If you searched for a HIM movie review, you probably want more than a simple yes-or-no answer. You may be wondering what the film is actually about, how scary or gory it is, what Jordan Peele has to do with it, and why reactions to the movie have been so divided.

Directed by Justin Tipping, HIM is a 2025 horror thriller about football, fame, obsession, sacrifice, and the pressure to become the best. The movie stars Tyriq Withers as rising quarterback Cameron “Cam” Cade and Marlon Wayans as legendary football star Isaiah White. Jordan Peele is one of the film’s producers through Monkeypaw Productions; he did not direct the movie.

This HIM movie review examines the story, horror elements, performances, themes, weaknesses, reception, and audience expectations so you can understand what kind of movie this is before watching.

Note: Several movies use the title Him. This review focuses specifically on the 2025 football-horror film directed by Justin Tipping.

HIM Movie Review: What Is the Film About?

At the center of HIM is Cameron “Cam” Cade, a young football player whose promising career is suddenly thrown into uncertainty after a violent attack.

Cam gets an unexpected opportunity when legendary quarterback Isaiah White invites him to his isolated compound for training. Isaiah is not just another professional athlete. To Cam, he is an idol and a symbol of everything the young quarterback hopes to become.

At first, the invitation seems like a dream opportunity.

But the training experience quickly becomes disturbing.

The isolated environment, increasingly strange behavior, physical punishment, drugs, hallucinations, and supernatural elements push Cam into a situation where it becomes difficult to separate athletic training from psychological and physical control.

Cameron Cade’s Journey

Cam’s story is important because the movie is not simply about winning football games.

He is trying to prove that he belongs at the highest level of professional football. That ambition makes him vulnerable to the expectations surrounding greatness.

The more Cam learns about Isaiah and the world surrounding him, the more complicated his dream becomes.

Isaiah White’s Role

Marlon Wayans plays Isaiah White, the legendary quarterback who becomes Cam’s mentor.

Isaiah is deliberately difficult to read. At different moments, he can appear supportive, intimidating, inspirational, manipulative, or threatening.

That uncertainty is one of the main reasons the movie feels psychologically unsettling.

HIM Movie Review: Is It Actually Scary?

If you’re looking for a HIM movie review mainly to determine whether the film is scary, the answer depends heavily on what you mean by scary.

HIM is not primarily a traditional jump-scare horror movie.

It combines psychological horror, supernatural imagery, body horror, disturbing violence, and surreal sequences. The film is also extremely graphic, making its content warnings important for viewers who are sensitive to gore.

Psychological and Supernatural Horror

The movie repeatedly creates uncertainty around what Cam is experiencing.

That uncertainty makes some scenes more disturbing than frightening. Instead of relying entirely on conventional monsters or jump scares, HIM creates an atmosphere in which Cam’s surroundings become increasingly difficult to understand.

Body Horror and Graphic Violence

This is where viewers who dislike gore should be particularly careful.

The film contains stabbing, impalement, severed body parts, bloody injuries, weapons, and other graphic imagery. The movie is rated R for strong bloody violence, language, sexual material, nudity, and some drug use.

Is HIM Scary, Disturbing, or Both?

For many viewers, HIM is more disturbing and surreal than conventionally scary.

If you enjoy body horror, strange imagery, psychological unease, and films that leave you questioning what you have seen, its approach may work for you.

If you prefer straightforward horror with a clearly explained supernatural threat and predictable rules, the movie may feel frustrating.

HIM Movie Review: What Does HIM Do Well?

A major strength of HIM is that it has a concept that immediately stands out.

Football and horror are not usually combined in this particular way. Instead of simply placing a horror story inside a sports setting, the film connects the pursuit of athletic greatness with fear, sacrifice, obsession, and control.

The Visual Style

Justin Tipping gives the movie a distinctive visual identity.

The isolated training compound, carefully composed frames, surreal imagery, and increasingly disturbing scenes create an atmosphere that feels different from a standard sports drama.

Even viewers who dislike the story’s direction may find individual images memorable.

