Review: Controversial 'Magazine Dreams' finally sees release

Briarcliff Entertainment, 2025.

For "Magazine Dreams," it's been nothing less than a nightmare.

A once-rising star in Hollywood, the off-screen controversies involving lead actor Jonathan Majors derailed his career and this film. Jonathan Majors was accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in March 2023, leading to charges of misdemeanor assault, harassment, and aggravated harassment. Prosecutors alleged he twisted her arm, struck her head, and caused injuries. In December 2023, a jury found him guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment, but not guilty of intentional assault or aggravated harassment. The conviction was based on recklessness rather than intent. Following the verdict, Marvel Studios dropped him from his role as Kang the Conqueror, and his career faced significant setbacks.

"Magazine Dreams," in which Majors gives what might have been a career-defining performance, was the talk of the festival circuit back in 2023, just prior to these incidents. It was picked up by Searchlight Pictures, who outbid Neon, Sony Pictures and others, and it was expected to be one of their major pushes during awards season.

That all went away. "Magazine Dreams" was shelved, and the distribution rights were quietly returned to the filmmakers. The independent Briarcliff Entertainment - whose highest-grossing previous film to-date was the Liam Neeson thriller, "Blacklight," back in 2022, which grossed under 10 million domestically - has taken a chance on "Magazine Dreams." And I'm glad they did.

Controversies and all, this is a film worthy of being seen. And trying to put the personal stuff aside (if you are unable to, I don't blame you), Jonathan Majors not only gives the best performance of his career, he gives one of the best performances by ANYONE in recent years...an all-in, undeniable performance that crafts one of the most haunting on-screen characters of the past decade.

Grade: B

"Magazine Dreams" is an original story written and directed by Elijah Bynum, whose only previous directing effort was "Hot Summer Nights," a film that grossed under $250,000 back in 2018. We sometimes forget that hundreds of people are involved in the making of a movie, independent or otherwise, so despite Jonathan Majors, there are a lot of people that worked on "Magazine Dreams" that deserve to have this movie seen.

Majors plays Killian Maddox, a loner who is obsessed and has dedicated his every waking moment to the sport of bodybuilding. Pictures and posters are plastered all over the walls of his room, and he writes countless fan letters to his bodybuilding idol, Brad Vanderhorn (Mike O'Hearn), without ever receiving a response. He dreams of being on the cover of a bodybuilding magazine, just like his hero. More so, he dreams of being remembered.

Although he is isolated, he lives with his "Pa Pa," who is his Vietnam-vet grandfather (a touching, understated performance by Harrison Page). Killian works at a local supermarket and dreams of asking out one of the clerks there, Jessie (the equally understated and wonderful Haley Bennett). He eventually gets the nerve.

While it's never explicitly stated, there is a great chance that Killian is severely autistic. He clearly has experienced trauma. His obsessions, his delusions and his lack of social awareness - or possessing any social skills whatsoever - have us feeling pity for him. Every encounter is awkward. He lives in a sort of alternate reality. Majors (if I haven't mentioned it yet...) gives a phenomenal performance, transforming himself physically and emotionally (he apparently trained for six hours every day for four months to get his body in tip-top shape for the role). He doesn't ask for sympathy. And as the film and Killian's life unravels before our eyes, he doesn't get any.

The first two-thirds of "Magazine Dreams" is an astounding character-study, where we are just left mesmerized. The audience is forced to brace itself, as we can just feel like things aren't going to end well for Killian. We're right, but the film is anything but predictable.

It's a real shame then, that the third act loses its way. It seems like a poor choice to take Killian where he ends up going.  Instead of this movie being about an individual, and taking a deep-dive into his psyche, the latter part of the film starts to try to tie Killian's behavior in with larger-world social problems, like institutional racism,  gun violence, and more specifically, mass shootings. When the film enters into this territory, it loses its way and starts to feel a bit heavy-handed. The more we focus on Killian's external problems, the more we stray from his internal ones, and that's where the movie derails.

Still, "Magazine Dreams" is a testament to what could have been...what might have been. For Killian and for Jonathan. It's a multi-level tragedy both off and on-screen. Both men could have had it all, in a different timeline. How's that for irony, for an actor who played a multi-verse roaming conqueror.

Grade: B
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Genre: Drama.
Run Time: 2 hours 2 minutes.
Rated R.

Starring: Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Harrison Page, Harriet Sansom Harris, Michael O'Hearn.

Written and Directed by Elijah Bynum (Hot Summer Nights).

"Magazine Dreams" is in theaters on Friday, March 21st, 2025.