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Almost two years after its highly praised Sundance premiere, Magazine Dreams is set to make its worldwide release. The movie, delayed more due to off-screen controversy, finally sees the light of day. Jonathan Majors’ lead role as an amateur bodybuilder grappling not only with aspirations of fame and legacy but also with mental and physical issues of his own, is a fascinating watch. Incredibly engaging at times and brutally disturbing in others, Magazine Dreams is a technically well-made film with amazing performances. Read on for my non-spoiler Magazine Dreams review.
Magazine Dreams is Jonathan Major’s career-making showcase
Magazine Dreams is about aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors) and his journey to become the best while being an intensely ambitious and deeply flawed person. Obsessing over his physique, which feels like almost a prerequisite, Killian struggles with his insecurities, drug use, delusions of grandeur, and what definitely comes across as mental health issues. Maddox is a ticking time bomb that erupts quite a few times in the movie.
The movie is driven by two main elements: Major’s career-making performance and the inevitable discussion it will spark about toxic masculinity and fragile male egos. The movie has a lot to say through Maddox and the decisions he makes in his journey, some seemingly by choice, while others signal bigger issues at play. It’s clear why the movie was delayed, given Major’s own personal issues conflating with this fictional performance. And what a performance!
A bleak tone and hyper-violent approach go against the story
Majors is a powerhouse in Magazine Dreams. Not only bearing it all from a physical perspective, which is almost a Hollywood must these days, but also exposing his range playing Maddox with a violent vulnerability. While you don’t root for Maddox or root against him, you can’t take your eyes off the screen. Majors handles the wildly chaotic depiction of Maddox brilliantly. His intensity radiates off the screen, infusing even more vulnerability and unpredictability into the character.
In many ways, Magazine Dreams works as a character study into the mind of one troubled individual. It’s one of those movies that is a great showcase for performance and talented storytelling by writer-director Elijah Bynum. The subject matter is intense and is coupled with even more gripping performances that provide depth to the story. But it’s a tough watch. It’s a story that begins and ends with this—the villain of his own story—and not much more than that.
The movie has a fascinating main character who is hard to watch
And that would be my only complaint. Magazine Dreams is a great showcase of talent and range, but it’s not a journey that I want to repeat. What makes Maddox fascinating is also what makes it hard for an audience to invest in him. His inherently flawed nature makes some scenes hard to watch, but it is also what makes the movie compelling. It feels like the nuance of Maddox’s story is overshadowed by the shock-and-awe nature of certain sequences. The third act especially suffers from this, which takes a sort of hyper-violent approach.
And while Magazine Dreams is carried by Majors and his performance, he doesn’t make up for a story that feels very one-sided, about a character who is difficult to invest in. As a standalone story, its bleak tone and volatile pacing leave one wanting.
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Grade: C+
Magazine Dreams
Aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox struggles to find human connection in this exploration of celebrity and violence. Nothing deters him from his fiercely protected dream of superstardom, not even the doctors who warn him of the permanent damage he causes to himself with his quest.
Release Date: March 21, 2025
Director: Elijah Bynum
Cast: Jonathan Majors , Haley Bennett , Taylour Paige
