Jonathan Majors was on the cusp of stardom and seemed headed for his first Oscar nomination before an incident in the streets of New York City made his persona non grata in mainstream film circles, cost him his Marvel Cinematic Universe villain role, and seemingly relegated to him a “What if?” in the annals of film trivia. That starring vehicle which began his Oscar buzz at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival has now finally gained a release date and with it, the curiosity of the viewing public eager to see just what the fuss was about and if any sort of redemption arc may be in the cards for the actor.
Magazine Dreams stars Majors as Killian Maddox, a socially awkward grocery store clerk who lives with his grandfather William Lattimore (Harrison Page) and dreams of becoming one of the world’s best bodybuilders. Killian’s dogged pursuit of stardom and the perfect physique soon turns into a downward spiral of self-doubt and self-destruction, exacerbating his loneliness and isolation and threatening harm for himself and others.
Following a transformative Presidential election, much has been made over the past four months about the current state of young men and their shifting political alliances and psyches. What is the link between their burgeoning political philosophies and their reported loneliness? What effect will these things have on our society? Magazine Dreams uses Killian’s story to depict the life experience of a young man unsure of himself, without any community, seeking to find connection and meaning through obsessive devotion to an unhealthy outlet. Killian ties his self-worth in his success within the world of bodybuilding, creating an unhealthy fixation on body image, which leads to steroid usage, and the judgment of others on his progress and standing both of which only serve to exacerbate his underlying issues. It’s a topical examination of young men within our society and their dependence on social media, video game streaming, and other pseudo-social online communities that replace in-person connections which tend to be more substantive and stable and less radicalizing. While goal setting in a sport would generally be seen as something that would positively affect a socially awkward young man’s life, Killian’s isolation is only deepened by his adherence to bodybuilding and his self-image negatively affected by his desire to do well and the pressure he places upon himself with little guidance and positive reinforcement combined with constant rejection.
All of this brilliantly captured through Majors’ virtuoso performance as Killian, bringing the conflicted, spiraling young man to life fully. The manner in which Majors physically communicates and displays the sense of dread and unpredictability that exists within Killian’s mind through his behavior in interacting with the world around him and people within his orbit is one of the most affecting and commanding onscreen performances given in recent memory. Killian can be a cauldron ready to bubble over any second in one moment and the inexperienced, naive, and vulnerable lost soul that also represents who he is in the next. Majors nails both sides of the character in multiple scenes that are almost too numerous to list off here, whether it be a chilling first date restaurant scene with brief love interest and coworker Jessie (Haley Bennett), his brief rendezvous with a prostitute played by Taylour Paige, or his encounter with his bodybuilding hero Brad Vanderhorn portrayed by real life bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn that leads to the film’s intense climax. By being both scary and sympathetic, Majors’ portrayal of Killian is itself a commentary on troubled young men and how society should handle their struggles. The reasons behind the struggles and lashing out of America’s young males are complicated and so, they are too. Treating any attempt to address them in a black and white manner, rejecting any nuance could result in throwing away those who could otherwise be salvageable and in turn, miss the mark on curing what ails them and ultimately, our society and its future.
Switching from one personality trait to the other is no easy feat, yet Majors makes it look effortless and natural, powering this film to a height that it otherwise may not reach had any other actor been cast. It is impossible to sever Majors from the controversy which altered his career trajectory, particularly in light of who he portrays in this film, but his talent and performance are undeniable even if they cause you to wonder from where inside of himself he drew his inspiration. For some, Majors’ troubles over the past two years make this film unwatchable, as is their right to believe. In some way, his story makes the film and its message of how a young man can spiral, hit the brink of self-destruction, and step back from the edge of the cliff toward redemption that much more real and fitting that Majors is the one to portray it.
Magazine Dreams is certainly a story for our times, both in its narrative and in the meta commentary offered by Jonathan Majors’ presence onscreen. It feels like a modern, spiritual successor to Martin Scorsese’s seminal classic Taxi Driver in a way that is complimentary without being derivative. This role almost certainly would have been a career defining breakout for Majors in the same way the latter film was for Robert DeNiro with Majors’ performance solely powering this film to its heights and past its few flaws in his portrayal of a broken young man struggling to find hope in a dim world. Magazine Dreams is a sparse character study documenting tough subject matter and its Majors’ ability that will make it palatable for those who would struggle with the script’s thin focus and dark themes. His controversy won’t help matters in many viewers’ eyes, struggling to separate art from artist particularly when the artist’s real life woes so closely mirror the onscreen tale.
Perhaps the film’s conclusion and Killian’s fate offer some insight in how Majors’ future could and should be handled, offering a path forward for a person who would otherwise be discarded if only they show a little contrition and reflection upon gazing into the abyss and taking a step back before falling into it. If such conversations are borne from this film and nothing else, be it a Majors comeback or box office success, its long-awaited release may be worth it after all.
Image: Briarcliff Entertainment
