8-time championship-winning quarterback for the Saviors, Isaiah “Zay” White (Marlon Wayans, Air, Respect), is getting close to retirement, and young phenom Cameron “Cam” Cade (Tyriq Withers, Atlanta, I Know What You Did Last Summer) is being eyed as his replacement, the next G.O.A.T. However, just before the draft, Cam is attacked and injured during a late night practice, experiencing some severe brain trauma, which leaves his future and career in football in question. After he fails to make a positive impression at the USFF Universal Foodball Federation Combine, where he was the favored draft pick of his class, Cam gets a second chance. Isaiah has invited him to come to his training facility for a week to prove to Zay and the Saviors’ owners that he’s still got it.

It is a massive facility in the middle of the desert, and as he arrives, Cam’s vehicle is met with chants from some angry fans who don’t seem to want him there—they are devoted to Zay like a cult, and are worried that Cam has come to replace him. Cam heads inside where he meets Zay, his wife Elsie (Julia Fox, Uncut Gems, Presence) and team doctor Marco (Jim Jefferies, The Jim Jefferies Show). They say never to meet your idols, but Zay is just as charismatic as Cam had hoped he would be. As the training begins, Cam quickly learns that this isn’t going to be a walk in the park. He is put through some grueling physical tasks, and is constantly asked what he is willing to sacrifice in order to be the next G.O.A.T., and the answer is always Everything. However, the team’s doctor is injecting him with unknown serums, and he’s waking up without remembering the details of the night before. Cam starts to have strange visions, witnesses some very odd behavior, and notices that Zay’s charisma seems to be taking a darker, more sinister turn. Many of the other players seem to view Zay like a god, happily doing whatever he requests, no matter what personal harm it brings to them. Even though Cam starts to get terrified of what he’s seeing, he’s also afraid of letting his deceased father down. Ever since he was a child, Cam had been groomed for this life, and had dreamed of taking over for Isaiah. What is Cam truly willing to sacrifice for greatness, and can he cast his doubts aside to become the player he always dreamed of being?!

Him comes from Academy Award-winning producer Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions, and aims to blend sports with horror. The film starts out pretty solid, looking at the darker side of sports, where athletes are expected to put their bodies on the line as they pursue excellence at any cost. It’s not until we see Cam get attacked by a crazed fan that the horror aspects of the film kick in. And even then, the film remains more of a psychological thriller until the final third of the movie. I thought the interplay between Wayans and Withers was great. Wayans is the seasoned G.O.A.T. who initially comes up as charming and welcoming, but he knows this talented young man half his age has come to replace him. So there is definitely something sinister going on behind the scenes. I enjoyed seeing Wayans in this darker, more serious role that still gives him some movements of humor. He’s also in incredible shape, and able to keep up with his younger co-star. Tyriq Withers also delivers a strong performance, both with the physical feats asked of him, but also the more emotional turns of his character.

Throughout the film, there is a lot of religious iconography. The story itself is broken into 7 chapters—paying homage to the 7 days it took to create the Earth in Genesis. Except here the thing being created or reborn is Cameron. Though the pacing here is a bit uneven, with the last few days being covered far more quickly than the first, with one of them being less than 5 minutes of the film. The color palette often feels like a stained glass window, particularly the orange hues of facility’s sauna. And if any of the religious references weren’t obvious enough, there’s a blatant recreation of The Last Supper as Cam is being interviewed by the press. While I thought this iconography was clever most times, it could also be a bit too blunt. Speaking of blunt references, there are scenes later on where characters are dressed in literal pig skin masks.

The aspects of the film that really didn’t really work for me were when it eventually goes into full blown “horror” mode. However, it doesn’t really feel like a scary horror movie, but rather some sort of demented psycho horror with a bit of body horror mixed in—more like something out of American Horror Story, with random quick cutaways to odd-looking mascots, like the Horned Fanatic (Maurice Greene), or other demonic creatures, an odd orgy scene thrown in, or when crazed fan Marjorie (Naomi Grossman) shows up again with her two skivvy-clad minions painted in white. These scenes come off as bizarre just for bizarre sake, and the movie becomes a bit nonsensical at times. Even Wayans, who started off as more layered in his performance becomes more of a crazed cartoon villain by the end. This ultimately builds to the completely ridiculous and over-the-top bloodbath in the film’s final act. The use of an epic choral/orchestral score (which sounds amazing) in conjunction with this bloody final sequence adds an extra level of absurdity to the finale.

I had seen some of the negative scores for Him going into it, but still not knowing what the movie was about. So I had tempered my expectations. While the film started off showing a lot of promise, and had an interesting premise and strong performances, I don’t think the horror aspects ultimately worked. It often came off more campy than scary, especially in the final sequence. I wish they would have stuck with more of a psychological thriller rather than bringing in all of this cult and demonic stuff. There are some really strong thriller moments in the movie, but it feels like the filmmakers were more inspired by the way people often refer to sports, especially football, as their church, and ran with that.

