Football is America’s brutal and barbaric billion-dollar pastime, never more so than in Justin Tipping’s horror movie “Him,” which positions the sport as a bloodthirsty cult. But, we already knew that, right? We’ve long been aware that American football exploits the bodies of young men for profit and leaves them damaged and destroyed — America has just chosen to make that gruesome bargain in exchange for entertainment.
Tipping’s film follows the idea to its most horrific ends, and boasts an aesthetic that is as aggressive as the sport — watching it feels like taking a hit on the field, head ringing from the blunt-force imagery (conjured by cinematographer Kira Kelly) and concussive editing (from editor Taylor Joy Mason). But “Him” is a whole lot of style — and a very compelling star — in