At one point in time, the rising star of actor Jonathan Majors could not be stopped. He nabbed leading roles in two of 2023’s most notable films in Creed III and Ant-Man: Quantumania. His year began with a buzzy role in Magazine Dreams, debuting at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. The drama was swooped up quickly by Searchlight Films… and then, due to strikes and controversies, was promptly pulled from the release schedule. Just over two years since its festival debut, the second film from writer/director Elijah Bynum (Timothee Chalamet outlet, Hot Summer Nights) finally arrives. Real-life issues aside, Bynum gives Majors an outlet for his best performance to date. A disturbing character study that examines the dark side of bodybuilding and male image obsession, Magazine Dreams serves as a haunting cautionary tale.
Aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox (Majors) cares for his sick grandfather as he sculpts his own body to perfection. In this case, that translates to constant steroid injections, consuming crazy levels of meats, and pushing his body to every limit imaginable. He pens fan letters to Brad Vanderhorn (Mike O’Hearn), a celebrity bodybuilder who also serves as Killian’s biggest motivator. With Brad’s magazine covers plastered all over Killian’s bedroom walls, his image becomes the ultimate ideal for perfection. Underneath the toned, rippling physique lies the underbelly of a deeply disturbed individual in desperate need of a mental health recalibration.
Bynum’s twisted script immerses us deeply into Killian’s personage free from judgment or artifice. What we know about Killian we learn in real time—his case worker remarks about Killian’s nightmares and the voices he hears in his head, her words echoing over his daily routine. It would be easy for the initial setup to feel repetitive, especially given the monotony of Killian’s actions. Many scenes consist of roaming around in tightie whities, watching porn, chugging protein shakes, going hard at the gym, or shooting steroids into the tush. But the real nuances lie in Killian’s unstoppable rage, threatening to bust to the surface at any given opportunity. Anything could set him off. He is particularly sensitive about the temple that is his body, taking offense at even the slightest dig. Coming in sixth place at a local bodybuilding content will not be enough to satiate his insatiable appetite for greatness.
Majors delivers what could very well be the performance of a lifetime, finding the shades of gray in a complex character. A complete physical transformation has happened before the film even starts; Majors truly put in the work to establish Killian’s jaw-dropping muscular physicality. Apart from that literal imposing hugeness, Killian is still an intimidating, utterly unpredictable figure. From one scene to the next, guessing his actions are almost impossible. Just when it seems he might be heading to an area of positivity, something else occurs to set him off. A casual flirtation with grocery store co-worker, Jessie (Haley Bennett), suggests an avenue of sweetness for Killian not glimpsed in the rest of his day-to-day existence. Unfortunately, the repulsiveness in casual conversation reflects back to that general aura of negativity.
Accompanying the frequently disturbing imagery, composer Jason Hill establishes the foreboding atmosphere brilliantly. Each pounding of the melancholiac score brings us one step closer to unwrapping the harshness of Killian. Bathed in brownish lighting, the cinematography from Adam Arkapaw also nicely establishes the tone. This is still a movie where bad things happen to an unlikable protagonist, and to reflect on his plight helps to put into perspective the poorness of his mental state. In his strive for perfection, Killian pushes everyone away, except for maybe his grandfather. Does the tragedy of his life make excuses for how he ended up as a grown adult? Probably not, but his character is compelling enough to make you care in spite of his often deplorable actions. Grounded by an explosive turn from Jonathan Majors, Magazine Dreams submerges Killian into a pressure cooker of impossible standards.
Contemplate the legacy we leave behind with Magazine Dreams, shooting up into select theaters on Friday, March 21st.
