MAGAZINE DREAMS
Starring: Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Michael O’Hearn, Harrison Page, Harriet Sansom Harris
Director: Elijah Bynum
ADRIANO
Magazine Dreams accomplishes its goal of telling the story of a man pushing himself to the edge of his sanity, yet I’m still mixed on the end result. It’s worth watching for Jonathan Majors’ performance alone because he is impossible to look away from as he gets closer to the edge. Plus, it’s shot well and the tone is both entertaining and uncomfortable. But a lot of the choices, particularly towards the end, don’t feel earned. I don’t think Majors’ character is fleshed out enough to justify many of his actions, and I just wound up being confused.
AMARÚ
There are movies that put a heartbreakingly pensive mirror up to obsession, mental illness, and the pursuit of perfection; then there is Magazine Dreams. Elijah Bynum’s direction is intense and greatly focused, but the story he wrote comes off as plain mean. Jonathan Majors’ portrayal of bodybuilder Killian borders on outright cruelty with how deeply he dives into the traumatized physical and mental psyche of his broken character. Throughout the film, he hate-watches videos and hate-reads comments about himself, which seems to be the point of Dreams. Instead of a cautionary tale, it’s a practice in self-mutilation, and for me, it’s too much.
PAIGE
Time to separate the art from the artist. I’d be lying if I didn’t say Jonathan Majors delivers a powerhouse performance in director Elijah Bynum's second feature; a beautifully shot, dark, and unsettling character study. Magazine Dreams provides a horrifying glimpse at toxic masculinity in the world of bodybuilding, and the negative effects that striving for perfection can have on one's mental health. Having said that, it’s a hard watch from start to finish, not because of its subject matter, but due to its uneven script. The film's inconsistent narrative caused it to drag, and by the end it became too tense for its own good.
This film was reviewed by Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
