Dewy Dudes
Dewy Dudes Podcast
169. Creatine Crash Out
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169. Creatine Crash Out

For our first film review episode, we dive into Magazine Dreams and its quiet release.

This week, we break down Magazine Dreams (2023), the unsettling and often frustrating indie drama about a troubled Black bodybuilder chasing aesthetic greatness while unraveling under mounting internal and external pressures. We explore the film’s take on masculinity, wellness, and image-obsessed culture, as well as how Jonathan Majors’ real-life domestic violence case—he was found guilty on two misdemeanor charges—reframes his performance. We also examine the film’s quiet, complicated rollout and how Majors’ off-screen scandal complicates its reception and legacy.

We also dig into the film’s portrayal of performance culture, the physical extremes of bodybuilding, and its place in a long line of psychologically dark character studies, questioning whether it adds anything new to the genre.

Also: gym alienation, performance-enhancing identity, and what happens when self-improvement turns into self-erasure.

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