"HIM:" All Guts, No Glory

[the following review is spoiler-free]

Ever since his directorial debut, Get Out back in 2017, Jordan Peele has remained one of the film world's most exciting creators. Whether its directing, writing, or producing, everyone is constantly awaiting his next project with baited breath. Ahead of his fourth directing feature, Peele has been hard at work producing HIM, a psychological sports horror by Justin Tipping, which just hit theaters this weekend. But in a year dominated by unique, original scripts, HIM is far from scoring a touchdown.

HIM follows the rise of upcoming football star, Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) and the week he spends training with his hero, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). All in the hopes of becoming the next quarterback of the San Antonio Saviors, but he soon learns that White's training methods are far from orthodox.

The second half of 2025 has been incredibly promising for film, and HIM was one of my more anticipated projects. Nearly all of the movie's marketing was dedicated to Jordan Peele's involvement as producer. Sure, he didn't write or direct it, but this is the closest thing audiences have to a Jordan Peele film before his untitled fourth feature eventually hits theaters. Peele's involvement is palpable in terms of themes and the overall look of the film.

HIM feels like a film that was tailor made to just introduce its lead actor to the mainstream. That being Tyriq Withers, known previously for his recent appearances in 2025's I Know What You Did Last Summer and Donald Glover's Atlanta. Withers carries the entire film on his shoulders. The film certainly has more than its fair share of problems but Withers' performance does deserve some praise.

It would not surprise me if DP, Kira Kelly ends up getting some award season buzz for her incredible work as cinematographer. There were a lot of moments in the theater where I couldn't help but think "wow, that's a great shot." So much attention is put towards visual motifs and strategic lighting, when paired with Taylor Joy Mason's editing, the look of this film is truly something to behold. HIM may very well be one of the most beautifully shot films of the year, unfortunately the visuals are where the praise ends.

Make no mistake, HIM is the most shockingly unsubtle movie since Adam McKay's Don't Look Up. Everything about this movie from the script to the visual motifs to the marketing are all riddled with religious symbolism. The constant references to Christianity are simultaneously the best and worst part about this movie. Audience members are going to feel like they're getting repeatedly bashed over the head with symbolism. It's commendable that Justin Tipping tried to create interesting subtext, but it's truthfully just way too much of a good thing. The only thing I really have to say is: We get it.

If you were to ask everyone who's seen this movie what the worst part was: they're all likely going to say the same thing. It is genuinely impossible to tell apart reality from dream sequence or delusion in this movie. Because the film is so psychological, it's hard to interpret what's actually going on and what's in Cameron's head. Other films before have played with this kind of narrative uncertainty, but in the case of HIM, it just feels like a case of shoddy writing.

The film's ending might have been the biggest disappointment of all. In the third act it feels like the writers completely abandoned the idea of making a coherent story and just thought: "what would look super cool?" HIM is perhaps the most glaring example we've had this year of classic style-over-substance filmmaking. I haven't felt this disappointed by a film since A24's Opus.

I'm impressed by the ambition and clear vision of HIM, but the odd writing choices made this a downright baffling watch.

What's so frustrating is that there is a fantastic movie hidden in here somewhere. There are flickers of brilliance littered throughout HIM, the filmmakers had a golden opportunity to write a movie about the sacrifices professional athletes make, or the dangers of peer pressure, or even about toxic fan culture. All the ingredients are there, but the crew just weren't good enough cooks. Let's just hope that for Tipping and Peele's next projects, they get their scripts straight.