Behind the brutal beauty of ‘HIM’: Meet the Black women who brought the football horror story to life

Cinematographer Kira Kelly and film editor Taylor Joy Mason discuss how they brought the world of ‘HIM’ to life on screen.

In a story packed with sweat, blood, swagger, and hard hits, it’s striking that “HIM”—a hyper-masculine blend of sports and horror—was shaped by two women in crucial roles behind the scenes. 

Cinematographer Kira Kelly and editor Taylor Joy Mason brought the film’s look and rhythm to life, proving that some of the most powerful storytellers in male-centric genres aren’t men at all. 

As Kelly put it, “A woman can definitely shoot a masculine movie, just like men can shoot the raw, romantic movies.” 

Kelly and Mason sat down with theGrio ahead of the film’s release to discuss how they each approached building the film’s world and why their perspectives mattered. 

Directed by Justin Tipping, “HIM” stars Marlon Wayans as Isaiah White, a fading quarterback, and Tyriq Withers as Cameron “Cam” Cade, the ambitious young player he mentors. The film fuses football and horror to explore the sacrifices, rituals, and dangers that come with glory. And though its subject matter is steeped in machismo, much of the film’s creative vision—including its costumes—was crafted by women. 

“[“HIM”] was such a great opportunity to not only work with me, but two other incredible black women like Taylor and then Dominique Dawson, who’s the costume designer,” Kelly said. “This movie was an opportunity to show we’re just as much of the artists as anybody else. And it was a great experience.”

For Kelly, the challenge was capturing the physical intensity while highlighting the vulnerability beneath it. She leaned on light, shadow, and framing that emphasized the humanity of players who otherwise look invincible. Mason’s approach came from a more personal place. Her father, Lindsey Mason, was an offensive tackle who played five seasons in the NFL from 1978 through 1983 across several teams, including the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and the Baltimore Colts (before the team moved to Indianapolis).

“So I had a very up close and personal relationship with the league,” she said. “Certainly, there’s a lot of the quiet moments with Cam or Isaiah that were reflective of a lot of what I saw. My dad had about seven knee surgeries, and was kind of always in some form of pain… but then he’d walk outside with a Super Bowl ring on and receive all kinds of praise and fandom from people. That dichotomy was something I was trying to wrestle with as a kid, and it shaped how I cut certain performances.”

Mason also pushed the edit stylistically. She recalled cutting sequences that used thermal imaging to heighten the film’s brutality. 

“We shot with this thermal camera called the FLIR, which basically captures heat signatures… the film room fight is probably the one that looked most different at the end, because we included a lot of FLIR in those moments… once those effects were applied, it was in a whole ‘nother lane. I don’t think it’s ever been used on another film,” she explained.

Kelly comes to “HIM” with a rich cinematic pedigree. She’s known for her work on the documentary “13th,” which earned her an Emmy nomination, and the hit show “Queen Sugar,” among others. 

Mason, meanwhile, has built a strong reputation in editing across both film and television. Her credits include “Pose,” “Dahmer,” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” In fact, Mason was part of the first all-Black editing team to win a Primetime Emmy in the variety editing category.

Kelly’s visual direction and Mason’s edit work in tandem to let “HIM” live on both sides of its brutal framework. Kelly’s images avoid glorifying violence, and Mason’s cuts breathe so the audience feels the weight and echoes.

They both hope viewers wrestle with the film and aren’t just stunned by it. Mason believes its potency lies in genre-bending. 

“It kind of goes past the typical horror form and touches a little bit of camp and comedy and all the above,” she said. “And the fact that I could do that within one genre is really nice.”