Podcast Summary: "F the Critics, Go See 'Him'"
Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Date: September 23, 2025
Episode: F the Critics, Go See “Him”
Overview
In this episode, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes sit down post-movie to discuss the much-maligned football horror film "Him." Despite widespread negative critical reception and scathingly clever reviews, Amy and T.J. recount their own, much more positive experience at the theater and debate the value of both professional critics and everyday audience opinions. The episode explores how expectations, hype, and big-name producers like Jordan Peele influence perception—and makes a strong case for seeing movies yourself before passing judgment.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Movie "Him" and Its Critical Reception
[03:38 – 04:58]
- Summary of Reviews:
- "Him" received severe criticism: half a star on RogerEbert.com, disliked by The New York Times and IndieWire alike.
- Amy reads a brutal line:
- “Putrid and hollow. Justin Tipping's brain dead football horror film, which somehow managed to secure the backing of producer Jordan Peele, is incomprehensibly bad.” (Amy, 04:15)
- Critical Consensus:
- Rotten Tomatoes average: 29%.
- Critics characterized the film as “fumbling the ball,” with style but poor execution and “rookie execution.”
- Reviews are filled with puns and football-themed burns.
2. The Hosts' Initial Expectations and Experience
[04:31 – 07:52]
- Motivation to Watch:
- Amy & T.J. were drawn to see the film specifically because of bad reviews.
- Amy: “It was a football story meets Midsommar. That’s what it felt like to me.” (Amy, 05:38)
- Their Experience:
- Intriguing and entertaining, full of oddness and ambiguity—hallucinations vs. demonic possession vs. football concussion.
- Not your classic jump-scare horror, more of a atmospheric thriller; contained comedic elements and body horror.
- The film spurred instant discussion: “We were arguing, like, ‘What was that? What did that mean?’…that makes art.” (T.J., 06:48)
3. Criticizing the Critics
[07:54 – 09:40]
- Tone of Reviews:
- Both hosts note the “meanness” and unnecessarily personal digs in many professional critics’ reviews.
- T.J.: “Why was everybody trying to be cute in their writing?…There was a meanness to a lot of this stuff.” (T.J., 08:04)
- Marlon Wayans’ Response:
- Marlon Wayans addressed the negative reception with class, respecting critics but encouraging audiences to see for themselves.
- Amy paraphrases: “Innovation is not always embraced and art is to be interpreted and it’s subjective....Don’t take anyone’s opinion. Just go see for yourself. Love to all.” (Amy, 09:04)
4. The Jordan Peele Factor & Expectations
[10:05 – 11:00]
- Producer’s Influence:
- Jordan Peele’s name lent the film extra attention and raised expectations, equating him to the “Black M. Night Shyamalan.”
- Amy: “There are a lot of high expectations associated with a name like his…and I do think they end up being perhaps their own worst enemy.” (Amy, 10:30)
5. "Is it Just Critics?”: Audience vs. Professional Opinion
[21:02 – 24:53]
- Hosts as Fans:
- Amy & T.J. consider themselves horror aficionados, not professional critics—judging films by whether they’re entertained and moved.
- “Was I entertained? Was the acting good? Was the script good? Was it able to make me feel things...and it did all those things.” (Amy, 21:23)
- Fans' Reviews:
- Some regular audience reviews are just as harsh, calling the film, “horrifyingly bad and shockingly boring,” and “not worthy of my time.”
- T.J.: “That’s mean. That’s emotional.” (T.J., 23:46)
6. Defense of the Movie’s Merits
[24:53 – 29:10]
- Visuals, Acting & Tone:
- Strong disagreement with the ‘cheap visuals’ accusation—both praise the look and production value.
- Julia Fox:
- Amy: “Scene stealer…played her role perfectly.” (Amy, 25:39)
- T.J.: “We turned to each other…Like, oh my God, she’s awesome.” (T.J., 25:52)
- Tyreek Withers & Marlon Wayans:
- Tyreek Withers is praised for range and vulnerability.
- Marlon Wayans described as “remarkable,” with his best performance to date. (Amy, 28:06)
7. The Box Office and Genre Context
[18:29 – 21:02]
- Box Office Performance:
- “Him” reached #2 at the weekend box office, bringing in $13.5M against a $27M budget.
- Genre Boom:
- Modern horror's mainstream success may be raising expectations and making critical backlash sharper.
8. Takeaways and Recommendation
[29:10 – End]
- Art is subjective; critics’ perspectives are not universal.
- Both recommend seeing “Him” for yourself if you enjoy thrillers, body horror, and a bit of weirdness.
- Final word from Amy:
- “If you haven’t seen it, and you can handle a little bit of gore and you love a thriller, we highly recommend this film.” (Amy, 29:37)
- T.J.: “You will not be bored. That is our recommendation.” (T.J., 30:05)
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “We would like to tell you—we fucking loved it.” (TJ Holmes, 04:31)
- “It was a football story meets Midsommar. That’s what it felt like to me.” (Amy Robach, 05:38)
- “We were arguing, like, ‘What was that? What did that mean?’…that makes art.” (TJ Holmes, 06:48)
- "Why was everybody trying to be cute in their writing?... There was a meanness to a lot of this stuff." (TJ Holmes, 08:04)
- “[Marlon Wayans] was phenomenal. And by the way, in some of these reviews…they did point out the acting chops of Marlon [Wayans].” (Amy Robach, 28:06)
- “If it gets you talking, if it gets you feeling something…even if you’re annoyed that you saw it, hey, you felt something, you experienced something.” (Amy Robach, 29:37)
- “You will not be bored. That is our recommendation.” (TJ Holmes, 30:05)
Key Timestamps
- 03:38 – Show introduction and overview of “Him’s” reviews
- 04:31 – Hosts’ immediate, positive reaction to the film
- 05:38 – Amy’s “football meets Midsommar” comparison
- 06:48 – Discussion about art leading to post-film debate
- 09:04 – Marlon Wayans’ Instagram response to critics
- 10:11 – Jordan Peele's effect on expectation
- 18:29 – Box office breakdown and horror genre context
- 21:23 – Amy’s audience-focused review criteria
- 23:34 – Reading particularly harsh audience reviews
- 24:53 – Discussion of Julia Fox, production value, and music
- 28:06 – Praise for Tyreek Withers and Marlon Wayans
- 29:37 – Amy’s final recommendation
- 30:05 – T.J.’s final word: “You will not be bored.”
Tone & Style
The episode is conversational, energetic, and candid, featuring loads of direct quotes from both the film’s critics and from Amy and T.J.’s own experience. The hosts are passionate champions for seeing movies yourself, pushing back against both professional snark and audience negativity, and openly fan out over horror genre favorites and underappreciated performances.
In summary:
Amy and T.J. defy the critics, have a blast with a much-maligned football horror movie, and urge listeners—especially horror fans—not to let nasty reviews scare them away. For them, it’s all about the visceral, shared, and highly subjective joy of going to the movies.