An amateur bodybuilder struggles to find human connection in this exploration of celebrity and violence.

An amateur bodybuilder struggles to find human connection in this exploration of celebrity and violence.(less)

Director:Elijah Bynum
Writer:Elijah Bynum
Starring:Jonathan MajorsHaley BennettTaylour PaigeBradley Stryker
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3 Digital collections 2 iTunes collections 1 MA collections

Review

Review byBrian Orndorf, March 19, 2025

Writer/director Elijah Bynum follows up his little-seen 2017 picture, “Hot Summer Nights” (starring a semi-unknown Timothee Chalamet), with “Magazine Dreams,” which is bound to achieve a lot of attention for the filmmaker, one way or another. It’s certainly a more accomplished feature, as the helmer deeply inhales “Taxi Driver” fumes to inspire this understanding of obsession and mental illness. It’s a rough journey for the main character, following an aspiring bodybuilder as he gradually detaches from reality while pursuing a vision of fame and respect, maintaining a tenuous grasp on self-con...read more...