‘Him‘ Review: Marlon Wayans Delivers a Devilishly Compelling Performance in โขSatanicโฃ Football Thriller
LOS ANGELES – Marlon โWayans stars as aโ seemingly ageless quarterbackโ in “Him,” a โnew R-rated horror thriller exploring themes of pain, devotion, and manipulation within teh high-stakes world of professional football.โค the film, released in wide release Friday, Sept. 19, โfeatures a score by Bobby Krlic (a.k.a. the Haxan Cloak), who โขalsoโ composed the โฃmusic for “Midsommar,” and โstriking visuals crafted by editor Taylor Joy โฃMason and cinematographer Kelly Kelly, utilizing techniques including thermal imaging and X-ray footage.
The film โขcenters on Cameronโ (Jermaine fowler), a rising football star, and his complex relationship with his childhood โคhero, Isaiah (Wayans). Isaiah, in peak physical condition at age โ53 โข- nearly a decade older than Tom Brady was when he retired – embodies a conviction thatโข he can defy aging. He oscillates between motivational speeches andโฃ threats, and is visually striking in outfits โcovered in weighted beads.
Critics note Wayans’ performance as a standout,while Fowler portrays Cameron with “physical confidence andโ perfect posture and drilled obedience.” However,the plot’s โcoherence has been questioned,with some reviewers finding it โคtough too answer โคbasic questionsโข about character motivations and the story’s ultimate direction after multiple viewings. Cameron’s character, โin particular, is described as passively accepting everything from injectionsโ to violence, speaking about his career “clinically and neutrally” as a “product” โrather thanโ someone who enjoys “playing.”
“Him” is rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexualโ material, nudity and someโฃ drugโข use, and โขhas a running time of 1โ hour, 36 minutes.