop artists Guapdad 4000 and Tierra Whack make their feature film debuts in smaller roles, adding authenticity to the sports world atmosphere.

Visual Style & Direction

Stunning Cinematography

If HIM excels at anything beyond Marlon Wayans’ performance, it’s the visuals. Director Justin Tipping and cinematographer Kira Kelly craft absolutely stunning images. The film looks like a high-end Nike commercial directed by David Fincher—sleek, stylized, and meticulously composed.

The New Mexico desert setting provides a haunting backdrop. The isolated compound feels both luxurious and prison-like. The X-ray sequences and body horror elements recall 2000’s The Cell with their surreal beauty. Sandstorm sequences are breathtaking. The color palette shifts subtly as Cam descends deeper into the nightmare.

Every frame is gorgeous. Every shot is精心 composed. The problem? Style over substance.

Direction: Too Much of a Good Thing

Justin Tipping directs with what one critic perfectly described as “the hollow showiness of an advertisement for trainers.” The film is directed to within an inch of its life. Every moment is so stylized, so art-directed, that it becomes exhausting.

Tipping clearly has vision and technical skill. But restraint? Not so much. The film throws everything at the wall—religious imagery, body horror, psychological thriller elements, social commentary, surreal sequences—hoping something sticks. Unfortunately, most of it doesn’t.

The third act is where things really fall apart. As one reviewer noted, “They start explaining. Never explain!” The moment the film begins spelling out its metaphors, the magic evaporates. What could have been subtle and powerful becomes heavy-handed and obvious.

What Works: The Good

Despite its many issues, HIM has genuine strengths worth acknowledging:

The Premise: Exploring sports culture as a form of religion, with quarterbacks as prophets and fans as devotees, is brilliant. The idea that greatness demands sacrifice—sometimes moral, sometimes physical, sometimes spiritual—resonates powerfully.

Marlon Wayans: I can’t stress this enough. His performance is the film’s backbone, and he carries scenes that would collapse without his commitment.

Visual Craft: The cinematography, production design, and sound design are all top-tier. The film is a feast for the eyes and ears, even when it starves the brain.

Ambitious Themes: HIM tackles toxic masculinity, the commodification of Black athletes, the cult of celebrity, and the violence inherent in professional sports. These are important conversations.

Opening Act: The first 30-40 minutes are genuinely compelling. The setup is ominous, the atmosphere is thick with dread, and you’re invested in seeing where this goes.

Julia Fox: Her presence elevates every scene. She’s the film’s MVP after Wayans.

What Doesn’t: The Bad

Now for the uncomfortable truths:

Unclear Message: What exactly is HIM trying to say? Is it about sports? Violence? Masculinity? Race? Fame? Religion? It tries to be about all of these things but doesn’t dig deep enough into any of them. The symbolism is everywhere but means nothing specific.

Pacing Issues: At 96 minutes, the film feels much longer. The middle section drags considerably. Scenes repeat the same beats without adding new information or deepening our understanding.

Character Development: Cam’s girlfriend, mother, and brother are introduced early, then essentially forgotten. They could have been cut entirely without affecting the plot. This isn’t efficient storytelling; it’s lazy.

Sound Mixing Problems: Multiple viewers reported that dialogue was often drowned out by the soundtrack and sound effects. In a theater, this is unacceptable. You should be able to hear what characters are saying.

Third Act Collapse: Just when the film needs to stick the landing, it fumbles. The ending is visually beautiful but narratively incoherent. What’s supposed to happen to Cam now? His final actions seem disconnected from everything that came before.

Over-Explanation: The film doesn’t trust its audience to understand subtext, so it beats you over the head with text. Show, don’t tell—basic filmmaking advice that HIM ignores.

Wasted Potential: This should have been a guaranteed success. The ingredients were all there. But cool ideas don’t automatically coalesce into a powerful narrative.

Him Movie Review: Technical Aspects

Sound Design

The sound design deserves mention for both good and bad reasons. On the positive side, the atmospheric soundscapes are incredible. The Haxan Cloak’s score creates genuine unease. The roar of crowds, the crunch of pads, the whistle of wind through the desert—everything is meticulously crafted.

However, the sound mixing is problematic. Dialogue often gets lost beneath the music and effects. In several key scenes, you’ll strain to hear what characters are saying. This isn’t an artistic choice; it’s a technical failure that undermines the storytelling.

Editing

The editing by Taylor Mason is… aggressive. Quick cuts, jump cuts, disorienting transitions—it’s all very modern and stylish. But it also contributes to the film’s exhausting quality. You never get a moment to breathe, to process what you’ve just seen.

Some scenes feel like they’re missing connective tissue. The film jumps from one striking image to another without always earning those transitions. It’s montage filmmaking taken to an extreme.

Production Design

The compound where Isaiah trains his protégés is a character in itself. The production design creates a space that’s simultaneously luxurious and sinister, inviting and imprisoning. The trophy room, the training facilities, the living quarters—everything speaks to Isaiah’s ego and the cult of personality he’s cultivated.

Box Office & Critical Reception

Let’s talk numbers, because they tell an important story.

Budget: $27 million (estimated)
Domestic Box Office: $25 million
Worldwide Box Office: $27.8 million

The film barely recouped its production budget, not accounting for marketing and distribution costs. This is what the industry calls a “flop”—not a catastrophic disaster, but certainly not a success.

