Warning Spoilers For HIM In Theatres Now.

Justin Tipping, the director of the unique sports horror film HIM, has opened up about some of the symbolism in the film as well as his interpretation of the ending. HIM stars Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans and follows a promising college football quarterback Cameron Cade (Withers) as he spends a week training with the G.O.A.T, Isaiah White (Wayans). However, the longer he spends there, the more he begins to realize the strange and brutal practices White and his team use to stay number 1.  The film gained a lot of attention with audiences after a viral trailer was released as well as having modern horror icon Jordan Peele attached as a producer.

The film blends the taxing elements of competing in physical sports with demonic practices to create a visceral and original horror experience. Tipping revealed that the goat imagery seen throughout the film is not only a reference to the popular acronym for “Greatest Of All Time” but also an allusion to Mammon, a demon god of greed and money. People may already be familiar with goats being symbolic of the Devil, but they hold an even closer association with Mammon.

Additionally, Justin Tipping clued us in on his interpretation of the ending. With full spoilers for HIM, Cameron Cade discovers that The Saviors football team has been using demonic practices to ensure that the skills and spirt of previous G.O.A.T.’s pass on into each new quarterback they sign, with Isaiah White being the latest in that line. Instead of continuing the tradition, Cade chooses to put an end to the cycle by killing Isaiah White and the owners of the team. In an interview, Tipping said, “For me, in that moment, (Cam) is saying to himself, ‘Well, even if I die or something happens, at least I’ll have saved the next generation or another kid from being pulled.'” Interestingly, Tipping stated he wrote multiple endings for the film, with one ending showing Cade agreeing to the deal and continuing the cycle of all-star quarterbacks. Ultimately, he went with the more satisfying ending. In his reasoning for this, he said “It’s an end to a system. It is an answer. It is not the open-ended horror trope ending like he says yes and it’s going to go on and the curse is never going to end. This felt like, no, it can end. It just takes courage.”

HIM has a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes with a mixed audience score of 58%, with many claiming the film is too heavy-handed with its themes and too reminiscent of other cult horror films which have been popular over the last few years. Still, the film has been praised for its unique visuals and stellar performance from Marlon Wayans. HIM is playing in theaters everywhere.