HIM

I'm not gonna lie, I had to watch this movie a couple times to figure out what was going on. I didn't know what to expect for a horror movie that is based on the cult of sports (especially in America) and really wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I really enjoyed it! I picked up on a lot of things during my second watch of the movie so I'm really glad I did that. The story focuses on Carmeron who is an upcoming football star and Isaiah who already lived his life of fame as a football star of the Saviors. Cameron is "invited" to train with Isaiah and that is when shit gets weird. Oh, and I should mention that Cameron suffered a huge head injury prior to his visit. Isaiah's training gets more and more intense and he is also being injected with what looks like blood sporadically through his training sessions. We find out later in the film that this is the blood of HIM. An entity that has fueled football stars for years and basically allows them to be superhuman football players (for lack of better words). This comes at a cost though. The football contract that Cam eventually signs acts as a pact and the football players involved in this pact essentially sacrifice themselves. This is why the ending is so significant. In the end, we have the whole team of representatives for initiating Cam into the Saviors. Since Cam decides to walk away, "HIM" still needs their sacrifice so it pulls in Tom (his agent) into the satanic ritual looking podium where he eventually just turns into a burst of blood. I think there are a lot of themes to this movie. First is obvious, it is the cult-like lifestyle of American football. It really does seem like there is some God that they worship behind the scenes and it is also the players themselves who worship the game/lifestyle just as much as the crowds. I really liked the element of Cam becoming groomed since childhood to become this character. The element of following someone else's dream, but not entirely your own, is pretty prevalent in the movie as well. The movie alludes to Cam's father making a deal with someone from the Saviors and, in turn, he trains Cam to live up to the expectation that he has forced upon his son. Another element in the movie is how football in America is portrayed as its own world. Football here is so worshipped and circulates so much money that it really does seem like another realm where the stars simply act as saints for the common to look up to. The gladiator style ending of only "one can be the best and survive" sort of aura makes a decent resemblance of how football is another avenue of fighting to the death. One wrong move and a career or life could be ended. Plus, there is also the symbolism of these football players acting/being perceived as Gods. The influence of this sport is seen as its entirety and especially showcases the dark side in a super creative way. 

IMDb rating: 5 out of 10 stars (wow, I expected a little more!)

My rating: 7.3 out of 10 stars (a pretty unique movie that brought horror into a new light. I think it deserves at least a 7 based on being refreshing for this genre)