HIM
**
Directed by Justin Tipping.
Starring Tyriq Withers, Marlon Wayans, Julia Fox.
Horror, US, 96 minutes, Certificate 18.
Released in cinemas in the UK by Universal Pictures International on 3rd October
You could not help but notice producer Jordan Peele’s name plastered all over the promotional materials for Justin Tipping’s directorial debut HIM, bringing to mind a story that has been making the rounds since the release of WEAPONS stormed the box office. Apparently, during the heated bidding war for Zach Cregger’s script, Peele’s production company Monkeypaw Productions completely fumbled the ball and let the project get away from them, leading an irate Peele to fire a large number of his own staff. It is not hard to feel some measure of sympathy for the esteemed writer/director/producer, that he was unable to have his name attached to what would turn out to be one of the most successful and acclaimed films of the year. Instead, only weeks later, he has to settle for being one of the main selling points for this clumsy and often mystifying film that has had the exact opposite effect on audiences and critics alike.
HIM starts off on a promising note with the introduction of Cam, a young promising quarterback, suffering a cranial injury after a surreal attack has left him with a prominent scar held together by a set of metal stitches. With his career on the line, Cam accepts the opportunity to train with his idol Isaiah, an aging superstar of the field who is aggravated by rumours of his own retirement. Relocating to Isaiah’s remote desert compound, Cam soon finds himself intimidated not only by his dubious training regime but by his hero who acts more and more erratic and sadistic as the week goes on. Dealing with his own mental issues, Cam soon realises that there may be a far more serious and sinister force at play behind his path to fame and fortune.
American football is ideally suited for cinema with all of its gladiatorial pomp and ceremony. Just as fascinating, even to a non-sports fan such as myself, is the physical and psychological toll that the sport often wreaks on its players. Director and co-writer Justin Tipping, however tries to cram in a whole lot more with a number of horror tropes, that in a surer set of hands may have worked more successfully than it does here. The result is an often confusing film that continuously rushes onwards and trips itself up at every turn. It seems at times that Tipping is aiming for that juxtaposition of the surreal and the mundane that makes Peele’s own works so memorable, both visually and thematically, but he cannot quite grasp on how to make it work for himself.
One of the biggest hooks here is seeing Marlon Wayans tackle a rare non-comedic role, something he did so memorably all those years ago in REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. His turn here, while still tinged with moments of dark humour, is easily the most entertaining aspect of the film. As Cam, Tyriq Withers also makes a decent impression after his amusing turn in the recent I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER sequel. Their good work in this twisted mentor and pupil relationship manages to shine through Tipping's numerous directorial flourishes which aim for something kaleidoscopic and hallucinatory but soon become repetitive and jarring instead.
The revelations when they come fail to stir much of any reaction other than apathy and familiarity. The tone lurches from one stable to another before deciding to settle on a seemingly blackly humorous note which aims to provide a much needed catharsis. Once again though, the film fails in providing any laughs or satisfaction, even when dropping in a whole new element into the film that also fails to fit in with any satisfying effect. As a horror HIM is a failure. As a satire it fails to even greater effect. It may be unfair to say it, but you could just watch WEAPONS again.
Iain MacLeod