By Sophie Albertie
A horror movie about football seems promising enough, but Justin Tipping’s Him is flashier than Friday Night Lights, and not in a good way.
Produced by Jordan Peele, the film focuses on Cameron “Cam” Cade, a promising quarterback who suffers a traumatic head injury after being attacked by a crazed fan. As Cade continues to seek success instead of recovery, his perception of reality starts to blur as his childhood hero offers to continue training him at an isolated compound. Will the athlete prevail against all odds, or succumb to the pressures of his lifelong dream?
The motion picture runs 90 minutes, but the viewing experience goes long. I really wanted to love this story, but Tipping focuses less on plot and more on aesthetics. Themes of toxic masculinity and societal pressure run deep under every line of dialogue and all of the plot points, but they are heavily played up in a way that downplays the seriousness of every scene. The rising action turns positively David Lynchian as colors strobe and random unhinged characters emerge from the woodworks to stop Cade from escaping the surreal portal he has seemingly been dropped into without any warning.
The last half feels like Midsommar for jocks. When the credits roll, audiences that desire linear storytelling will ask themselves: what was the point of all of that?
Avoid this movie if you consider yourself a Jordan Peele fan, this does not hold a candle to any other film he’s been a part of because he didn’t direct it. Loads of potential wasted on a half hearted execution. Two stars mostly for the concept.
