Displaying items by tag: Justin Tipping

HIM

US, 2025, 96 minutes, Colour.

Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies, Maurice Greene, J. Don Benjamin, Austin Pulliam, Richard Lippert.

Directed by Justin Tipping.

In many ways, Him was very difficult film to watch, often a very unpleasant experience. And, with the setting of American football, it seemed somewhat alien. And, yet, despite this, themes and several images remained in the memory for some time after.

With the football theme, it is very much a film for an American audience who appreciates the sport, its demands, the champions, the GOATs (Greatest of All Time - best in field of their sport), the physical tactics, the psychological demands.

And, with the name of Jordan Peele on the producers’ credits, an indication that there might be some horror themes here, remembering Get Away, Us… And there are. Somebody described this film as “sports supernatural”. 2025 saw quite a number of sports-focused films, The Smashing Machine, Christy, Marty Supreme. So, the effect of sports on the central character, the demands and challenges is a contemporary theme.

The central character is Cam, urged on by his football - devoted father urging him to admire the champions, to grow up to be a footballer. And he does, in the form of Tyriq Withers. His idol a GOAT, Isaiah (an unusual role for Marlon Wayans), offers him the chance of going to a summer camp to build up his skills and reputation.

Literally crossing the desert, with weird characters both welcoming and warning, he arrives at the camp, seven days program, severe demands on his physique and his psyche. But it is weird is still with those supernatural elements, and strange experiences of football and players, the staff at the summer camp, drinking and injections of blood, hallucinations, a wisecracking Australian medico (Jim Jefferies), targets of brutal sports manoeuvres…  And, some religious references, perhaps Cam as something of a Jesus figure, and the glimpse of a Last Supper tableau. As mentioned, disturbing for Cam but also increasingly disturbing for the audience, continually unsettling.

And, as might be expected, some issues of authenticity, integrity, morality – dramatised in the executives who make decisions and contracts, Isaiah’s rather bizarre wife, warning, seductive, most odd. Finally, of course, Cam and final challenges and moral decisions, success or integrity.

And, quite a lot of recurring disturbing images even while writing this review.

1. The title, the masculine emphasis, reference to Isaiah, reference to Cam? Men in general, football players, promoters, power…? The appeal for the male audience? Female audience?
2. The American football setting, the appeal for American audiences? International audiences not familiar with the football code? The meaning of GOAT, the Greatest of All Time?
3. A film about power and influence? The influence of football, games and play, football idols? The influence of parents and exhortations? The influence of society and expectations? Ambitions, possibilities of potential, influence of prestige, money? Good and bad motivations?
4. Cam, as a boy, the African-American background, the influence of his father, home life, friends, football, the matches, Isaiah as a role model? The, no glory motif?
5. The name of the football club, the Saviours?
6. Isaiah white, as player, on field, reputation, influence?
7. 14 years later, cam and his potential, for selection? The background to teams, training, selection? Cam and the influence of his agent? Cam and the clash with his cousin, the discussions with his agent about Isaiah, the successor, the camp? The dangers because of his injury?, His girlfriend? And the exhortation about “real men”?
8. The attack, the touch of the supernatural, the mysterious stranger, the GOAT appearance, Cam and his injuries, his head, the effect on the brain, the stitches on his head?
9. The personality of Isaiah White, Marlon Wayans in the role, achievement on the field, injury, retiring, looking for a successor?
10. Cam, going to the camp, remoteness, the visuals of the desert, the strange characters on the way? Indicating the atmosphere? Marjorie and the fans, her later intrusion and attack, Isaiah killing her?
11. The training camp, Isaiah White and his command, the doctor, Australian accent, the wisecracks, the injections, Isaiah’s The c Blind?omments and advice for Cam? The multi martial arts trainer, size, and dominance? The other members of the group, the player and his being the target, the football and his face, continually smashed? The creating of atmosphere? The demands of the head-butting on Cam’s head and brain?
12. The structure of the rest of the film, each day of the week, a particular focus on the training?
13. Cam, his personality, the effect of the attack, his physical strength, yet its being put to the test, beyond the test, failing, Isaiah and his rebukes, the trainer and his dominance, the continual injections by the doctor? The exercise, the demands, running and exhaustion, the bath, the effect on Cam’s body, his psyche? Strange characters, real or in his imagination? And the surprise of the tableau from da Vinci’s Last Supper?
14. The cumulative effect of the days, the variety of activities, exhaustion, decision to keep going, subservience, intimidation? (And the cumulative effect of the audience sharing this experience, long, demanding, continual, and intimidation of the audience?)
15. The buildup to the climax, the effect on Cam, the demands, the meetings with the board, their interrogation, cam and his response to them, the violence, the apt evil, the agent, disconcerting?
16. Cam and his ultimate assertion, the effect on Isaiah, the doctor, atmosphere of mayhem?
17. The atmosphere of men? Male dominance? Elements of misogyny? The women, the glamour, the male gaze, sexuality? The presence of Isaiah’s partner, her appearance, glamour, lips, her talking, her own business, with Isaiah, the discussions with Cam? Part of his hallucinations? The seduction, Cam waking, Isaiah and the gun, the urge for Cam to be remorseless?
18. Elsie and the secret party, to meet the owners, bizarre, the blood, the helmet, the confrontation with Isaiah, bashing him, his death? The decapitated head of the doctor? Realism and imagination?
19. The finale, Elsie, the members of the board, the masks, an assembly, Cam and the contract? The news that his father had arranged for the contract? The revelation of the Kabbalah and its continuance with the blood of each IN goat? His refusal? His attack on the policy and the members? The despairing of Tom, it Tom falling onto the pentagram and his destruction?
20. The melee of the endings, Cam and his refusal, Isaiah surviving and watching cam play football, signing the contract on not?