5 Strong Reasons Why "Him" Is a Risky, Unsettling Interpretation of Football Culture

I saw “Him” over the weekend, and I’m still pondering how sloppy — in the best sense of the word — this movie is. Combining horror, hubris, and the gritty underside of American football, it will not be another movie about sports. If you enjoy films that unnerve you, that compel you to view the ugly side of a sport everybody applauds without hesitation, then this film’s for you.

Here’s the full review of Him — what it’s about, how it dissects the myth of football, what does and doesn’t work, and why, for better or for worse, you should probably get to it now.

Table of Contents

1. What this Movie Is About

“Him” chronicles the life of Cameron “Cam” Cade, a promising young football star whose aspirations are greater than his terror. He’s groomed for greatness from a young age: trained, conditioned, adored nearly. Cam idolizes Isaiah White, a veteran but still iconic quarterback for the San Antonio Saviors. White is everything Cam aspires to be — strength, fame, glory.

5 Strong Reasons Why Him Is a Risky, Unsettling Interpretation of Football Culture: Sickpage — **Image Source:** Hypebeast

Then the injury. A head injury that threatens to end Cam’s career. Recognizing potential in Cam, Isaiah offers him an invitation to a remote desert compound with the possibility of intense training, guidance, and a chance at becoming legend. But behind the scenes, there’s something twisted and bizarre. The compound turns into a place of sacrifice, doubt about himself, religious symbolism, and horrific psychological experiments. What was supposed to be a movie where talent meets opportunity becomes a horror show where the rules are: push harder, believe, obey — and maybe lose yourself.

Released on 19 September 2025, Him is part horror, part sports commentary, and all chaos. It’s not just about winning on the field; it’s about what you’re willing to give away to get there.

2. The Messy Takedown of American Football

What this movie does so well is pull back the curtain on what so many sports films—gloss over and forget. Rather than presenting neat hero arcs, locker-room camaraderie, and victorious touchdowns, it burrows deep into the agony, sacrifice, fanaticism, and frequently poisonous expectations that come with ascending stars.

The film won’t flinch at the physical price tag: brain trauma, shattered bodies, the expectation to push beyond boundaries. But most interestingly, it exposes the devotion humans place in football as though it’s religion. The manner in which fans, parents, promoters—and even the players—treat the game as almost a religion, regard the position of quarterback as sacred, and regard the GOAT legend as quasi-sacred. It is not new ground, but it wears its criticism on its sleeve. It exposes how it is not merely sport in America; it’s myth, identity, ritual.

The compound sequences of training are especially effective: grueling workouts, weird rituals, cult worship, psychological conditioning. You sense how the glory tends to come at the expense of self. And “Him” never lets you forget it.

3. What Works in Him

There are a number of things about Him that impressed me:

Direction & Atmosphere: Justin Tipping creates a dread that is tangible. The compound is as much cult as gym. Lighting, sound, camera angles — there are moments when you do not know whether what you’re witnessing is real or dreamlike. The aesthetic decisions depict the compound as a perversion of a temple rather than a gym.
Performances: Tyriq Withers as Cam Cade is believable as a character grappling with ambition, injury, and identity. Marlon Wayans — typically a comedy guy — commits to darkness, injecting Isaiah White with an equal measure of mentor and tormentor charisma. Julia Fox as Elsie White brings creepily glamorous menace, proof that all the characters in this film are somehow complicit.
Symbolism & Thematic Layers: This movie doesn’t merely depict football. It questions what being a fan is, what it is to revere excellence, what sacrifice entails — not only physical, but spiritual, psychological, emotional. There are open religious references—shrines, ritual, worship—and visual metaphors that linger. These imbue the film with depth, even when plot is falters.
Scene Construction: Certain scenes are memorable. The fan devotion scenes, the combine tryout scenes, the night scenes in the desert compound with hallucination or intense training are visually strong and stick with you. They haunt you, which is the intention of good horror or psychological film. They sink in.

