(Photo Credit: Briarcliff Entertainment)
(“Magazine Dreams” trailer courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment)
Hip-hop legend The Notorious B.I.G. once rapped, “Money and blood don’t mix like two D’s and no B, find yourself in serious s***.”
The same thing can be said about steroid use and mental health issues mixing.
In “Magazine Dreams,” Jonathan Majors delivers a powerful and scary performance in the ultimate “Stan” movie.
In the hit song “Stan,” a quadruple platinum single by Eminem featuring Dido, the two musical juggernauts tell a tale of an obsessed fan who threatens violence when his idol ignores his fan mail and messages.
The new bodybuilding movie mirrors that song in several ways.
In “Magazine Dreams,” life ain’t been no crystal stair for Killian Maddox (Majors).
The young man has lost his parents.
Killian now lives with his Paw Paw, William Lattimore (Harrison Page).
He loves his grandfather, and the feeling is mutual.
However, his grandfather is not totally independent during this season in his life.
And taking care of his elderly grandfather is a lot on Killian’s plate.
Killian has a job at a local supermarket.
But the supermarket is not even close to his home because he lives in a food desert.
All his neighborhood has are corner stores that sell junk food, which will eventually kill the members of the community.
Health is very important to Killian because he is an amateur bodybuilder.
He idolizes professional bodybuilder Brad Vanderhorn (Michael O’Hearn) and is determined to grace the same magazine covers his hero so regularly appears on.
Like the protagonist in the Eminem song “Stan,” Killian writes Brad regularly but never receives any response, which causes him to become more obsessed.
He even gives Brad his phone number so that they can one day talk.
Killian even considers Brad a friend even though the two have never met, and there is no proof that Brad has ever read one of his letters.
Killian’s obsession is real.
In “Magazine Dreams,” Killian’s bedroom walls are filled with magazine cutouts of his favorite bodybuilders, especially Brad.
He is determined to get his IFBB pro card and become a household name, one that leaves a legacy that lasts long after he is dead.
To realize his dreams, Killian has one singular focus, and his daily routine is geared toward reaching his goal.
Despite all that Killian has going on with his grandfather and mental health issues after the death of his parents, he still manages to find success in the highly competitive sport of bodybuilding.
He even finishes in sixth place in a recent bodybuilding competition, something that he gleefully shares with his date and co-worker, Jessie (Haley Bennett).
But as he obsesses over his heroes, Killian also obsesses over bodybuilding judges, telling him his deltoids are too small.
On their date to a steakhouse, Killian orders enough food to feed an army and then talks to Jessie like he is a shell-shocked war veteran who lost his marbles.
In the middle of their first date, Jessie suddenly has a family emergency and gets out of dodge as soon as possible.
Although Jessie looks at her co-worker as a handsome young man, she begins to see what Killian’s therapist sees in him.
Killian is dedicated.
He is athletic.
He is hard-working.
He is loving.
But that does not negate the fact that he has some serious mental and emotional issues that are going unchecked.
To make matters worse, Killian’s obsession with bodybuilding forces him to abuse steroids, which also causes temperamental episodes.
Killian’s erratic and volatile behavior is beginning to endanger himself and others.
If he does not get the help he so desperately needs, his story might end like Stan’s story in the classic hip-hop song by the famous rapper from Detroit.
“Magazine Dreams” is an artistic comeback for Majors who has dealt with some legal issues over the last couple of years.
In “Magazine Dreams,” Majors channels his inner-Tupac Shakur in “Juice,” which means he totally becomes the psychotic and deranged character he portrays.
Like Shakur’s Bishop in “Juice,” Killian has a history of family issues, which damaged his psyche as he entered young adulthood.
In “Magazine Dreams,” the dialogue is on point.
But Majors does great with physical acting.
His bloodied smile is terrifying, as is his physically violent behavior when he is challenged.
Killian’s delusions are scary.
While he has potential as a professional bodybuilder, he believes that he is bigger than he actually is in the sport.
Killian even believes that his name and likeness will get more customers to the grocery store where he works.
Additionally, he becomes even scarier when he interacts with the opposite sex.
He is extremely socially awkward.
Therefore, dating seems like a good thing.
Killian desperately needs something else in his life besides training and caretaking.
But when Killian goes on a date with Jessie, moviegoers might fear for the young lady.
Jessie genuinely is interested in Killian and has an innocence about her.
But will her innocence get her in trouble because of the instability of her date?
The larger message of “Magazine Dreams” is the seriousness of mental illness.
Furthermore, the movie starring Majors deals with the dangers of abusing steroids.
“Magazine Dreams” is a good film and definitely worth a watch.
However, sometimes moviegoers might have to turn away because some scenes get extremely gruesome.
Hopefully, moviegoers will not turn away from the message of “Magazine Dreams.”
All medicines do not mix with mental health struggles.
And the wrong combination could end up leading to a violent situation.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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