Sundance 2023

I was utterly transfixed by Jonathan Majors, and his performance alone is enough to recommend this film. His portrayal of competitive bodybuilder Killian Maddox is magnificent, but his “Magazine Dreams” quickly become nightmares as he grapples with personal demons. Though Killian has a singular focus that he is striving towards, the film's narrative 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. I ended the film somewhat perplexed about how I felt about the themes or what the movie was attempting to say about these topics. But honestly, Majors is an incredible talent, and I'm so looking forward to “Creed III,” and he makes "Magazine Dreams" a must-see. 

— 3.5 / 5 ⭐