Critical Reception:

• Rotten Tomatoes: 31% Tomatometer (229 reviews), 56% Audience Score (1,000+ verified ratings)
• IMDb: 5.0/10 (22K ratings)
• Metascore: 38

The critics were brutal. The consensus reads: “Fumbling the ball well before the red zone, HIM has style to spare but botches its promising conceit with rookie execution.”

Audiences were more forgiving but still divided. The 56% audience score suggests that while many viewers appreciated the film’s ambition and visuals, just as many felt let down.

Marlon Wayans defended the film on Instagram, writing: “Some movies are ahead of the curve. Innovation is not always embraced and art is to be interpreted and it’s subjective.” He’s not wrong—art is subjective. But that doesn’t automatically make every artistic choice successful.

⭐ Overall Rating: 2.5/5

Here’s the thing about this Him Movie Review: I want to rate the film higher. I really do. The ingredients are all there for something special. Marlon Wayans gives one of the year’s best performances. The visuals are breathtaking. The themes are important.

But potential doesn’t equal execution.

HIM is a gorgeous nothing sandwich—beautiful to look at, but ultimately unsatisfying. It’s a film that tries to run in every direction at once and ends up not fully committing to any of them. The result is a disjointed, confusing experience that leaves you feeling indifferent rather than moved.

Who should watch it?

• Marlon Wayans fans wanting to see his dramatic range
• Cinephiles interested in bold visual storytelling
• Viewers who don’t mind style-over-substance experiments
• Sports horror enthusiasts willing to accept flaws

Who should skip it?

• Anyone expecting a Jordan Peele-level masterpiece
• Viewers who prefer clear, coherent narratives
• People sensitive to poor sound mixing
• Those who get frustrated by ambiguous endings

If you do watch it, manage your expectations. Go in appreciating it as a flawed experiment rather than a finished product. You might find things to admire, even if the whole doesn’t add up to greatness.

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🎬 Final Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The Bottom Line: HIM showcases Marlon Wayans’ dramatic talents and stunning visuals but fumbles its promising premise with confused storytelling and heavy-handed execution. Ambitious but ultimately disappointing.

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Frequently Asked Questions About HIM

1. Is HIM a Jordan Peele movie?

No, HIM is not directed by Jordan Peele, though it’s produced by his Monkeypaw Productions company. The film is directed by Justin Tipping (Kicks). While it shares thematic similarities with Peele’s work—social commentary through horror—it’s distinctly Tipping’s vision. This Him Movie Review clarifies that many viewers mistakenly expected Peele’s directorial touch.

2. What is the movie HIM about?

HIM follows rising football star Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), who suffers a career-threatening injury just before the NFL Combine. His idol, legendary quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), invites him to train at an isolated compound. What begins as a dream opportunity transforms into a nightmare as Isaiah’s charisma reveals something darker, exploring themes of fame, sacrifice, and the cult of sports celebrity.

3. Is HIM worth watching on streaming?

If you’re a Marlon Wayans fan or interested in experimental horror, HIM is worth a rental or streaming watch. However, given its 31% critic score and mixed audience reception, it’s probably not worth a theater ticket unless you’re deeply curious. Wait for it on Peacock or rent it when you’re in the mood for something visually striking but narratively flawed.

4. What is the ending of HIM supposed to mean?

Without spoiling specifics, the ending suggests Cam’s transformation into something akin to what Isaiah wanted to create. However, the film’s ambiguous conclusion leaves interpretation open. Some viewers see it as Cam embracing the darkness; others see it as him becoming trapped in the cycle. The problem? The film doesn’t provide enough narrative groundwork to make either reading fully satisfying.

5. How did critics receive HIM?

Critics were largely negative, giving HIM a 31% Rotten Tomatoes score. Common criticisms include confusing storytelling, heavy-handed symbolism, poor pacing, and wasted potential. However, most reviewers praised Marlon Wayans’ performance and the film’s visual style. Audiences were more forgiving with a 56% score, suggesting the film has some viewer appeal despite critical pans.

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CONCLUSION

Look, I’ll be straight with you—writing this Him Movie Review wasn’t easy. When a film has as much potential as HIM, watching it stumble is genuinely frustrating. You can see the masterpiece it wanted to be, hovering just out of reach.

Marlon Wayans proves he’s a serious dramatic actor capable of carrying a film. The cinematography is award-worthy. The themes are relevant and important. Justin Tipping clearly has vision and technical skill.

But vision without focus is just noise. And HIM is very, very noisy.

The film tries to tackle toxic masculinity, the commodification of Black athletes, sports as religion, the price of fame, and the horror of idolatry. That’s… a lot. Any one of those topics could sustain a great film. Attempting all of them in 96 minutes results in shallow treatment that satisfies none.

If you’re a film student or cinephile, there’s value in watching HIM to study what not to do. If you’re a Marlon Wayans fan, you’ll appreciate seeing his range. If you’re just looking for a good horror movie on a Friday night? Keep scrolling.

The film is now available on Peacock and digital platforms. Rent it if you’re curious. Don’t pay full price. And definitely don’t expect the next Get Out.

Final thought: HIM is a reminder that ambition alone doesn’t make art. You need execution, clarity, and respect for your audience’s intelligence. This film had the first in spades but desperately needed more of the latter two.