4. Where Him Falters

Despite the personal respect I had for this movie, it’s not an ideal film. Some things took me out of the story:

Plot Coherence: The story occasionally dips so far into symbolism and surreal horror that it loses sight of rooting us in character motivation. Cam’s inner struggle is occasionally unclear: how much does he truly desire the glory? Occasionally, I was less interested in what occurs to him, because I didn’t entirely know what his final stakes are besides “be great.”
Overuse of Metaphor: Symbolism is strong, but Him occasionally buries so much of it—religious symbolism, cult behavior, exploitation of faith—that it borders on being clunky. There are some scenes that are visceral and intense, but there are others that become almost theatrical, as if the film is trying to show you how creative it can be but loses emotional sense.
Tone and Pace Problems: There are times when it feels unbalanced. Parts intended to be tense lag sometimes; frightening moments turn out to be aesthetic rather than frightening. For those who anticipate a persistent pace or firm narrative drive, there could be frustration.
Emotional Connection: Perfs are solid, but I wished for more vulnerable moments from Cam that don’t involve injury or cult dynamics. More stillness, more inner conflict expressed rather than described. The Film too readily occupies extremes—glory vs horror, worship vs devastation—less of the in-between gray.

5. Should you Watch it?

Despite its shortcomings, it is worth watching. It’s one of the few new films that takes the Hollywood style spectacle and combines it with criticism, instead of merely basking sports idols. It makes us confront what football culture has made acceptable: obsession, danger, physical and emotional harm, and how young players are shaped, sometimes destroyed, in the name of success.

In a time when America sends out to export so many of its myths—particularly sports myths—films like this one reflect. They pose questions to us: What do we pay in terms of cost for entertainment? What do we lose? And do we even notice the loss when we applaud?

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Conclusion

It is not a tidy victory; it’s a crazy ride. It stumbles in places, but it smashes down moments of truth, horror, and lovely darkness. It poses uncomfortable questions: what do we celebrate, what do we turn a blind eye to, and how much of ourselves do we sacrifice in pursuit of greatness?

So go watch this movie. Let it disturb you. Let its representation of USA football culture linger. And yes, take a friend — so you can have someone to discuss it with on the ride home. Because the greatest films are the ones that linger.

Final Thoughts & My Verdict

If you like films that make you think—and squirm—It is worth seeing. Not because it’s flawless, but because it takes its risks seriously. It’s messy, ambitious, sometimes over the top, but it’s more interesting for it.

Would I suggest that you go to see Him in cinemas? Yes, particularly if you like entertainment that provokes. If you’re a fan of football, or of horror, or of tales of fame and identity, this strikes home in ways that most mainstream films will not. Just go with the knowledge that you will end up with more questions than answers.

Out on 19 September, It is on your must-see list. Go see it, switch off your phone, and let it disturb you.

FAQs

What’s so different about this movie compared to other football films?
Unlike most football movies, which are about victory, camaraderie, or redemption stories, this one goes into horror and psychological distortion. It doesn’t hesitate from brutal sacrifice: physical harm, mental stress, the cult of veneration around sport. It employs horror’s instruments—dramatic visuals, surrealism, fear—to illustrate how football is something beyond a game; to illustrate how it is myth, obsession.
Is it a sports drama or a horror movie?
It’s both, but it moves heavily into horror. The spine is the drama of football, the drive, the conditioning, the physical toll. But that spine gets twisted around by fear, ritual, hallucination, and terror. So if you see it with a conventional sports drama in mind, be prepared to have your expectations shattered.
Are the scenes directed and shot well? Do they stick with you?
Yes, there are so many standout scenes. The oppressive atmosphere of the compound, the testing of the combine, the fan rituals—visually, they’re stunning. Lighting and sound are employed wisely to create tension. Some of the horror works better than others, but on style, it succeeds. It’s the sort of film where even if you can criticize story, you’ll still recall what it looked and felt like.
Will this film work if I am not familiar with USA football?
Yes. Sure, knowledge of football is helpful—knowing what it takes to be a quarterback, the subculture surrounding scouting and celebrity—you don’t have to be a football fan. The subject matter is larger: ambition, identity, idolatry, sacrifice. Even audiences who are not familiar with football’s minutia will catch the emotional heft and the horror tropes.
Do I watch it on the big screen, or wait until streaming?
Watching it in the theaters is well worth it, particularly for the audio and the visuals. The horror and surrealism of scenes are more impactful with a cinema’s capability. That being said, if you can be patient, you can wait until streaming, particularly if you wish to rewatch, break down scenes, or watch with commentary. But for initial impact, theaters are where it’s at.