Magazine Dreams 2023

The film opens with a slow motion stage posing scene. A sculpted figure under the lights. Right away, you know this is about obsession and control. The morning routine feels very real. Posing, looking in the mirror, eating lots of eggs, drinking protein shakes. Familiar lahat sakin because I’ve been in the same regimen before. The repetition hits hard. You really feel how consuming that lifestyle can be. There are anamorphic lenses used for more intimate mid close up shots, making everything feel tighter and more personal. Visually, the film is stylized but still grounded. The color grading leans teal and orange, with visible film grain and lots of optical flares. As a character, he is awkward and socially off. May anger issues na simmering, waiting to explode. The film directly addresses drug abuse, body dysmorphia, and narcissism, without romanticizing any of it. Sobrang body conscious niya to the point na naghahanap siya ng validation from a hooker. That desperation really shows how empty he is inside. The restaurant date scene is both funny and painful. He expects his date to understand the bodybuilding world, which shows how niche and isolated that bubble really is. Mostly men lang talaga ang may alam sa bodybuilders. Nag monologue pa siya tungkol sa motivation habang bored na bored na yung ka date niya. When she leaves, biglang nag cheat meal siya. A bodybuilder’s way of punishing themselves. Pure self sabotage. Him still going to the competition despite being smashed and trashed by the nephews of the shop he destroyed reminded me of Whiplash. Same energy as Andrew pushing through after getting hit by a car. Obsession over everything. Jonathan Majors is great here. If Marvel handled him properly and maximized this side of him, maybe people would have accepted him better as Kang. But sadly, that didn’t happen. Sa diner scene, nag roid rage siya. At that point, malinaw na he is a sick man. When his training stops, he shifts into binge eating. Parang ako. Too relatable. The film also plays with the idea of “don’t meet your heroes” in a very explicit way. Cinonfirm din ng film na ito na may mga bading talaga sa bodybuilding competition world. This takes a wild turn. I thought it was going to be Pumping Iron all the way, but it goes much deeper. Especially with how easy it is to buy firearms in America. I thought I’d come out inspired to train again. Instead, the film left me with a portrait of a deeply broken man. Childhood trauma manifesting hard in adulthood. Deep drama.