The Football-Horror Concept

The basic premise is one of the movie’s most interesting ideas.

Professional sports already involve enormous pressure to perform, sacrifice, compete, and maintain an image of physical perfection. HIM exaggerates those pressures until they become part of a horror story.

That gives the movie more to discuss than its gore alone.

Marlon Wayans’ Performance

Marlon Wayans is another major talking point.

Isaiah needs to be charismatic enough that Cam would realistically idolize him, but threatening enough that the audience becomes suspicious of him.

That combination gives Wayans a very different role from the comedic characters many viewers associate with him.

Where Does HIM Fall Short?

This part of the HIM movie review looks at where the film’s ambitious ideas do not always translate into a clear or satisfying story.

The same ambition that makes HIM interesting can also make it frustrating.

The film introduces several ideas but does not always explain how they connect.

Story Clarity

One common criticism of the movie is that its symbolism and narrative ideas can become difficult to follow.

Instead of giving every strange event a straightforward explanation, HIM often leaves viewers to interpret what is happening.

That approach can work for audiences who enjoy ambiguity, but it can be frustrating if you want a tightly explained horror story.

Character Development

Cam’s journey is central to the movie, but some viewers may feel that the character does not receive enough development to make every emotional turn fully convincing.

The movie spends considerable time building its atmosphere and symbolism, sometimes at the expense of straightforward character development.

Heavy Symbolism

Football, masculinity, fame, sacrifice, religion, power, and exploitation all appear within the movie’s thematic framework.

The issue is not that HIM has too many ideas. Rather, some of those ideas can feel underdeveloped or disconnected.

That helps explain why different viewers can walk away from the same movie with very different interpretations.

Why Are HIM Reviews So Divided?

One of the most useful things to understand before watching HIM is that its reception has been mixed.

Some reactions focus on the movie’s visual style, unusual concept, performances, and social themes. Other reactions criticize its narrative clarity, character development, and the way its symbolism comes together.

The disagreement makes more sense when you consider what different viewers expect from horror.

Someone looking for an experimental, symbolic, surreal film may appreciate its ambiguity.

Someone expecting a conventional football thriller with clearly explained supernatural rules may have a very different reaction.

Rather than treating one reaction as the definitive answer, it is more useful to understand what the movie is trying to do and whether that approach matches your preferences.

What Is HIM Trying to Say About Football?

A major reason to watch HIM is its attempt to use football as a metaphor for larger ideas about success and identity.

Football as Religion

The film treats football almost like a belief system.

Players are celebrated, worshipped, judged, and sacrificed for the pursuit of greatness.

The idea is especially important because Cam does not simply want a career. He wants to become extraordinary.

The Pressure to Become the GOAT

Modern sports culture often focuses heavily on being the greatest.

That pressure can make athletes feel as though being talented is not enough. They must constantly improve, sacrifice more, win more, and prove themselves again.

HIM turns that pressure into something darker.

Sacrifice and Masculinity

The movie also explores ideas about masculinity and the expectation that men should tolerate pain to prove themselves.

The concept of sacrifice appears early in Cam’s story and becomes increasingly disturbing as the training progresses.

The film therefore connects physical toughness with a larger question:

How much should someone be willing to sacrifice in order to become the best?

Athletes, Fame, and Exploitation

Another interpretation centers on the way successful athletes can become products.

The player becomes a brand. Performance becomes a business. Physical health becomes part of the entertainment industry.

HIM pushes this idea toward horror by asking what happens when the pursuit of excellence becomes more important than the person pursuing it.

HIM Movie Review: Is It Worth Watching?

If you’re searching for a HIM movie review because you’re deciding whether to watch the film, think about the type of movie you normally enjoy.

You May Enjoy HIM If…

• You like psychological or supernatural horror.
• You enjoy body horror and graphic violence.
• You like surreal or symbolic movies.
• You enjoy films that leave some questions unanswered.
• You are interested in sports stories with darker themes.
• You like horror that mixes social commentary with disturbing imagery.
• You enjoy unusual genre combinations.

