Universal PicturesHim is in US cinemas now, and if you want to know what’s going on in this strange combination of sports movie and horror, the following is how it all plays out, including analysis of a truly wild ending.
Him revolves around rising American Football star Cameron ‘Cam’ Cade (Tyriq Withers), whose career comes to a standstill when he’s brutally attacked while training solo.
As he struggles to recover – both physically and mentally – legendary quarterback Isiah White (Marlon Wayans) invites Cam to his compound for a mini boot camp to help him heal. Which is when sports movie turns into a horror film.
You can read our Him review here, where we wrote that it “combines genres in a unique way… but in telling a tale of football’s dark side, those opposing forces frequently make uneasy bedfellows.” While below we’re digging into that insane ending, so SPOILERS ahead….
What’s going on in Him?
Universal PicturesA vast conspiracy is at work in Him, through which the rich pick and groom athletes, before turning them into “the greatest,” but always under their control.
We learn that Cam’s attack was no accident; rather it was planned and designed to make him vulnerable, and isolate the youngster so he would need White’s help.
The boot camp is weird, with fellow footballer players happily taking balls to the face until they bleed, and blood being pumped into Cam’s veins on a regular basis. But he sticks around because Isiah is his idol, and he wants to learn from the best.
As the film gets ever weirder, it becomes clear that said blood is key to what’s occurring, as passing it on is what it takes “to grow a king.”
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Universal PicturesWe eventually learn that the title of G.O.A.T. moves from mentor to mentee, with White ageing out of the role, and Cam primed to take over.
White explains that it’s been going on since the start of the league, and tells Cam to just think of the super-powered plasma as “a gift from the gods.”
Trouble is, Isiah isn’t ready to step aside, and has really been sharing his blood with Cam so they can have a fair fight. “If you wanna be the f*cking goat,” he bellows to his young apprentice, “you’re gonna have to take it from me.”
A brutal battle ensues, with eyes gouged and arms broken, before Cam grabs a helmet, and uses it to smash the life out of his hero. Which is when proceedings get really weird.
Him ending explained
Universal PicturesCam then heads out to the football field, where the ritual to turn him into the San Antonio Saviors’ savior is about to begin.
The owners wait on a platform in masks, ready to make Cam the chosen one, while they’re surrounded by cheerleaders and a marching band, also wearing masks.
He’s encouraged to “sign the contract to become the greatest,” and “make your father proud.” But by now Cam understands their intentions, so he picks up a nearby axe, and shouts “f*ck you.”
The owner responds with “listen boy, I’ll kill your family,” with that “boy” clearly having racist connotations, and it’s no coincidence that Him concerns a group of old white men controlling and manipulating young black athletes.
Universal PicturesCam has visions of his childhood, with dad telling him that real men make sacrifices, and mom saying he’ll make them proud. Then he gets to work with the axe, killing a mascot, before grabbing a ceremonial sword, and slashing the Saviors.
Isiah’s wife trips and accidentally cuts her own throat, while Cam grabs the owner, forces him up against a goalpost, decapitates him, and as blood sprays from the old man’s neck, Cam kicks his head away.
As jets fly by, Cam walks away with an axe resting on his shoulder, departing still very much his own man. While in the background, his agent appears to explode.
Him is in cinemas now, while you can head here for our list of the best horror movies ever, and best sports movies of all-time.