Someone I know referred to this movie as “the football movie” when they struggled to recall the title. Yes, it is about football and a young man with a promising career, but it is a horror movie. There is a scene of a young quarterback, Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers, I Know What You Did Last Summer), at a football field after hours. When no one else is there, a questionable figure appears, apparently with bad intentions. Who, what or why isn’t addressed, questioned, etc. In fact, no one seems to have investigated or inquired why someone, or something, attacked him. His mama would have been demanding answers about who hurt her son and his career via a head injury! This is the first turn off in the film directed by Justin Tipping (Kicks), from the script he co-penned with Skip Bronkie and Zack Akers. The film is produced by Jordan Peele.
Cameron Cade has developed a name for himself in college as a quarterback. After many years during his youth hearing his father talk about football as a career, he’s about to participate in an NFL scouting event. As a child watching the Saviours quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) play football, he and his family are excited when Cam receives an invitation from White to train with him for a week at his isolated desert compound. His agent (Tim Heidecker) is all but ready to push him in that direction too. Again, the script skips over details when presenting new information/characters leading to more horror. When the audience sees he’s expected to surrender his phone, things turn south.
The script then proceeds to describe each of his days at this compound in six chapters. White oversees the “coaching,” the sports doctor (comedian Jim Jefferies) gives him a “physical” and someone injects “medicines” into Cam without him having any knowledge of what they are. We can only guess, as well as the blood transfusions he receives.
The actors try to deliver good performances, given the weak script. Wayans is effective in this dramatic role not seen before. Julia Fox (Presence) appears quite strange as White’s spouse – extremely pale and weird – and very interesting to watch, but otherwise I was bored. DP Kira Kelly should be mentioned for the use of what appear to be “x-ray” shots of what the body looks like when it receives the trauma on and off the football field.
The film is rated R and opens in limited theaters on 9-18 and nationwide, September 19th.
Source: Universal Pictures
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