Set at the isolated desert compound of fading star Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), the old GOAT quarterback on his way out to pasture, Him follows the trials of incoming rookie QB Cam Cade (Tyriq Withers), who gets the rare invite to train under Isaiah. Over the course of six days, Cam’s trials grow increasingly violent, invasive, and surreal; a run in the desert heat gives way to a murderous attack by the cultish fans camping round-the-clock outside Isaiah’s lair. In the film’s final act, though, Cam learns that all this was preordained. Cam’s late father sold his son’s soul for football greatness, and the experience at the camp was preparing him for two things: To sacrifice the old GOAT, and to take his spot on the field as the new star of the San Antonio Saviors.
Tipping finds a lot of meaning in that acronym, particularly its Biblical associations. Working from a script co-written with Skip Bronkie and Zack Akers, he also quietly pulls from a passage of Leviticus: “He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.” That’s the plot of Him right there. Two quarterbacks, one sacrificed and the other sent to wander the wilderness (not unlike the desert surrounding Isaiah’s home/tomb), carrying with him the sins of humanity’s deeds. Early in the film, Marcos (Jim Jeffries), Isaiah’s personal doctor, characterizes football players as modern gladiators, who give humanity an outlet for their bloodlust. That’s the job of the savior, of Him. As Isaiah explains, it’s all on the quarterback’s shoulders: the wins, the losses, the love, the hate, the faith, and the betrayal will all be on him.
In Leviticus, the two goats are used on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. Not only does this explain the film’s High Holiday-adjacent release date, but also how Tipping frames his athletes. Between the film’s Last Supper homage and Cam’s frequent Christ poses, Him isn’t hiding the connection between star quarterbacks and messianic figures. Isaiah’s team name is the Saviors, for God’s sake. But there is some debate over that earlier passage, particularly around the word “scapegoat.” The original Hebrew לַעֲזָאזֵל (la azazel) has taken on a life of its own, with later interpretations suggesting “Azazel” refers to a desolate place. Others argue the second goat is a gift for Azazel, a fallen angel, which is more befitting the film’s ritualistic conclusion, especially once Cam rejects his fate, which plays into a more demonic reading of the text. Despite his omnipresent crucifix necklace, he denies the ritual—he’s suffered enough.
Early in the film, a commentator calls football “theater with consequences.” Those consequences are never forgotten in the movie, which delights in visualizing the life-threatening injuries incurred by players and cheered by massive crowds. And the film does wrap up on the football field, but not during a game. Rather, a cadre of team owners, agents, and a demonic Julia Fox offer Cam a contract. He turns them down. Instead of offering up his body to the masses, he enacts revenge upon the people profiting from his pain, allowing them to feel what players like him regularly endure. What’s set up as a soul-sacrificing off-season ritual becomes a Satanic bloodbath, consuming everyone who profits from those aspiring to be the GOAT.
