Magazine Dreams

"Magazine Dreams" is a brilliant character study with a brilliant showcase by Jonathan Majors of someone who struggles with the line between aspirations and mental obsessions.

Toxic masculinity is a topic that has garnered increased attention in recent years, addressed in various outlets from TV talk shows to social media to myriad print resources. And now, in the latest offering from writer-director Elijah Bynum, the subject has made its way to the big screen (although it almost didn’t – see below). This character study of amateur bodybuilder Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors) follows the life of this highly disciplined competitor who’s little known in the field but is determined to one day win major titles and fulfill his dreams of gracing magazine covers devoted to the sport. However, try as he might, Killian never seems to fully realize his aspirations, a tremendous source of personal frustration, particularly when his chiseled physique is (at least in his mind) unduly criticized. He’s obsessed with trying to figure out what he’s doing wrong, not only in sculpting his physical prowess, but also in his interpersonal dealings. It’s an exasperating exercise that often subsequently leads to angry outbursts, exaggerated responses to his circumstances and fits of emotional self-flagellation. To compensate, he earnestly engages in internet searches about ways to get others to like him and to find the means to be remembered, efforts that feed his many personal demons and contribute to an ever-downward spiral of his health, self-esteem and grasp on reality, all of which bring out the toxic masculinity festering within him. His unsettling lack of fulfillment, combined with his considerable pent-up physical strength, makes for quite a volatile mix, raising serious questions about whether he can ultimately contain it. While the film tries to cover a little too much ground at times and features some script elements that come across as wholly implausible, the picture nevertheless offers valuable insights into the nature and source of where this behavior comes from, as well as the hope for redemption, no matter how seemingly remote. The narrative also pays homage to other pictures that chillingly profile the lives of troubled loners like Killian, very much in the same vein as the works of writer-director Paul Schrader, most notably “Taxi Driver” (1976) and “First Reformed” (2017). To be honest, though, I was quite stunned to see this offering actually make its way into release. Having been originally scheduled for opening during the 2023 awards season, “Magazine Dreams” was dropped from its distributor’s schedule when troubling allegations about Majors’ offscreen abusive behavior began to surface, incidents that would eventually land him in court. In short order, one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars suddenly became one of the movie industry’s biggest pariahs. And, with that, it seemed that this picture – a hot contender for awards consideration at the time – would forever vanish into the ether, relegated to the ranks of films that would never again see the light of day. However, this offering has since managed to secure a new distributor, and it is now playing theatrically (and rather widely at that). It’s arguably regrettable that Majors’ fortunes have faltered as they have, because he turns in a phenomenal performance here in what would have almost assuredly earned him awards season accolades. This release thus provides a potent cautionary tale about the perils and consequences of toxic masculinity. Indeed, it’s understandable how moviegoers might want to shun this release in light of the controversies surrounding its protagonist. At the same time, though, if we as a society ever hope to understand what drives this kind of behavior, we’d be wise to take a good, hard look at it so that we can see how it arises, find ways to dispel it and keep it from inflicting any further harm on those it victimizes – and those who fall prey to it in the first place.

On the surface, it looks like an uplifting sports drama about a bodybuilder. Instead, it turns out that this is more of a character study of a man who needs serious help and it just so happens that he is a bodybuilder. And while it may take itself too serious on more than one occasion, there are plenty of unexpected surprises that make the premise feel unique and will have you silently rooting for the hero in question.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]