Ticketworthy! - Him

Some movies hide what they are about using metaphors and subtle foreshadowing. They force their audience to dig through the narrative and examine every scene to figure out what the filmmakers are trying to say. Done correctly, this can lead to a fun, intellectually stimulating time at the movies that turns the watcher into something of a detective, piecing together the clues to reach a satisfying conclusion. Other films don’t trust their audience enough for that, putting their message front and center with giant neon signs to make sure nobody misses it. Him is the second kind of movie, but it really should have been the first kind.

The story follows Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), a generationally talented college quarterback who is invited by the major league MVP and living legend Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) to train at his compound for a week. White might be retiring and wants to find out if Cameron could be his successor. What starts as a normal, if intense, football camp quickly turns into a nightmare that tests Cameron’s sanity and dedication to the game.

On the surface, it’s a film about the dangers of hero worship and sacrificing everything for football. Cameron is attacked right before the draft combine and suffers a traumatic brain injury, which he is pushed to ignore and risk injuring further. If you think this only happens once, that perhaps there’s a single scene where he goes too far and hurts himself, then you don’t understand the kind of film Him is. It drives the point home again, and again, and again. It does the same with the completely unsubtle digs at how we worship athletes. At one point, Cameron is literally framed as Jesus in a recreation of the Last Supper. It’s all a bit too on the nose.

None of that is the fault of Withers or Wayans, both of whom do a perfectly fine job with what they are given. Wayans in particular is animated and frightening in his villainous role. The two of them do a lot of heavy lifting to make this movie at least watchable. 

I cannot say the same for the direction from Justin Tipping, which is uneven at best. Some shots are framed too wide, making it difficult to tell what’s even happening, while others linger far too long on closeups. Characters emerge from the background frequently, sneaking up on our hero, and it works maybe once. Every other time it just looks kind of silly. The editing also leaves a lot to be desired, with jump cuts that force the audience to work to keep up with what’s going on. It’s all shot to be intentionally disorienting and confusing, which I understand is an artistic choice. However, being difficult to watch on purpose doesn’t change the fact that it’s difficult to watch.

Somewhere inside all of this mess is a really good movie. You can see glimpses of it. The cast has plenty of talent to manage it. Unfortunately, the script and the direction let them down by treating the audience like they aren’t smart enough to get what the film is about. By the time the third act rolls around, and we get an absolutely insane finale, it’s mostly just hard to care. The whole experience is so in-your-face that you’re numb to the shock. Him may be about a surefire 1st round pick, but the movie should probably go undrafted.