Universal has released Him on Limited Edition 4K SteelBook, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital. We were sent the standard 4K UHD release for review. The presentation looks and sounds excellent. The film makes use of a strong color palette, carefully selected for each scene, and this is really enhanced by the Dolby Vision color grading. The film is primarily presented in the more cinematic 2.39:1 aspect ratio, but also makes use of the TV-filling 1.78:1 for flashbacks of Cameron as a child. The picture looks nearly flawless, with a strong level of detail throughout. There are some creative shots that put the viewer in the POV of the players, and other intercut shots that make use of a thermal camera that shows the physical toll the game takes on the players. The audio track provides clear dialogue, showcases the film’s excellent score, and provides a really immersive aural experience.

The 4K and Blu-ray discs reside on either side of a standard 4K keepcase, placed inside of an embossed cardboard slipcover. The release also includes a code for a 4K Movies Anywhere compatible digital copy of the film. The discs offer over 45 minutes of deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as a director commentary track.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:36:16)

4K Ultra HD:
• 2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1 & 1.78:1
• Dolby Vision / HDR 10
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, French 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, French 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 9/30/2026):

• 4K digital copy redeemable via Movies Anywhere

Extras:
Items marked with an * are not available on the Blu-ray disc, just the 4K disc and digital copy. Play All, or select from:

• Alternate Ending — “Zay’s Nightmare” (2:13)
  A wounded Isaiah cries as he watches Cam accept a trophy.
• Deleted End Credits Scene— “Food or Freedom” (1:07)
  Day VII Resurrection — commentators can be heard saying that Cam thanks his mentor Isaiah, as footage plays of Cam celebrating with his trophy in the locker room.
• Deleted Scenes: (13:19)
  Play All, or select from:
  • Cheers (1:13)
    A voicemail from his mother plays while a dazed Cam sits in the locker room watching half-naked women gyrate.
  • Don’t Be a Mascot (6:06)
    Isaiah offers Cam a devilish wager while on the shooting range, before things get a little dark.
  • The Publicist (1:45)
    On Day V: Vision, Cam and Isaiah prepare from a visit with the publicist.
  • Fantasy Football (1:36)
    As Cam works out in the gym, Elsie tries to convince him to attend a party.
  • Cam’s Discovery (2:37)
    After Cam stumbles into room and discovers the head of Marco, Elsie walks in and knocks him out.
• Becoming Them (9:07)
  The cast and filmmakers discuss combining sports with horror, getting the actors into shape, the football training, the journey of the characters, the use of improv, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Jordan Peele, Ian Cooper & Win Rosenfeld, director/co-writer Justin Tipping, physical trainer/nutritionist Adam Quinter, football QB coach Jordan Palmer, and stars Marlon Wayans (“Isaiah”), Tyriq Withers (“Cam”) & Julia Fox (“Elsie”).
• The Sport of Filmmaking (10:10)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the genesis of the project, the themes, the religious iconography, the different camera equipment and lighting rigs used, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Jamal Watson, Win Rosenfeld, Jordan Peele & Ian Cooper, director/co-writer Justin Tipping, production designer Jordan Ferrer, associate producer Ciera Dunbar, director of photography Kira Kelly, stunt coordinator Justin Yu, and stars Marlon Wayans & Tyriq Withers.
• Anatomy of a Scene — “A Diabolical Game of Catch” (4:25)
  The cast and filmmakers go into more detail about the football firing machine sequence. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Jamal Watson, Ian Cooper & Jordan Peele, director/co-writer Justin Tipping, prosthetic designer/lead sculptor & painter J. Anthony Kosar, and stars Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Chase Garland (“Ced”) & Maurice Greene (“Malek / Horned Fanatic”).
• Anatomy of a Scene — “Rebirth” (4:53)
  The cast and filmmakers go into more detail about the film’s bloody final sequence. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer Justin Tipping, producer Ian Cooper, and stars Tim Heidecker (“Tom”), Julia Fox & Tyriq Withers.
• Hymns of a G.O.A.T. (4:36)
  The filmmakers discuss the film’s unique choral score, the inspirations for the music, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Ian Cooper, Win Rosenfeld & Jordan Peele, director/co-writer Justin Tipping, composer Bobby Krlic & associate producer Ciera Dunbar.
• Feature Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Justin Tipping (1:36:16)
  Director/Co-Writer Justin Tipping provides a somewhat interesting commentary throughout the film, discussing the religious motifs, the cast, the use of improv, the homages to other films, the filming locations, and more. He provides a lot of technical information and behind the scenes stories about the production.

Final Thoughts:

Him tries to blend sports with horror. It sets up an interesting and thrilling premise and atmosphere, but when it starts to blend in the horror aspects, it becomes a little to campy and non-sensical. That said, stars Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers generally deliver strong performances and have great on-screen chemistry. The film itself is quite visually interesting, and Universal’s 4K release looks and sounds great. The relapse also includes a solid selection of bonus material. Fans of the film will definitely be pleased with the release. However folks going in blind looking for a scary horror movie should temper their expectations.