Him

Justin Tipping could probably direct one hell of a music video, but he's got a long way to go when it comes to feature filmmaking.

Full of intriguing images and ideas that don't add up to much, his sophomore effort Him takes an intriguing premise about the dark underbelly of professional football and — sorry, y’all — fumbles it.

Billed as a work of horror yet lacking scares and barely packing any suspense, the film lives and dies by the strange behavior of legendary quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans, sounding like Busta Rhymes whenever he shouts — which he does often) as he welcomes his potential successor Cam Cade (Tyriq Withers, a former wide receiver for Florida State University) for an intense week of scrutiny at his desert compound.

As the mysterious GOAT holding all the proverbial cards, Wayans delivers his most confident and electric performance in decades, while Withers seems overmatched from the jump. Even factoring in Cam’s disadvantages entering what's basically an elaborate social experiment, his lost lamb demeanor fails to carry his end of the bargain and it's tough to decide whether his solo scenes or ones shared with Wayans are worse.

Still, the overarching puzzle of what's precisely going on generally sustains viewer interest, as do the frequently striking visuals crafted by Tipping and cinematographer Kira Kelly (13th).

However, far too much is left unsolved, leaving the rushed and utterly ridiculous climax to handle more heavy lifting than it's equipped to manage. What purports to be a pulpy, cathartic finale instead goes down as the year’s worst ending and makes one second guess the value of the preceding 80-plus minutes.

Grade: C-minus. Rated R. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: Universal Pictures)