With Majors firing on all cylinders in his lead performance, he elevates the writing of Elijah Bynum at every turn. Bynum’s story is a great base for Majors to craft his performance with, playing with themes and ideas that audiences have seen before in films like Taxi Driver and Joker, this time set in the world of competitive bodybuilding. On paper, it's an intimate character study of a young man struggling with own demons, trying to achieve his dreams and find his place in a world that has cast him aside. 

But what differentiates Bynum’s writing compared to the highly acclaimed stories his film will no doubt draw comparisons to, is the humanity and compassion his writing and direction has for Killian. There is no question that Killian has the potential to be a destructive force in society, and Bynum never for a second shies away from this and takes the audience down that path, which is bound to get audiences talking about that scene near the film’s conclusion. Though, at the same time, Bynum holds onto hope for Killian in his writing that Killian will defeat his inner demons and get the help he needs, and it's this that makes Killian a bleeding heart that the audience can care for throughout the film. It’s all balanced against Killian’s mental health struggles, seeing his single minded focus get the better of him in many situations, leading to tragic outcomes that lead audiences conflicted as you can’t help but feel for Killian despite the deeply disturbing lack of empathy he exhibits. Never for a second are we left wondering why Killian is the way he is, with the tragic events of his past that shaped him into the man he is are highlighted and explain how he is left vulnerable at the hands of those willing to take advantage of him. Without hesitation, it’s an impressive second film from Bynum that continues to show immense promise for him as a storyteller, even if the film’s false ending and its continuation after it could have been handled better to craft a more tightly paced film.

It’s safe to say that Magazine Dreams is not going to be for all viewers, given the dark places it goes as it explores the character of Killian Maddox, but for those who are able to stomach the complex and challenging material, they are in for an absolute treat. With its gripping deconstruction of the lengths that individuals will go for fame and to achieve their dreams that will intentionally rattle viewers, Magazine Dreams achieves its lofty goals thanks to the writing of Elijah Bynum that creates a fascinating character study and the out of this world performance from Jonathan Majors that more than lives up to its hype.