Magazine Dreams

Digging beneath the intimidating physique of a hard-core bodybuilder, Magazine Dreams is galvanized by an audacious performance of monumental conviction and commitment by Jonathan Majors.

This intense and deeply introspective character study explores toxic masculinity through a deeply conflicted and self-destructive character who generates hard-earned sympathy.

Majors (Creed III) plays Killian Maddox, who lives in a world of isolation and delusion pumping himself up like the champion (Mike O’Hearn) he idolizes in his ignored fan letters.

The same is true of Killian’s videos, which suggest hints of Travis Bickle and Arthur Fleck mixed with a determined optimism about one day gracing the cover of fitness magazines and competing for titles on stage himself.

His external strength and bravado create a façade of invincibility while also masking a crippling emotional vulnerability. “I don’t like people touching me,” he explains succinctly.

Deep down, he seeks acceptance and stability in an unforgiving world. However, he’s painfully shy and socially awkward, and his obsessive workouts and posing sessions become a coping mechanism. The fact that he’s hooked on steroids doesn’t help.

Killian stammers his way through the simplest conversations and often rambles inappropriately, such as during an uncomfortable first date with a supermarket cashier (Haley Bennett).

His interactions with his elderly grandfather (Harrison Page), his therapist (Harriet Sansom Harris), and a sex worker (Taylour Paige) don’t fare much better. Eventually, a series of personal setbacks turn him into a reckless and impulsive real-life Incredible Hulk, making a tragic outcome seem almost inevitable.

The screenplay by director Elijah Bynum (Hot Summer Nights) probes the physical demands of hard-core bodybuilding culture through a mentally unstable protagonist prone to violent outbursts. Filtered through a lens of racial intolerance and subconscious bias, it also deconstructs the angry Black man stereotype with thoughtful sincerity.

The film is too vague and simplistic in addressing his condition, which makes some of the erratic behavior feel contrived. The background depth is insufficient and the social subtext is muddled.

Exposed in more ways than one, Majors brings a remarkable physicality to the role, with his sculpted torso often shown in shadows or silhouettes. He’s strong enough to carry the entire movie on his back.

It needs a tighter edit and a snappier pace. Yet even when it stretches credibility, Magazine Dreams conveys raw emotional power — with brains to match its brawn.

Rated R, 124 minutes.