Magazine Dreams follows aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors), who struggles to find human connection in this exploration of celebrity and violence. Nothing deters him from his fiercely protected dream of superstardom, not even the doctors who warn him of the permanent damage he causes to himself with his quest.
Killian Maddox lives with his ailing veteran grandfather, obsessively working out between court-mandated therapy appointments and part-time shifts at a grocery store where he harbors a crush on a friendly cashier. Though Killian’s struggles to read social cues and maintain control of his volatile temper amplify his sense of disconnection amid a hostile world, nothing deters him from his fiercely protected dream of bodybuilding superstardom, not even the doctors who warn that he’s causing permanent damage to his body with his quest.
Writer-director Elijah Bynum masterfully reveals the duality of Killian’s existence, depicting the toll of a toxic stew of self-imposed pressure to meet unrealistic expectations and hypermasculine role modeling while simultaneously conveying his genuine, if fraught, efforts to fulfill an underlying desire for human connection.
Jonathan Majors, in a committed performance of tremendous physicality, powerfully embodies the lengths Killian will go in his desperate need to be seen. Magazine Dreams is a provocative film that respects the dignity of its protagonist as it pulls no punches in portraying the most physically and emotionally painful moments of his darkening odyssey.
Magazine Dreams is a 2023 American drama film written and directed by Elijah Bynum. The film stars Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Mike O’Hearn, Harrison Page, and Harriet Sansom Harris. Magazine Dreams had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 8, 2023, by Searchlight Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics.
Magazine Dreams (2023)
Directed by: Elijah Bynum
Starring: Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Mike O’Hearn, Harrison Page, Harriet Sansom Harris, Andrea Figliomeni, Peter Ivanov, Mark Rhino Smith, Jodi Bianca Wise
Screenplay by: Elijah Bynum
Production Design by: Freyja Bardell
Cinematography by: Adam Arkapaw
Film Editing by: Jon Otazua
Costume Design by: Bex Crofton-Atkins
Set Decoration by: Madelaine Frezza, Skye Prey
Art Direction by: Mikki Mamaril
Music by: Jason Hill
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Searchlight Pictures
Release Date: January 20, 2023 (Sundance), December 8, 2023 (United States)
Magazine Dreams, Magazine Dreams 2023, Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Mike O’Hearn, Harrison Page, Harriet Sansom Harris, Andrea Figliomeni, Peter Ivanov, Mark Rhino Smith, Jodi Bianca Wise
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