SACRIFICIAL PLAYBOOK: JORDAN PEELE’S ‘HIM’ TACKLES FOOTBALL’S CULT STATUS
In a spine-tingling convergence of America’s twin obsessions—football and horror—Oscar-winning visionary Jordan Peele is tackling the darker side of athletic ambition with his upcoming production, “Him.” As someone who has witnessed countless runway transformations from sportswear to high fashion, I can attest that this film’s exploration of football fanaticism as literal cult worship might be the season’s most provocative statement piece.
The freshly released teaser introduces us to quarterback prodigy Cameron Cade (portrayed by rising star Tyriq Withers), whose path to professional glory gets brutally intercepted by a potentially career-ending brain injury. When legendary quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans, in what appears to be a career-redefining role) extends an invitation to train at his isolated compound, Cameron eagerly accepts—unaware that the price of greatness will cost far more than physical exertion.
The trailer’s aesthetic is pure American Gothic meets athletic grandeur—a sartorial clash that parallels the fashion world’s ongoing romance with sportswear deconstruction. Wayans’ haunting voiceover (“Do you want this? What are you willing to sacrifice?”) accompanies increasingly disturbing imagery that evolves from intense training sequences to blood-soaked rituals featuring sacrificial goats. One particularly striking visual shows Cameron posed crucifixion-style, drenched in crimson, standing center stage in a pentagram painted across a football field—a disturbingly perfect metaphor for how we deify and destroy our athletic icons.
Julia Fox—fashion’s own provocateur—joins an eclectic ensemble including Tim Heidecker, comedian Jim Jeffries, MMA fighter Maurice Green, and musical innovators Guapdad 4000 and Grammy-winner Tierra Whack. The casting choices read like a front row at Fashion Week—unexpected pairings creating maximum cultural impact.
Director Justin Tipping helms this Black List screenplay crafted by Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, and Tipping himself. The creative DNA behind the project suggests a sophisticated approach to genre-bending that fashion’s most daring designers would appreciate. Monkeypaw’s Ian Cooper joins Peele, Win Rosenfeld, and Jamal M. Watson as producers, with David Kern and Kate Oh serving as executive producers.
The film’s most chilling moment arrives when a towering demonic figure looms behind Cameron as he clutches a football—an arresting visual metaphor for the shadow side of ambition. When Isaiah demands to know what Cameron will sacrifice, his desperate response—”Everything!”—resonates with uncomfortable familiarity in our achievement-obsessed culture.
“Him” represents a continuation of Peele’s signature blend of social commentary and terror, originating as a 2022 Black List script after being optioned by his Monkeypaw Productions. Like the most provocative fashion statements, Peele’s work consistently challenges our cultural assumptions while delivering undeniable visual impact.
As the film industry and fashion world both continue their love affair with recontextualizing Americana, “Him” promises to be the season’s most thought-provoking exploration of our national pastimes and the terrifying lengths to which we’ll go to achieve excellence. This isn’t just horror—it’s a cultural mirror dressed in shoulder pads and splattered with blood.
