HIM (MA) – 96 minutes

A sports horror film, HIM starts out with promise and quickly descends into the catastrophic.

As a youngster, Cameron Cade and his family watched with pride and excitement as their hero quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) saw their beloved San Antonio Saviors claim another championship.

Now, 14-years later, the eight-time championship hero and cultural megastar is close to retirement.

Cam is being talked about as the next big thing in American football and his future seems assured until an ugly incident threatens to bring his dream crashing down.

All appears lost until none other than White himself gives Cam (Tyriq Withers) a lifeline.

He offers to train Cam at the isolated compound he shares with his celebrity influencer wife, Elsie (Julia Fox).

Cam but jumps at the opportunity.

White has established quite a set-up, which includes his own sports medicine doctor and a rigorous football only regimen.

His methods are ruthless, which causes Cam some concern, especially when some free agents White calls upon are left bloodied and beaten, but he plays along.

Cam is put through the ringer, given regular, questionable blood injections by the sports doc and cut off from the outside world.

He begins hallucinating and comes to realise that White isn’t the good guy that he at first appeared to be.

It all comes down to a bloody ending.

My first thought is just why did the filmmakers think this bizarre offering would resonate.

I speak of writers Skip Bronkie, Zack Akers and Justin Tipping, the latter of whom also directs this ill-considered offering.

HIM is a sinister fantasy version of the darkest recesses of professional athletics.

It works on the concept that sacrifices are needed to become the greatest of all time, which is what Cam is aiming to be.

But, I’m afraid the longer it went, the loopier it became and there is little if anything of merit here.

Among the more outrageous characters are the deranged fans of Isaiah White.

My biggest criticism rests with the writing. A contention is established and then there is very little to sustain it.

Performance wise, a super fit looking Tyriq Withers does what is expected of him, appearing like a disoriented deer in the headlights.

Marlon Wayans too is quite compelling as the harsh task master.

I thought Aussie Jim Jeffries was badly miscast as the sports medicine doc. He was never convincing. Mind you, the material he had to work with was third rate.

And I failed to see what value Julia Fox as Isaiah’s wife Elsie brought to the picture.

I left the cinema bitterly disappointed and, in good conscience, can’t recommend HIM, the title of which is drawn from the idea of the GOAT being “the man”.

Rated MA, it scores a 3 out of 10.