You May Not Enjoy It If…

• You want a simple, clearly explained story.
• You dislike extreme gore.
• You prefer traditional jump-scare horror.
• You want every mystery explained.
• You expect football to be the main focus throughout the movie.
• You dislike heavily symbolic storytelling.

What Should You Expect Before Watching?

Go into HIM expecting something much stranger than a normal sports movie.

It is a short film running around 96 minutes, but it packs horror, football, surreal imagery, graphic violence, sexuality, drugs, and social commentary into that runtime.

The best approach is to avoid expecting a conventional sports drama.

Who Directed HIM and Who Is in the Cast?

Any HIM movie review should clarify the director, main cast, and Jordan Peele’s role because his name is closely associated with the movie.

HIM was directed by Justin Tipping, with Tyriq Withers playing Cameron “Cam” Cade and Marlon Wayans playing Isaiah White. Julia Fox plays Elsie, with Tim Heidecker and Jim Jefferies also appearing in the cast.

The film was produced by Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, and Jamal M. Watson, among others.

Jordan Peele’s involvement is worth clarifying because his name appears prominently in the movie’s marketing.

Peele did not direct HIM. Justin Tipping is the director; Peele is a producer.

That distinction matters because viewers expecting another Jordan Peele-directed film may approach HIM with different expectations.

Where Can You Watch HIM?

HIM was released theatrically on September 19, 2025.

The movie’s official home-entertainment information provides current purchase and rental options, while streaming availability can vary by country and change over time.

For the latest availability, check the official Universal Pictures At Home listing before watching.

You can also check Rotten Tomatoes for current streaming and rental information in your region.

FAQs about him movie review

Is HIM based on a true story?

No. HIM is a fictional horror thriller. Its football setting and themes about athletic pressure may draw on recognizable aspects of sports culture, but the story itself is fictional.

Is HIM a football movie or a horror movie?

It is primarily a horror/thriller that uses professional football as its central setting and thematic framework.

Is HIM very gory?

Yes. Gore is one of the movie’s most prominent content considerations. Viewers should expect strong bloody violence, graphic injuries, and disturbing imagery.

Is HIM suitable for teenagers?

The film is rated R in the United States for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual material, nudity, and some drug use.

Parents should review the movie’s content warnings before deciding whether it is appropriate for a particular teenager.

Did Jordan Peele direct HIM?

No. Justin Tipping directed HIM. Jordan Peele is a producer on the film through Monkeypaw Productions.

Is HIM connected to Get Out or Us?

There is no indication that HIM is a sequel or direct story continuation of Get Out or Us. Jordan Peele’s involvement is as a producer rather than director.

Why is HIM so strange?

The movie combines sports culture, psychological horror, supernatural imagery, body horror, symbolism, and surreal sequences.

Its unusual structure is also one reason reactions to the film differ so much.

Are there other movies called HIM?

Yes. There are other films using the title Him. If you’re searching for reviews, streaming information, or cast details, make sure you are looking at the 2025 football-horror film directed by Justin Tipping.

Final Thoughts on This HIM Movie Review

This HIM movie review comes down to expectations rather than a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

The film has an unusual premise, distinctive visual style, strong horror imagery, and several themes worth discussing. At the same time, its symbolism, narrative choices, and character development may not work equally well for every viewer.

If you enjoy experimental horror, body horror, surreal storytelling, and movies that use genre conventions to explore fame, masculinity, sacrifice, and the pursuit of greatness, HIM gives you plenty to unpack.

If you prefer straightforward plots, conventional horror structure, or stories that clearly explain their mysteries, the movie may leave you with more questions than answers.

Ultimately, the most useful question is not simply whether HIM is a “good” or “bad” horror movie. Consider whether its combination of football, psychological horror, graphic violence, symbolism, and social commentary matches the experience you want from a movie.

That is why HIM remains an interesting film to discuss, even when viewers disagree about how successfully all of its ideas come together.