I guess it makes sense that Justin Tipping’s “HIM” would earn such dismal reviews. The film was barely screened for press, and Universal decided the best time to lift the embargo was 1 a.m. ET—a clear red flag.
The result? A Rotten Tomatoes score of just 32%, which is horrendous considering how forgiving that site’s critic pool usually is. Early tracking has it aiming for a $15M opening weekend against a $27M budget.
This is more bad news for Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, which already suffered layoffs in its development department earlier this year. And yet, if you watched the trailer (or glanced at the poster), you’d be forgiven for thinking Peele himself directed it.
The marketing leaned heavily on Peele’s brand: stylish visuals, eerie vibes, cryptic teases. Instead, “HIM” is a Peele pastiche—essentially a “Get Out”-style takedown of the sports industrial complex, except this one features Satan in shoulder pads.
Peele didn’t direct it, nor did he write it. That credit goes to Justin Tipping (“”Kicks) behind the camera and Zack Akers & Skip Bronkie on the script, with Peele merely producing through Monkeypaw. The story follows the psyche of a quarterback and the unsettling dynamics between mentor and protégé, with Tyriq Withers as the young athlete and Marlon Wayans as the aging QB whose mentorship devolves into psychological and body horror.
Meanwhile, Peele’s actual next film, his fourth directorial effort, recently got pulled from Universal’s 2026 slate — he still hasn’t written the script.
“Him” opens September 19, but if the reviews are any indication, it may already be dead on arrival.
It’s now been 13 years since "The Grandmaster,” and it doesn’t sound like Wong Kar-wai will be making another film in the near future. His future seems to be on the small screen.