Directed by Elijah Bynum
Aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox struggles to find human connection in an 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.
杂志梦, 매거진 드림스, Жажда славы, Журнал мрії, Όνειρα Ιλουστρασιόν, חלום לפרסום, رویاهای مجله, Dergi Rüyaları, 雜志夢
USA Sundance Film Festival 
UK15 
Canada USAR 
Greece 
Qatar 
Russia18+ 
South Africa 
Spain16 
American Samoa 
Guam 
Northern Mariana Islands 
Puerto RicoR 
US Virgin IslandsR USAR 
AustraliaMA 15+ 
New ZealandR16 Russia18+ 
Germany16 American Samoa Australia Canada Germany Greece Guam New Zealand Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico Qatar Russia South Africa Spain UK US Virgin Islands USA 
i will never insult a man’s deltoids again
Eminem's Stan meets Whiplash moments with strong Taxi Driver vibes but still tackles the subject in an interesting and fresh way.
Still need to mull over it a bit and I'm not sure how I feel about aspects of the second half but an amazing performance out of Majors
in theory: Taxi Driver
in praxis: Joker
Magazine Dreams joins the canon of films fixated on lonely, obsessed, and rage-filled men. The narrative beats are familiar but Jonathan Majors delivers a staggering performance as Killian Maddox, a bodybuilder who's turned his physique into both armor and prison.
Killian is a paradox, a mountain of muscles with the fragility of a kid, and Majors effortlessly switches between these two extremes — in one moment, his wide eyes radiate like a child yearning for affection, in the next, they flash with anger, his rage leaving you uncomfortable and on the edge... it’s easy to feel sorry for Killian as he unravels, Majors brings so much humanity to the character that we brace for his collapse but really hope for…
Fellas is it gay if your only room decor is posters of half naked oiled up men?
Whiplash but if you gave Miles Teller autism and tren instead of drumsticks.
I was completely transfixed by Jonathan Majors’ performance which is enough to give this film a recommendation. His portrayal of the singular Killian Maddox is a thing of beauty, but his Magazine Dreams quickly turn into real nightmares as he grapples with personal demons. Though Killian has a singular focus that he is pushing himself towards, the film‘s narrative by contrast feels very scattershot, touching on steroid use, toxic masculinity, celebrity, violence, mental health, gun violence, suicide….you name it, and it’s probably in here. That left me with a bit of a question mark in terms of how I feel about the film overall. But truly, Majors is an incredible talents and I’m so looking forward to Creed III, and he absolutely makes this film a must see.
2023 Ranked
Sundance 2023 Ranked
Degrees of Kevin Bacon: 2
1. Haley Bennett and Ed Harris in Rules Don’t Apply
2. Ed Harris and Kevin Bacon in Apollo 13
If it weren’t for the scandal surrounding Jonathan Majors, I firmly believe he would have been in serious contention for awards recognition. His performance in Magazine Dreams is nothing short of transformative—raw, bruising, and profoundly human. He vanishes into the role with such intensity that it becomes difficult to look away, even when the film dares you to. Though it debuted at festivals in 2023, it’s officially being released in 2025 in the U.S., and already it stands among the most striking and memorable films I’ve seen this year.
Magazine Dreams is a haunting, slow-burning descent into the mind of a man undone by longing. It tells the story of Killian Maddox, a bodybuilder whose muscles are as exaggerated as…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Just a reminder that you do not need to go out and see Magazine Dreams nor support Jonathan Majors as every new bit of information that releases makes him further indefensible. I saw this at Sundance when it premiered and it is just Taxi Driver rehashed once again. The music video Stan by Eminem in a bodybuilder font.
Majors plays an obsessed bodybuilder who idolizes a legend and writes him letters with no response. He closes off society and normalcy to do nothing but train as a bodybuilder. The movie builds towards him finally confronting his idol who never wrote back. I think you can all pretty much imagine the entire film now and how it goes just from those few lines.
Majors is solid in this, but there really is no reason for you to go out and see this.
Magazine Dreams is too long for the straightforward story it’s telling, especially one we’ve seen before (the Taxi Driver/Joker comparisons track), but Jonathan Majors is mesmerizing, playing a man on the margins who is simultaneously tragic and terrifying.
Magazine Dreams son or Whiplash daughter?
C'était nomination à l'Oscar s'il n'avait pas agressé sa femme.
