MOVIE SCENE CANADA
MAGAZINE DREAMS
​I Briarcliff Entertainment I March 21, 2025 I 124 mins. I
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83%
* As of 3/19/25
CAST:
Jonathan Majors, Harrison Page, Harriet Sansom Harris, Haley Bennett, Michael O'Hearn, Taylour Paige, Bradley Stryker
DIRECTOR(S):
Elijah Bynum
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Killian Maddox is consumed by his dream of becoming a world famous bodybuilder and one day gracing the cover of fitness magazines. He lives a lonely, regimented life, and his relentless drive for perfection only pushes him deeper towards self destruction, but beneath his tenacious pursuit of superstardom lies a desperate, aching need for human connection. As he battles both the limits of his physical body and his own inner demons, MAGAZINE DREAMS explores the lengths one man will go in his haunting quest for recognition in a world that often overlooks him.
REVIEW BY: Kurt Morrison - 3/20/25
RATING 4.5 out of 5
‘Bodybuilding is a sport and an artform’ is something I have said multiple times in my life, being an avid gym goer myself since the age of 16. I began my ‘lifting’ life getting Muscle and Fitness Magazine every month with my best friend Mike, idolizing the greats at the time like Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman. The weight room became my outlet for stress; my steel fortress of solitude; my iron paradise - eventually becoming the career path I chose to go into full time, as a personal trainer here in Toronto.
Now let me preface this by saying, I am in no way shape or form a part of the bodybuilding landscape; more of an outsider looking into a very tumultuous industry. But I do think that the world of bodybuilding is incredibly unique because it is both exploration and physical art to the highest human degree and that is what has always drawn me to it.
Magazine Dreams takes that idea of both the sport and the spectacle of bodybuilding and makes it into a grounded singular character study of a young man, succumbing to the pressure of a world that has seemingly forgotten about him. With shades of Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler mixed with Michael Douglas’ 1993 film Falling Down and a pinch of the Eminem song Stan, the film is a fever dream (pun intended) and a rollercoaster ride from start to finish that is both heartbreaking and mesmerizing.
It has been 3 years since Magazine Dreams was announced, and my oh my, how the trajectory of this film has changed. But let’s put all the drama aside for a few minutes while talking about Magazine Dreams and actor Johnathan Majors because this film deserves a lot of attention.
Magazine Dreams centers on Killian Maddox (Majors), an aspiring bodybuilder grappling with his personal struggles. Constantly idolizing the renowned Brad Vanderhorn (played by bodybuilding pro Mike O’Hearn). This admiration turns into unsettling behaviors, including odd phone calls and letters to Brad, revealing Killian’s unstable mental state. His complicated family background sheds light on his actions, offering clues to his psychological turmoil. For Killian, bodybuilding is more than just a passion; it represents his escape and his chance to gain the affection and recognition he's long desired, with his ultimate goal being to dominate the professional bodybuilding scene.
Johnathan Majors performance as Killian is nothing short of breathtaking. The film starts out with Killian seemingly being an awkward lovable loser who works hard at his monotonous grocery store job, takes care of his ailing war veteran grandfather and works out religiously.
Nothing is glaringly wrong with him.
​Is his steroid use a good thing - probably not?
Is mixing that with heavy drugs a good thing either - definitely not.
But his character and demeanor never seem harmful or malicious, and you begin to cheer for him a bit, hoping that his dreams and aspirations do come true.
The first act truly feels like a bit of a peak behind the bodybuilding curtain, as we see Killian’s obsession, both with his physique and his adoration for his idol Brad Vanderhorn, yet nothing seems unusual especially since these things all seem ‘normal’ - or at least to me they did, considering I know so many people who are within bodybuilding and doing all of these things regularly. As I mentioned, you’re kind of rooting for the guy even though you question some of his methods and worry about what it could lead to.
But the film really shifts gears in the second and third act, and for me, as a viewer, its unhinged trajectory made the film that much more jaw-dropping and incredibly watchable. Listen folks, I don’t pause and collect myself during films. But there were two instances, one where I was in shock and restarted an entire 5 minute scene because it was both incredibly nerve wracking as well as entertaining.
Written and directed by Elijah Bynum, the film is both interestingly written and beautifully shot. I hear a lot of critics are also saying this film feels like an homage to Scorcese’s Taxi Driver - - but it’s my belief that as a late 30s Millennial, there was a huge influence from several different things in our 90s-2000s pop culture scene that Bynum referenced while writing this.
As I mentioned, The Wrestler and Falling Down came to mind almost immediately after watching, because they portray both of their protagonists in a light that isn’t crude or evil - like a Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver - but instead a familiarity of someone whom you yourself might know. A person who is passionate about something that becomes self destructive, someone who cares for their loved ones immensely but has been pushed past a boundary of no return, a la a character like William Foster or Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson.
Bynum drops tidbits as to where the story might be going, dropping hints as the film carries along especially thanks to some familiar story troupes, but he still manages to shock and awe with Killian’s actions as our protagonist unravels more and more.
The film IS a showcase for Johnathan Majors bar none, and it’s such a shame, because it is truly a nomination worthy role. Not only does he submit himself physically to the role, but his ability and believability to become a truly unnoticeable individual by the films end seers itself into your brain. It’s equal parts frightening as it is heartbreaking, and Majors is a tour de force from the first frame until the absolute very end.
Yes, there are a few plot nitpicks I could hang onto, and point out, but Magazine Dreams is unlike any movie you have seen recently. It’s insight into the world of bodybuilding as well as its underlying themes and plot devices about childhood trauma and mental health intertwine themselves so perfectly that I cannot wait to give this a rewatch. It’s unclear how Magazine Dreams will perform at the box office but this is truly the first GREAT FILM of 2025. Go check it out.