HIM is a Horrific Football Masterpiece
HIM is the horror movie to kick off not only the NFL Fall season but also Halloween. In an unexpected twist of genres, HIM brings audiences the best of both worlds by creating a movie that is not only an adventure but a terrifying one. This movie was directed by Justin Tipping and produced by the cornerstone, Jordan Peele. The movie stars an interesting cast of celebrities with Marlon Wayans playing the main antagonist and Julia Fox being his sexy accomplice. The lead protagonist is played by Tyriq Withers, who cameo'd in Season 3 of Atlanta. From this cast, you would expect the movie to be a comedy, and it actually was quite funny, but a few laughs were the only break you were getting on this wild ride.
HIM follows Cameron Cade, played by Tyirq Withers, who has dreamed his whole life of being a star football player. He idolized and copied his favorite quarterback, Isaiah White of the Saviors. After years of training and dedication to playing football, Cam sees himself with a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the NFL combine. However, the night before the combine, he is attacked by an unknown assailant and given a serious concussion. Cam misses his opportunity but is extended a special opportunity by Isaiah White to train with him for a week and please the owners of the Saviors. Despite the reservations from Cam's doctor, his family and friends push him to take the opportunity. Then, his decent into hell begins.
This movie is extremely unique! Mixing occult horror with the anxieties of being a professional athlete. As an athlete myself, I immediately identified with the worries of Cam. Athletes in sports like football, hockey, and rugby put their body on the line for their job. And the effects are usually irreversible. This movie is filled with occult easter eggs, hints, and real-life equivalents of athletic sacrifice. The movie plays heavily on the word "sacrifice," exploiting both its mystical and literal meanings with uneasy imagery and events. The movie is terrifying! Making audiences guess between literal odd occurrences or concussion-induced hallucinations through the eyes of Cameron Cade.
But what does it all mean? This movie has left both audiences and critics confused. Many people gave the movie a negative rating simply because it doesn't spell out the message it's trying to send. On the surface, HIM touches on toxic masculinity, sexuality, and the cult like religion of football. But if you look deeper, the movie is actually about the grooming and abuse of young boys, especially young black boys, for the pursuit of entertainment. Football, like other contact sports, takes a toll on the body. So badly that many athletes retire at the age of 27 with so much physical and psychological damage that they can barely function as competent members of society.
HIM begins with Cam receiving a career-ending concussion, but throughout the movie it only gets worse. A reality that many athletes have had to deal with at a young age. The world of Football is fleeting. Being out of the sport for one to two seasons can end one's entire career, thus young boys are required to make the tough decision to sacrifice their body, and keep going. The gruesome truth of this reality is that many older adults, mentors, coaches, teachers, family, and friends are pushing for young boys to make the sacrifice because it will give everyone a better chance at getting rich. This is a lot of pressure and stress for young men who aren't even old enough to drink at a bar.
The most peculiar takeaway from HIM is that Blackmen are at the center of the movie with Isaiah White and Cameron Cade being Blackmen and most other characters in the movie being white. The movie makes a bolder observation, that young Blackmen are usually forced into the hellish debacle that is HIM. Groomed from a young age to be a cash cow for a family simply looking for chance into the limelight.
Start your spooky season right with this chilling touchdown of a movie!
Sincerely,
OG TRXDE