On September 19, 2025, audiences were introduced to a new kind of sports movie—one that blends the high stakes of professional football with the chilling atmosphere of psychological horror. Him, produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Justin Tipping, hit theaters with a bang, quickly sparking conversation for its bold narrative, provocative imagery, and a soundtrack that refuses to sit quietly in the background. The film, starring Tyriq Withers as the embattled quarterback Cameron Cade and Marlon Wayans as legendary player Isaiah White, doesn’t just tell a story about gridiron glory—it tears into the dark underbelly of athletic superstardom, power, and legacy.
At its core, Him follows Cameron Cade, a quarterback prospect whose future seems limitless until a devastating head injury threatens to derail his career. With his draft stock plummeting, the San Antonio Saviors send him to the remote training compound of Isaiah White, a franchise legend. But what seems like an opportunity for redemption quickly morphs into a nightmarish ordeal. According to USA TODAY, the film’s plot is propelled by the revelation that the Saviors’ dynasty is built on a supernatural ritual: the transfusion of blood from one “greatest player” to the next, ensuring not just athletic prowess but a legacy shrouded in secrecy and sacrifice.
Cameron, it turns out, has been groomed for this moment since childhood—chosen to inherit Isaiah’s place, but not without a fight. The tension between mentor and protégé erupts in a climactic showdown, culminating in Cameron killing Isaiah with a football helmet. In a final act of defiance, Cam refuses to sign the contract that would cement his place in the corrupt system. Instead, he turns his sword—literally—on the assembled team owners, cheerleaders, and Isaiah’s scheming wife, Elsie (portrayed by Julia Fox), gutting his enemies and escaping, bloodied but unbroken.
“Fake blood is sticky,” Withers told USA TODAY with a laugh, reflecting on the film’s brutal finale. “It was a symbol of an athlete really choosing his own path to success and not abiding by other people's rules and not folding to other people's temptations. The ending is exactly what message needs to be out in the world, although it's a hyperbolized situation: choose your own route and be exactly who you need to be. The essence of ‘Him’ is being unapologetically yourself.”
But Him isn’t just about physical violence or the psychological toll of elite sports. The film is steeped in religious and occult symbolism, most notably through recurring goat-headed imagery. The “GOAT”—an acronym for “greatest of all time” in sports lingo—takes on a sinister twist here, referencing Mammon, the demon god of greed and avarice. Director Justin Tipping explained to USA TODAY that this was no accident: “There’s TikToks where people like summon this guy, you can evoke him. We don't say the name out loud but it's implied.” The goat-headed figures and pentagrams scattered throughout the film serve as a metaphor for the dark side of professional sports, where multimillion-dollar contracts and the cult of celebrity can warp even the noblest ambitions.
The horror doesn’t stop at the supernatural. In one particularly shocking scene, Cam’s agent (Tim Heidecker) is blown apart on a sacrificial pentagram, a gruesome consequence of defying the system’s unspoken rules. The occult undertones, combined with the film’s brutal depiction of hazing and ritual, create a suffocating atmosphere that blurs the line between reality and nightmare.
Music, too, is a character in Him. As reported by FandomWire, the soundtrack plays a pivotal role in shaping the film’s mood, oscillating between hard-hitting rap tracks and haunting hymns. Early in the film, “Get Me Lit” by P-LO sets a deceptively upbeat tone during a party scene, masking Cameron’s inner turmoil. The 1970s R&B classic “Strawberry Letter 23” by Shuggie Otis marks Cameron’s introduction to Isaiah’s inner sanctum, signaling the start of his descent into a world of secrets and power.
As training intensifies and Cam’s ordeal becomes more brutal, the soundtrack darkens. “Shook Ones, Pt. II” by Mobb Deep underscores a grueling desert drill, while “Swim” by Guapdad 4000 and “Italy” by Maglera Doe Boy & ONDELIVE add emotional complexity to violent, disorienting scenes. The haunting “Portraying the Yellow Sun” by Petar Alargic builds tension during a pivotal helmet-to-helmet collision, and “Aight?” by Carl Angelo amplifies the film’s sense of creeping dread as Cameron is drawn deeper into Isaiah’s twisted world.
On the fifth day at the compound, as Cameron is introduced to fame and excess by Elsie, the playful “Tip Toe” by Tierra Whack provides a momentary reprieve—though viewers sense that darkness lurks beneath the surface. The exclusive track “Blitz” by Jean Dawson heightens the film’s nightmarish climax, and as the credits roll, Denzel Curry’s “HIM” repeats the refrain “I’m H-I-M,” encapsulating Cam’s hard-won autonomy and the cost of greatness.
For those eager to relive the film’s musical journey, the official soundtrack is available on major streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Amazon Music, with a vinyl edition promised soon for collectors. The score, composed by Bobby Krlic, weaves seamlessly with the curated tracks, ensuring that every moment—no matter how disturbing—lands with emotional force.
Him has drawn mixed reviews, with an IMDb rating of 5.5/10 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 28% as of September 19, 2025. But whether critics loved or loathed it, few could deny the film’s ambition. Tipping revealed to USA TODAY that he wrote several different endings for the film, some more cautionary than others. The version that made it to theaters, he said, was meant to be cathartic and hopeful—a definitive end to a corrupt system, rather than a never-ending curse. “It’s an end to a system. It is an answer. It is not the open-ended horror trope ending like he says yes and it's going to go on and the curse is never going to end,” Tipping explained. “This felt like, no, it can end. It just takes courage.”
In the end, Him is more than a sports movie or a horror film. It’s a fever dream about the price of greatness, the dangers of blind hero worship, and the possibility of breaking free from cycles of exploitation. With its unforgettable imagery, relentless soundtrack, and a protagonist who chooses his own fate, Him leaves a mark—bloody, bold, and defiantly original.
