Searchlight Close to Buying ‘Magazine Dreams’

Searchlight Pictures is closing in on a deal for Elijah Bynum‘s “Magazine Dreams”. Sources tell Deadline that Neon, Sony Pictures Classics and HBO were also originally in the mix. Searchlight will, I’m purely guessing here, primarily be giving Jonathan Majors’ incredible performance an Oscar push later this year.  

I can understand why no studio dared buy “Magazine Dreams” until now. Its Sundance debut might have been greeted by a rowdy ovation from the Eccles theater audience, but this is the type of film that isn’t a crowd-pleaser by any sense of the term. It also has one-too-many false endings, a trip to the editing room is almost a given for this film.

“Magazine Dreams” is a grim character study of an amateur bodybuilder (Jonathan Majors) struggling to find human connection as his relentless drive to be recognized pushes him to test his sanity. It’s basically another film inspired by Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle — an oddball loner starving to get recognized and slowly losing his mind.

As Killian Maddox, Jonathan Majors continues to prove that he’s one of the best young acting talents out there. His character is impeded by an overtly muscular physique hiding terrifyingly awkward social skills. He’s a man-child with a serious case of anger management issues. This is a delusional anti-hero who goes through a number of cringe-inducing scenes, including one of the most awkward dinner dates ever put on celluloid. Steroids have destroyed his body, as has the illusion that he’ll be on the cover of his favourite bodybuilding magazines. The quest for physical perfection has left him with indelible mental scars.

Ultimately, this is and should be seen as the Jonathan Majors show — the commitment he brings to his role is damn-near terrifying to behold. Killian’s all-too-apparent flaws become painfully real, and there’s a kind of softened terror in the way Majors makes this character unravel before our very eyes. You’ll be hearing a lot about this performance in the months to come.

Does he have a shot at an Oscar nomination? I really think so. It’s a showy role that encompasses both the (very) physical and mental scars of a man drowned out by delusion. This year, Majors can also be seen in the upcoming “Ant Man” sequel and is said to completely steal the show from co-star Michael B. Jordan in “Creed III.”