Magazine Dreams (2023) review

Orphaned grocery clerk Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors) lives with his sickly grandfather (Harrison Page) in California and trains hard to be a professional bodybuilder like his hero Brad Vanderhorn (Mike O'Hearn), but he struggles with his own mental illness and impulsive behavior, ruins a date with shy cashier Jessie (Haley Bennett), doesn't have any friends and sends heartfelt fan mail to Brad, who ignores the letters.  It starts off fine, detailing Killian's dietary and workout regimen (as well as his use of steroids) and showing his difficulties interacting with others, but then it relentlessly piles up the personal failures - damaging a paint shop, getting beaten up, not doing well at a competition, being diagnosed with tumors on his kidneys, having a failed encounter with a prostitute (Taylour Paige), etc. - in a pathetic attempt to build up audience sympathy.  When Killian's finally "had enough" and purchases heavy weaponry, all possible pity for him is gone - Bynum's trying to draw a comparison between his lead character and other mass murderers, but suggesting individuals with autism (or those "on the spectrum") or even people whose parents died tragically are prone to acts of violence is highly misleading.  Majors' off-camera issues - involving allegations of physical assault - also loom ominously over the movie (and partially explain why its release was delayed).