HIM

Right from the start, HIM feels like a turning point for Marlon Wayans. This is the sort of role he’s waited for—serious, intense, layered. He isn’t just playing a scary mentor—he owns every moment, and whatever flaws the film could have, you hardly notice with him on screen.

Some critics grumbled that this “football movie” didn’t show much football. They completely missed the point. This isn’t Any Given Sunday or Remember the Titans. HIM isn’t about games. It’s horror, wrapped in ambition, guilt, and manipulation. Cam (Tyriq Withers) isn’t just chasing success on the field—he’s also burdened by the memory of upsetting his father, and that guilt makes him vulnerable in ways the film leans on powerfully.

Visually, HIM is something else. The cinematography and framing are almost hypnotic—every shot is so clean and precise you could lift stills and hang them in a gallery. The use of red lighting paired with the hallucinations, clipped dialogue, and cold, concrete-walled setting makes it feel like you’ve stumbled into purgatory—or maybe hell’s waiting room. The effect is unsettling and stylish in equal measure.

As for the horror itself, it finds a balance between psychological and physical. There are a few jolting moments of violence—one scene on the training ground in particular is hard to shake—but it never feels overdone. The gore is used sparingly, giving those scenes real weight without distracting from the story.

Yes, the setup of a dark mentor preying on a vulnerable soul has been done before. Insert: think Star Wars, with Palpatine whispering temptations to Anakin; Whiplash, where Fletcher pushes a young drummer to breaking point; or even Black Swan, with Nina being pushed into obsession by those around her. HIM sits in that tradition—but what makes it stand out is how it delivers that story with its own sharp tools: striking visuals, a heavy bass soundtrack that underpins the tension, and two powerful central performances.

Wayans brings real weight and menace, while Withers holds the emotional core with innocence and fragility. Together, they keep the film grounded and gripping.

In short: HIM may not be the most original horror concept, but it’s executed with such style and confidence that it feels fresh. Between the visuals, the atmosphere, the sound design, flashes of well-placed horror, and a career-defining turn from Marlon Wayans, it’s one of the most memorable horrors to hit UK cinemas this year. This is one time I’d encourage people to ignore Rotten Tomatoes and just go and experience the film for themselves.