<\/p>\n
By now, it\u2019s no secret that \u201cHim,\u201d the Justin Tipping-directed, Jordan Peele-produced sports horror flick, isn\u2019t the stellar blockbuster some expected it to be when it hit theaters on Sept. 19 \u2014 although its premise did seem promising.<\/p>\n
In an effort to answer the question, \u201cWhat would you sacrifice to become the greatest of all time?\u201d \u201cHim\u201d follows the journey of Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), a rising-star quarterback who has sacrificed everything and devoted his entire life to the game of football to fulfill his late father\u2019s (Don Benjamin) wish of becoming the GOAT. His dreams are jeopardized after a mysterious stranger hits him in the head on the football field and gives him a traumatic brain injury.<\/p>\n
But just as all hope is lost, Cade\u2019s idol, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), a legendary quarterback and current GOAT \u2014 who also plays for Cade\u2019s favorite team, the San Antonio Saviors \u2014 invites the young prodigy to his remote compound for a week of intense training to prove he has what it takes to replace White once he retires. However, as Cade\u2019s training ramps up, and White\u2019s ritualistic test gets more deranged, the young quarterback discovers that he\u2019s expected to sacrifice much more than just his blood, sweat and tears for the sport he loves to attain a near-impossible dream.<\/p>\n
This is more or less when \u201cHim\u201d starts to fall apart, as it tries to blend elements of horror with social commentary on a gladiatorial sport that, by its message, often leaves Black men broke down, beat up and ultimately screwed over by white ownership for their entertainment. Its effort left critics less than impressed, though.<\/p>\n
The initial reviews were harsh, with criticisms on everything from the movie\u2019s muddled messaging on the dangers of professional football and exploitation of Black bodies to its failed attempts at venturing into actual scary territory.<\/p>\n
Some of those points are valid. I, too, had a few concerns with the film, particularly its oddly handled fight-to-the-death ending that hardly feels in service to the point that the film tried<\/em> to make. I also wish \u201cHim\u201d had invested just as much time into White\u2019s backstory as it did Cade\u2019s. It would\u2019ve been helpful to know why his football-obsessed character ranked the sport over everything else in his life, family and God included, and why he turned out the way he did. That might\u2019ve answered a few questions about his demise as well.<\/p>\n Still, there are some forgiving aspects of \u201cHim\u201d that are being overshadowed by bomb reviews online.<\/p>\n Like the impressive, dramatic performance of Wayans, which comes as no surprise if you\u2019ve seen the actor in this bag before (see his roles in \u201cRequiem for a Dream,\u201d \u201cRespect,\u201d \u201cBel-Air,\u201d etc.). The usually comedic Wayans brother plays a menacing mentor-like figure to Cade, who goes completely off the rails by the movie\u2019s end. His part makes up for an awkward script written by Tipping, Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie. Similarly, Withers, who\u2019s relatively new to Hollywood, holds his own next to his co-star and uses his personal experience as a former college wide receiver to his advantage where it counts.<\/p>\n On the other hand, I still have mixed feelings about Julia Fox playing White\u2019s celebrity influencer wife and why she had such an involved role in the film\u2019s ending. But her acting wasn\u2019t terrible.<\/p>\n Overall, performances saved \u201cHim\u201d where it otherwise lacked. However, the discourse surrounding the film hasn\u2019t been as nuanced, with some who saw it opening week giving it an immediate thumbs down.<\/p>\n Whatever the opinions of \u201cHim\u201d are, I think it\u2019s important to remember it\u2019s still a film worth engaging with. Allowing critics\u2019 reviews or first reactions to dictate whether people want to see a movie feels like letting others\u2019 opinions control our own. And all that does is limit the perspective through which we view art (or whatever you categorize \u201cHim\u201d as).<\/p>\n Wayans responded to negative reviews of \u201cHim\u201d by acknowledging that critics\u2019 work \u201cshapes our industry, but an opinion does not always mean it\u2019s everyone\u2019s opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n