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

US release: Briarcliff  21 March 2025 on min. 600 screens

MAGAZINE DREAMS official US website

Killian Maddox is consumed by his dream of becoming a world famous bodybuilder and one day gracing the cover of fitness magazines. He lives a lonely regimented life and his relentless drive for perfection only pushes him deeper towards self destruction. But beneath his tenacious pursuit of superstardom lies a desperate aching need for human connection. As he battles both the limits of his physical body and his own inner demons, MAGAZINE DREAMS explores the lengths one man will go in his haunting quest for recognition in a world that often overlooks him.

Critics are saying “Impossible To Look Away”

The Hollywood Reporter | Entertainment Weekly| Daily Dot | Consequence

“It’s difficult to take your gaze off of [Majors]…the audience will be transfixed” Deadline

“Charged with such tension that at moments you may find you’ve stopped breathing” Variety

“Can’t help but watch” Film School Rejects

“You can’t look away” Awards Radar

“You can’t take your eyes off the screen” Awards Watch

Critics are saying it’s TAXI DRIVER meets WHIPLASH

“A nerve-shredding character study that has already drawn copious comparisons to no less than “Taxi Driver”” IndieWire

“Masterful, uncomfortable, terrifying, intense, & unforgettable experience. Part Whiplash, part Taxi Driver” Zach Pope

“A quaking mix of Taxi Driver and Whiplash that wades through the festering trenches of a man borne of rage” Tilt

“Blends Pumping Iron + Whiplash + Taxi Driver” The Cinematic Reel

Compared to the films of the moment on Rotten Tomatoes:

THE SUBSTANCE 89%

NOSFERATU 85%

MAGAZINE DREAMS 82% [Top Critics: 84%] Certified Fresh from 95 reviews

THE APPRENTICE 82% [also distributed by Briarcliff with 2 Oscar nominations]

THE LAST SHOWGIRL 82%

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR 81%

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN 80%

WE LIVE IN TIME 79%

QUEER 76%

BABYGIRL 76%

MARIA 75%

EMILIA PEREZ 73%

Cast: Jonathan Majors [CREED III], Haley Bennett [WIDOW CLIQUOT], Taylour Paige [BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F], Harriet Samson Harris [LICORICE PIZZA].

Written and directed by Elijah Bynum [HOT SUMMER NIGHTS starring Timothée Chalamet & Maika Monroe]

From the producers of THE LAST DUEL, THE REPORT, VELVET BUZZSAW, NIGHTCRAWLER, MICHAEL CLAYTON

Sundance: WINNER U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision

Briarcliff’s Tom Ortenberg has a well-earned reputation for championing outstanding films the studios shy away from, including THE APPRENTICE, THE DISSIDENT, FAHRENHEIT 9/11, and Oscar winners like SPOTLIGHT. We wish him all the best.