Him Ending Explained: Gore and Glory — Why the Unexplained Beginning Ruins the Payoff

Jordan Peele produced Him, a 96-minute horror-thriller directed by Justin Tipping, and the film is now in theaters. The movie stars Tyriq Withers as Cam and features Marlon Wayans, Tim Heidecker, Julia Fox and Jim Jeffries in supporting roles. Spoilers ahead.

– What the film is about: the opening attack on Cam, his skipped combine, and his training with Isaiah White.
– Key plot points: the masked assault, the football-transfusion tradition, and the violent showdown that ends the movie.
– Critical takeaway: a published review argues the film’s ending feels unsatisfying because the beginning isn’t fully explained.
– Credits and release: produced by Jordan Peele, directed by Justin Tipping, runtime 96 minutes, in theaters now.

Plot summary

The film opens with Cam as a boy watching football with his family, then cuts to him as a young man (Tyriq Withers) preparing to sign a major football contract. Days before the scouting combine, a masked assailant attacks Cam and leaves a head wound with a line of stitches that visually resemble football laces.

Cam withdraws from the combine, citing concerns about his swollen brain. Shortly after, he receives an invitation to train with legendary quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). Isaiah’s training methods are shown as physically extreme and violent. Meanwhile, Isaiah’s live-in doctor (credited as Jim Jeffries) injects Cam with a red substance. Isaiah also mentions storing his own blood for future use.

What the film reveals

The movie reveals that Isaiah has been transferring his blood into prospective quarterbacks. A room in Isaiah’s mansion contains older jerseys, which the film presents as evidence that the blood-transfer practice has occurred for years. The transfusions are framed as a tradition intended to give Saviors quarterbacks a competitive edge.

As part of that tradition, Isaiah and a chosen player fight to the death. Cam defeats Isaiah and leaves the building, then encounters his agent (Tim Heidecker), Isaiah’s widow (Julia Fox), and the elderly Saviors owner, all in cult robes. They present Cam with a contract and imply his injury and path to this moment were orchestrated. When they threaten his family, Cam picks up a weapon and kills them. The film ends with Cam covered in blood.

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Critical takeaway from the review

A published review argues that the film’s finale — a prolonged sequence of violence and gore — is meant to feel cathartic for Cam but lands as unsatisfying for the audience. The review notes that the movie does not show an attempt to investigate the initial attack on Cam at the start of the film, and that the early unanswered questions make the ending feel “hollow.” In short, the review says the finale’s spectacle is undercut because the film does not unpack its beginning.

Credits and release details

Him is produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Justin Tipping. The film’s runtime is 96 minutes. Main cast members include Tyriq Withers, Marlon Wayans, Tim Heidecker, Julia Fox and Jim Jeffries. Him is currently playing in theaters.