Marlon Wayans Has Perfect Response for Critics of Jordan Peele’s Panned New Project

Marlon Wayans has publicly addressed the negative reviews surrounding Him, Justin Tipping’s football-centric horror film produced by Jordan Peele. Wayans stars in the buzzed-about feature as Isaiah White, a legendary quarterback who takes an aspiring young player under his wing, putting him through an intense and violent training regime to become the next big sports sensation, per the official synopsis below. The film was critically panned ahead of its theatrical release last week, and now Wayans has come out in defense of the much-maligned movie, imploring audiences to give it a chance and to “go see for yourself.”

“Him stars former college wide-receiver Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade, a rising-star quarterback who has devoted his life, and identity, to football. On the eve of professional football’s annual scouting Combine, Cam is attacked by an unhinged fan and suffers a potentially career-ending brain trauma. Just when all seems lost, Cam receives a lifeline when his hero, Isaiah White (Wayans), a legendary eight-time Championship quarterback and cultural megastar, offers to train Cam at Isaiah’s isolated compound that he shares with his celebrity influencer wife, Elsie White (Julia Fox). But as Cam’s training accelerates, Isaiah’s charisma begins to curdle into something darker, sending his protégé down a disorienting rabbit hole that may cost him more than he ever bargained for.”

Wayans took to Instagram on Sept. 19 – the same day that Him opened in theaters – to encourage fans to reserve judgment on the film until they have had the opportunity to watch it for themselves. His post included a carousel of screenshots of some of his past films on Rotten Tomatoes that scored low with critics but fared better with audiences, such as White Chicks and Scary Movie 2. He also included Him, which, at the time, had 28% on the Tomatometer and 60% on the Popcornmeter. Wayans acknowledged that opinions can differ and reappraisals can occur over time, so he doesn’t recommend jumping to conclusions.

“Just to be clear… I respect critics,” Wayans wrote in the caption. “Their job is to critique. I respect their work. It shapes our industry. But an opinion does not always mean it’s everyone’s opinion. Some movies are ahead of the curve. Innovation is not always embraced and art is to be interpreted and it’s subjective. I’ve had a career of making classic movies that weren’t critically received and those movies went on to be CLASSICS. So don’t take anyone’s opinion just go see for yourself. Love to all. Him in theaters now.”

Marlon Wayans Praised for Career-Best Performance

Despite the widespread negativity from critics about Him, Wayans’ role in the film seems to be one of the redeeming factors. A lot of people hailed it as a career-best performance for the actor, with one person noting that it deserves a spot in the “Hall of Fame.” Many felt that his turn as Isaiah White demonstrated his growth, and highlighted his ability to play non-comedic characters with complex personalities. However, it still was not enough to save the film from a “Rotten” score, as critics blasted it for fumbling the plot with an underdeveloped script and unfocused themes, which resulted in an unsatisfying and disjointed ending. MovieWeb‘s Julian Roman suggested “Him could be the worst film of 2025,” writing in his review:

“The Jordan Peele-produced football horror thriller bashes the senses with gruesome imagery, mind-numbing strobe effects and shaky cinematography in an ugly narrative.”

As of Sept. 21, Him had grossed $13.5 million in the United States and Canada, opening in second place behind the holdover anime film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle. Tipping’s film picked up an additional $362,000 in other territories, for a worldwide haul of $13.9 million. Negative reviews can sometimes hurt a movie’s word-of-mouth and its box office performance, which might happen to Him as it continues through its theatrical run. However, as Wayans points out, the film has a 58% approval rating from audiences, so some people might be intrigued to watch it for themselves to land on their own verdict.