There Can Only be One

Trailers for Him had Jordan Peele's name slapped all over them, which is understandable from a marketing point of view. In reality it is simply produced by the"Get Out" directors company, Monkeypaw Productions. It is actually directed by Justin Tipping, from a script he co-wrote with Skip Bronkie and Zak Akers. The prevalence of Peele's name in the advertising means the film is bound to draw unflattering comparisons with his own work, which is a shame as the film has its own merits.

Cameron "Cam" Cade (Tyriq Withers) grew up idolising Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), star quarterback of the San Antonio Saviours. When White suffers a grisly injury during the Super Bowl, Cade's father tells the young fan that real men like his idol make sacrifices for greatness. Fast forward about a decade and a half and Cam is about to be drafted to the NFL, where he is tipped as a potential challenger to White's "Greatest Of All Time" status. When a mascot in a goat costume (see what they did there?) fractures his skull, his future is in doubt, until he is invited to an intense one week boot camp at Isaiah White's desert compound to prove he still has the stuff. Once there, things get brutal, bloody, and more than a little strange.

Him is a real melting pot of elements, some that work, some that don't. The film keeps a good sense of mystery around the exact relationship between the centre pair for most of the runtime. Is White mentor or rival? Does Cam already see himself as his host's superior? What exactly is going to happen at the end of the week? It doesn't, however, do a very good job of escalating the tension as the days go by. It's more a collection of incidents than a steady build and the climax feels like it comes out of nowhere. Said finale is also a little undercooked and basic, although it is fairly satisfying in a visceral way.

Missteps can be overlooked though, when a movie has this much personality. Cam's sense of unease and confusion is palpable throughout as he sees mysterious figures and is continually injected with "the good stuff" by White's live in doctor, and his recent brain injury means the viewer can't be certain how reliable his interpretation of events is. The idea that sports teams are the modern iteration of ancient cults contrasts starkly with the clean, minimal, futuristic look of the facility most of the film takes place in, giving the film a unique feel. This is heightened by the directing, which is pushed into overdrive, with x-ray filters, bold colours and machine gun of different camera techniques. It's a bold and immersive approach, but bound to be off putting to some.

While the stylistic choices may be divisive, the central performances can't be argued with. Tyriq Withers was as flat as everyone else in the insipid "I Know What You Did Last Summer" remake earlier this year, but he steps it up significantly here. It's a tricky role that requires him to sell a lot with dialogue and subtle expressions and he walks the line between in over his head awe and fanatical determination well. The big performance belongs to Wayans. Like all good comic actors, and think what you will of some of his output, Wayans is a very good comic actor, he can do serious just as easily. White is a fast talking fountain of slightly sinister motivational quotes and the steely focus that has kept him at the top is always evident. Beneath that, there is a sadness, perhaps at his time coming to end, maybe remorse at Cam being fed into the meat grinder. Throughout it all, Wayans imbues him with a sense of humanity that keeps the performance on an even keel.

Him doesn't exactly come together in the most cohesive way and the dialled up direction will grate for some, but it's stuffed with ideas and dripping in style. The leads are great and the director Tipping shows the potential to be a real force.

7 balls to the face out of 10

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