Magazine Dreams – Sundance 2023 (Film Review)

With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III, Jonathan Majors is surely going to have a stellar year at multiplexes. Hopefully, however, he'll be rightfully rewarded and praised for his astonishing leading role in Magazine Dreams; as a troubled man aspiring to be a world class bodybuilder. It's just a shame that the film itself doesn't match the quality of its star performance.

Magazine Dreams is sustained by a relentlessly miserable two hour runtime. There is no rise or fall from grace; where Majors' Killian is already seeing a court-mandated therapist for his violent outbursts and steroid use. It only gets worse for him over time. Whilst the constant downwards trajectory is harrowing in an emotionally engaging way for a brief moment, the second half of the film pushes Killian's arc so far into darkness, it becomes obscenely silly. Magazine Dreams devolves into a story about a lonely man turning violent, where it replicates the many cliches and tropes associated with the aforementioned familiar narrative. The biggest issue is that the film says nothing. Magazine Dreams is a singular experience that explores the psyche of an individual and nothing else. In effect, the narrative simply repeats the same surface-level beats told in other films and media about these types of violent men. Throughout the film, Killian takes bold action to make an empty statement. Unfortunately, this act is reflective of the film itself.

What makes Magazine Dreams worth watching, however, is Jonathan Majors' committed performance. Thankfully, the entire film is built around Killian. Majors naturally embodies the confidence of Killian on stage; performing and using his physical transformation to impose on others. On the flip side, he seamlessly shows Killian's socially inept awkwardness when trying to form any kind of meaningful relationship. Majors commands the screen through a whole spectrum of emotions and carries the entire film on his (massive) shoulders.

Director Elijah Bynum places all his confidence in Majors, who produces a hell of an on-screen performance at the cost of a forgettable story. What makes Magazine Dreams disappointing is that the film covers serious, relatable issues — but stumbles in exploring anything meaningful about it, for audiences to take away. Equally disappointing is the fact that it will most likely hinder what is sure to be an award-contending performance. 

Magazine Dreams premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, as part of the ‘U.S. Dramatic' competition. The film is currently seeking international distribution.