<\/p>\n
Football. In a small, rural high school smack dab in the middle of Ohio, football may have very well been the first word I heard when I entered high school. What stood out to me about this sport was not its fast-paced action, and definitely not its entertainment value, but its incredible ability to take over the lives of everyone around me \u2014\u00a0from obsessive players to crazed, small-town fans. Moving to college, this obsession seems to have followed me, as every weekend I watch thousands of attendees make their way to Michigan Stadium. I\u2019m haunted by the one sport I can\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n
When I saw the latest horror film in theaters was not just a sports horror, but a football <\/em>horror, I was neither phased nor interested. What did intrigue me, however, was the immensely divisive discourse<\/a> it was causing online. It seemed that all these reactions came as a result of the big name attached to this film: Jordan Peele.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ever since 2017\u2019s immensely successful \u201cGet Out,\u201d Peele has brought the psychological horror film genre to a new level of dark and twisted. In past projects like \u201cGet Out\u201d and \u201cUs,\u201d his work has gone beyond the classic psychological trope of madness, delving into societal issues such as systemic racism and class ideologies. These works drew praise<\/a> from fans and critics, and led to Peele becoming the first Black person to win the Academy Award<\/a> for Best Original Screenplay for \u201cGet Out.\u201d However, Peele\u2019s success streak seemed to end with his last film \u201cNope,\u201d which was seen by critics as too ambitious<\/a>, with little connection<\/a> between plot points \u2014 from horse ranch activities to UFO sightings. So, when Peele\u2019s name appeared in the title card next to the psychological football horror \u201cHim,\u201d not as a director but as a producer, it was unclear what this new project would look like. But given my disinterest in football, as well as Peele\u2019s lack of creative direction on the film, my expectations were low. That was, until \u201cHim\u201d proved me wrong.<\/p>\n Cameron \u201cCam\u201d Cade (Tyriq Withers, \u201cI Know What You Did Last Summer\u201d) is a quarterback tackling a quick rise to fame and the opportunity to join the professional football league, the USFF. But\u00a0there\u2019s a catch: To earn his spot in this league and on his dream team, The Saviors, he must make it through a week of training with his predecessor, quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans, \u201cScary Movie\u201d). As the week begins, the plot becomes more absurd and Cam\u2019s problems worsen. At Isaiah\u2019s house, Cam is locked in a sauna, injected with unknown medicine and haunted by a rolling football (of course). Isaiah\u2019s wife, Elsie (Julia Fox, \u201cUncut Gems\u201d), seems like a beacon of normality at first, but soon proves to be just as corrupt as the rest. All the while, Cam and Isaiah\u2019s relationship grows increasingly tense, as Isaiah teaches Cam what he will have to give up to become the greatest.<\/p>\n