Magazine Dreams (2025)
Directed by: Elijah Bynum
Premise: An up-and-coming body builder (Jonathan Majors) is consumed by his commitment to his sport.
What Works: Magazine Dreams is a character study of Killian, a troubled man who copes with his demons through body building. Every aspect of the filmmaking comes together. Jonathan Majors turns out an exceptionally committed performance as Killian. It’s a very physical performance. Majors has transformed his body into that of an athlete but the physicality goes beyond his physique. Killian is socially impaired and haunted by insecurity and that is evident throughout Majors’ performance. Magazine Dreams is in some ways painful to watch but the film is also very empathetic and despite his imposing size, Majors is often vulnerable and projects false confidence that viewers can see through. Magazine Dreams is well shot by cinematographer Adam Arkapaw. The film is extremely stylized and often uses lighting schemes that recall the images of magazine photo shoots. The sound is also very effective. The music by Jason Hill scores Killian’s mental state and while it is often subtle, the music is also unsettling especially in the film’s second half. Magazine Dreams keeps the viewer on edge by teasing us with Killian’s mental state. He walks up to the threshold of disaster and the film sits with him, drawing out the tension. This is a fascinating study of masculinity. Killian is motivated by the desire to be seen and validated and Magazine Dreams visualizes the performative nature of extreme masculinity. Killian has convinced himself that achieving greatness in his sport will validate his existence and the movie indicts this sort of thinking. The later portion takes the character and the story in some frightening and heartbreaking directions with nods towards gun violence and antisocial activity. The filmmakers want us to see real life violence through the lens of Killian’s life and Magazine Dreams’ most subversive quality is the way it illuminates what’s behind the tragic headlines that have become all too common.
What Doesn’t: The first half of Magazine Dreams is very focused on Killian’s body building career. His story takes a turn in the second half. As Killian’s focus becomes diverted so does the film and Killian takes on a series of minor obsessions. This part of the film works as the style and story parallel what’s happening in Killian’s head but it isn’t quite as revealing or as interesting as the first half.
Bottom Line: Magazine Dreams is a bold and beautifully made film with an extraordinary performance by Jonathan Majors. Without getting preachy or didactic, Magazine Dreams takes a critical but compassionate view of masculinity that is revealing and heartbreaking.
Episode: #1039 (March 16, 2025)