After landing 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, Him's Marlon Wayans says his divisive movies are "ahead of the curve": "Innovation is not always embraced"

Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers in Him
(Image credit: Universal)

Marlon Wayans, director and actor of several iconic cult classics, has taken to Instagram to encourage moviegoers to see his new horror movie Him regardless of the mixed reviews.

"Just to be clear, I respect critics. Their job is to critique. I respect their work. It shapes our industry," Wayans wrote on Instagram alongside screenshots of the low Rotten Tomatoes scores for White Chicks, Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2, Don't Be a Menace, A Haunted House, and Him.

"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."

Him stars Wayans as a legendary eight-time Championship quarterback and cultural megastar who offers to train a young, upcoming football star named Cam (Tyriq Withers). Per the official synopsis, "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."

The film, produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Justin Tipping, hit theaters on September 19 and currently holds a 29% Critics rating and a 58% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Many of the reviews state that while Him is visually stunning, the film is "disjointed," "shallow," and has an "unsatisfying" ending. Wayans is right to point out that many of his most beloved movies are some of the most poorly reviewed, and that it took quite some time for them to become recognized as true cult classics that have a permanent place in pop culture history. It might take a minute for Him to catch up.

For more, check out our guide to the other best upcoming horror movies on the way in 2025.

Lauren Milici
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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