Jordan Peele’s overlooked

Director Justin Tipping’s Him brought a new meaning to “bloody fun” when it was released in theaters on Sept. 19 last year. Now, a little under a year later, the supernatural horror film is rising through the ranks of Netflix’s Top 10.

With a runtime of 96 minutes, the Jordan Peele-produced football horror-thriller packs one hell of a punch. Long before it debuted in theaters, Tipping teased viewers with intense trailers full of psychedelic visuals and an intriguing mystery. Mostly, though, it seemed to promise an exploration of football’s psychological horror that would leave audiences peeking through their fingers.

Him follows Cameron ‘Cam’ Cade (Tyriq Withers), a rising football star who, after suffering a head injury that potentially endangers his career, is taken under the wing of San Antonio Saviors quarterback, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). After a week of training together, White will have to decide whether Cam is a worthy successor as the Savior’s quarterback.

Eager to prove himself, Cam enters a world that puts him to the test in a way he has never experienced before. It depicts maniacal fandom, the depravity people will sink to get what they want, and unbridled violence that leaves you reeling.

Unfortunately, Him’s ending didn’t hit as hard as it could have, and with a 31 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film seemed to be a swing-and-a-miss for some audiences at the time of release.

Jordan Peele’s actual next movie remains a bit of a moving target. Once slated for a Christmas Day 2024 release, the Nope follow-up was delayed after the 2023 labor strikes, later rescheduled for October 2026, and has since been quietly pulled from Universal’s calendar altogether. The project is still reportedly in development, but with no title, plot details, or release date, it remains one of Hollywood’s biggest question marks — to the point where even frequent collaborator Keke Palmer has joked she has no idea what’s going on with it.

While fans wait… there is Him. While the film might not have spoken to moviegoers, it might just find a new lease on life it needs on Netflix. What’s certain is that, like with every project that Peele has had a hand in, Him is a film that delivers far more than cheap thrills, but an experience that will have you talking about it long after it’s finished.