I’m sure everyone who’s a Jordan Peele fan—or just a movie enjoyer in general—was excited for this film to drop. Justin Tipping’s Him came out this past September and left many Peele fans disappointed, even though Peele only has a producer credit. Walking into the theater I did not know what to expect, I had heard mixed, leaning negative, reviews from viewers, but I was pleasantly surprised when I left.
A crucial moment that, in my opinion, set up the rest of the story beautifully was Marlon Wayans’ first scene. He plays the mentor to Tyriq Withers, a young athlete whose promising football career is cut short by an injury. His character’s first appearance on screen shows him preparing and shucking an animal hide while delivering a monologue about why we play football. He recounts the story of the Carlisle Indian School—famous for its football team’s invention of classic moves like the forward pass and the spiral throw. Most historical accounts celebrate the Carlisle team for their innovation, but what’s often overlooked is that the school itself was designed as part of a colonial effort to strip Native people of their culture and force Christianity onto them. Football became a way to “civilize” Indigenous youth, teaching them a version of masculinity rooted in colonial ideals. On the field, this looked like white Ivy League players performing acts of so-called “savagery,” unleashing violence against Native teams for sport. The real reason behind those “innovative” plays wasn’t athletic brilliance—it was survival, a way to counter the brutality of the white teams they were forced to play against.
After that scene, so much of the film’s imagery began to click for me. Most notably, the recurring pilgrim mask. By the end of the movie, Tyriq is told to place the mask on his head as part of a ritual to join a team not-so-subtly called “The Saviors.” Seeing how this film intertwines the commodification of Black bodies in modern sports like football with the historical violence of colonialism was fascinating. A sport whose classic plays originated from Native innovation has become a stage for white supremacy and Black performance for white audiences.
And yes, this movie was campy, chaotic, and complicated—just as reviewers say—but to me, it wasn’t far off from the kind of campiness we see in today’s horror, including Jordan Peele’s own films. From vomiting chains to terrifying pom-pom monsters and undead cheerleaders, Him was no more over-the-top than I expected. What sold me was sitting in a theater watching a big-budget film that unapologetically made fun of America’s favorite sport. Now, I’ll be honest—I don’t know much about football. And from what I can tell, neither does Tipping. That’s exactly why I think this movie was made for people like me. Him holds up a mirror to American football and exposes its terrifyingly tangled roots in the legacy of American racism.
It deeply offended football fans—especially those unwilling to confront how toxic masculinity shapes their beloved game. The film boldly exposes the absurdity of the narratives fed to young men, particularly Black men, about manhood and its supposed connection to violence. The title Him itself cleverly mocks the popular phrase “I’m Him,” a staple in the alpha-male, red-pill corners of the internet. As I said, I’m not a football player, and I’ve always disliked the sport for its violence. This movie, I believe, was made for softies like me—people who don’t see brainless displays of testosterone as the only way to express manhood. On top of that, I loved how the film portrayed women. In the world of football, women rarely exist beyond cheerleaders or party accessories—dangerous, tempting distractions that “real men” must resist to achieve greatness. Him exposes that absurdity too, showing just how ridiculous and fragile that version of masculinity really is.
