Film Review – Magazine Dreams

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-control. It’s a heavy viewing experience that’s not for everyone, but those more interested in intense psychological studies are sure to embrace the slow ride to explosion presented here. It’s also hard to deny the unique presence of star Jonathan Majors, who hits a few frightening beats of intimidation in his fully committed performance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com