The Mosley Review: Him
Anytime there is a sports film coming to the big screen, it either focuses on the true and inspiring story of triumph and the American dream or the dark, physical toll, and crazy lifestyle that accompanies the perks of fame in the industry. From films like Remember the Titans all the way to Any Given Sunday, definitely give you the widest spectrum of the life of a football player. There was always one film that stuck out among the rest as the underdog and that was The Program. That film showed you all of the above but at the college football level before going professional. Now comes a new twist on the genre by trying to deliver a more psychological horror tale of ambition and jealousy that has multiple other themes laced throughout the plot. It does that successfully, but for the most part it was something I saw a million times over by the time the predictable ending arrives. I don't mind a brisk runtime for a film, but the sprint to the finish was very dizzying and abrupt.
Tyriq Withers was good as the future star quarterback, Cameron "Cam" Cade. He has this innocence early in the film as you he can see the road laid out for him. After an injury, you see the well portrayed nullification of his mental and emotional state. Tyriq brings out the unshakeable focus of Cameron in his eyes mostly and the excellent physicality of the character. I just wish Cameron was smarter and cautious instead of having an insane amount of obliviousness to the disturbing things happening around him. Marlon Wayans has always had dramatic skills and he's briefly shown them before, but as the aging star quarterback, Isaiah White, we get to see something else. Marlon showcases Isaiah’s intoxication with his God complex. As the story progresses, you start to see how little humanity is left in him. He was so charming, welcoming and yet his micro expressions tell you so much more. He may be beating you over the head with absolute truth, but he was also warning Cam many times. The chemistry between Isaiah and Cameron was great and when they were separated, the film sort of floundered. Julia Fox was good as the influencer and seductress, Elsie White. She was the gateway into the sex, drugs and party lifestyle that comes with the fame. She had an omni-presence around Cameron and even Isaiah was a bit weary of her. Jim Jefferies was great as Isaiah's personal doctor, Marco. That man was the most spiritually dead character and probably the only one that truly saw the innocence of Cameron being taken away.
The score Bobby Krlic was dark, horror fueled and very synth infused with a mixture of all the right elements that keep you sonically disoriented. The sound design was great as it captured every sadistic hit of a ball during a particular training scene. I loved the x-ray moments when contact is made between players and when Cameron suffers his skull injury early in the film. The biggest problem with this film is that is was relentless with its singular message. I get the demonic nature of the imagery and literal acts violence, but I wish it just focused on the jealousy of a former star versus a rising star. Also, Cameron was way too naive because in one particular scene that happens before the finale, anyone with common sense would've said no and walked away. It all led to a finale that felt like it wasn't necessarily a fun pay off as I’ve seen done way more effectively. Overall, this was a missed opportunity to deliver a new psychological horror fueled tale of letting go that I wish stayed in that pocket. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in comments below. Thanks for reading!
