His movie ending explained: Does Cam replace Isaiah as the GOAT?

Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions returns with another unsettling genre blend, and the recently released sports horror film Him is perhaps its boldest gamble yet. Directed by Justin Tipping, the film mixes the grit of football with the dread of cult horror, creating a story about ambition, sacrifice, and exploitation. 

The plot follows Cameron Cade, a rising player whose promising career is nearly derailed before it begins. Just as his dreams fade, he’s given a lifeline by his idol, Isaiah White, a legendary quarterback who invites him to train at a secluded compound. What begins as mentorship soon mutates into obsession, ritual, and revelations about the cost of being called the greatest of all time.

 With haunting visuals and a biting commentary on sports culture, the film crescendos into a grisly finale that asks whether Cam will inherit Isaiah’s mantle—or reject the system that made him.

The Ending of Him explained: Cam’s choice and Isaiah’s fall

At the climax of Him, Isaiah forces Cam to fight for the title of the GOAT. Years of training and manipulation lead to a showdown in which Isaiah reveals his obsession with eternal greatness, even giving Cam his blood as part of a supernatural ritual. The match isn’t just symbolic—it’s deadly. Cam kills Isaiah, a brutal act that signifies both victory and inheritance. Yet the deeper revelation comes when the cabal of team owners, Isaiah’s wife Elsie, and Cam’s agent gather to induct him as the new chosen athlete.

This is where the horror behind the sports metaphor fully surfaces. The group treats Cam as a commodity, pressuring him to sign contracts that echo demonic pacts. The imagery underscores how athletes are sacrificed for profit, and how greatness is often manufactured rather than earned. Cam, however, breaks the cycle. Instead of accepting their terms, he turns on the owners and kills them, violently rejecting the system Isaiah had embraced. In that decision, Cam refuses to be consumed by the same greed and obsession. He doesn’t become the GOAT in the traditional sense—but he emerges as something greater: his own man.

Recap of Him’s twisted story

From the start, Him establishes Cam as a rising star with a complicated past. A violent encounter with a deranged fan leaves his career in jeopardy until Isaiah White, nearing the end of his storied run, invites him to a secluded training compound. Isaiah at first seems like a mentor, but cracks soon appear. His obsession with being the greatest reveals itself in eerie rituals, constant surveillance, and “tape-watching” sessions that are nothing more than self-indulgent crowd footage.

As training intensifies, Cam discovers the darker truths. Isaiah is part of a lineage of athletes chosen to embody greatness, propped up by wealthy owners who exploit their talents while reaping the rewards. A shocking twist reveals Cam’s late father had also been tied to this deal, ensuring his son’s path was set long before he could choose it. By the time Cam realizes the true nature of Isaiah’s “gift,” it’s too late to turn back—he must either kill Isaiah or be destroyed himself.

The film crescendos with Cam defeating Isaiah in ritual combat. But instead of inheriting the role, Cam refuses to bow to the demonic system behind it all. The finale is drenched in blood and defiance, with Cam slaughtering the owners who sought to control him. In doing so, he reclaims his agency, choosing family and humanity over manufactured greatness. The film closes ambiguously, leaving viewers to question whether Cam has truly escaped or merely carved a new path within the same cursed cycle.

In its shocking finale, Him turns the sports underdog narrative on its head. Cam does replace Isaiah, but not in the way the cabal intended—he claims power by rejecting their system rather than surrendering to it. The film critiques the exploitation of athletes, the racial undertones of ownership, and the seductive danger of chasing perfection at any cost. By killing both Isaiah and the forces behind him, Cam proves that greatness isn’t inherited or bought—it’s defined by refusing to let others dictate your worth.