Marlon Wayans Addresses “HIM” Critics

Marlon Wayans fired back at the critical backlash surrounding his latest horror-sports mashup, HIM, defending the film’s vision and box office success after it opened to a dismal 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The comedian-turned-actor responded to the negative reviews on Instagram, highlighting the disconnect between critics and audiences by posting screenshots of past films that were critically panned but have since become cult favorites.

HIM, which was produced by Jordan Peele, centers on a rising football star who trains at a secluded facility owned by his idol—played by Wayans—only to find himself in a chilling psychological game.

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Wayans didn’t hold back in his caption, writing, “Just to be clear… I respect critics. 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 (sic) 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.”

The post included Rotten Tomatoes scorecards for White Chicks, A Haunted House and the first two Scary Movie installments—films that were initially dismissed by critics but found strong support from audiences.

He capped the carousel with a snapshot showing HIM’s 58% audience score, a notable contrast to its critical reception.

Despite the lukewarm reviews, HIM pulled in $13.5 million during its U.S. opening weekend, a respectable showing for a genre-bending thriller.