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Images of Jonathan Majors (Creed III) in a skimpy swimsuit, sporting a lean, muscular body that would shame Michelangelo’s David don’t portend what’s to come.
Based on the male eye candy, some film fans may anticipate the joy of a comedy/drama like Magic Mike or the enthusiasm of the inspiring documentary Pumping Iron. Think twice. This isn’t that kind of party. In fact, it isn’t a party at all. It’s a descent into mental illness, ultra violence and an odd take on body imagery and self-esteem that will leave most viewers scratching their heads and wondering who the hell dreamed this up?
Writer-director Elijah Bynum (Hot Summer Nights) has two talents. The writing part, as evidenced by this hugely demonic script, wants to tell a story about a man on a spiral that goes downward and never up. The premise is questionable, as it will not attract large audiences, nor please most. Unless they want to ambulance chase a reckless human being who’s imploding and exploding. (Any comparisons to Taxi Driver are hype and not warranted.) The filmmaking part of Bynum’s talent is better-developed, and his ability to show visually what he thinks a scene should look like is quite advanced.
Bynum’s visions are carried out perfectly by his cinematographer Adam Arkapaw (Emmy winner True Detective) who’s sense of lighting, angles and composition is impeccable. Their efforts are aided by Freyja Bardell’s bare bones production design, Bex Crofton-Atkins’ simple costumes, a musical score (Jason Hill) that hits the right notes and Jon Otazua’s editing that makes scenes as lean as the lead character. No fat. All muscle. Technically, this indie feature has its act together. Pity the story fails the team behind the camera and the cast.
In Los Angeles, the city of angels, Killian Maddox (Majors) is a mentally disturbed young man shooting steroids to fulfill his dream of winning a bodybuilder competition. Ultimate goal? Being a magazine cover model. He’s driven: “You have to do something big and important, or nobody will remember you when you are dead.”
On the one hand he’s kind to his aging grandfather (Harrison Page), which shows his sensitive side. Flirts sweetly and awkwardly with Jessie (Haley Burnett), a grocery store clerk. Gets along with Pink Coat (Taylour Page, Zola), a sex worker. But largely his volcanic emotions, demonic delusions and hostile threats drive him. That’s his gasoline. That’s what he uses as he goes from competition to competition experiencing defeats he can’t digest.
In fact, he’s more than willing to threaten judges, store clerks and anyone who evaluates him badly, defies or seemingly maligns him: “I’m gonna come down there, split your skull open and drink your brains like soap.” Needless to say, having anger as an anchor emotion is tough on starting or sustaining relationships. That’s why his idol, the professional bodybuilder Brad Vanderhorn (Mike O’Hearn), a lech, will regret the day he let the amateur into his life.
A shrink looking inside Maddox’s brain might find him a fascinating study. But a bewildered audience, after one or two moments of the violent outbursts, may ask themselves, “Where is this going?” That’s where Bynum, as a writer, runs out of ideas. That’s why this piece of desensitizing ultra-violent mayhem fades like a nightmare you don’t want in your memory banks. Its repulsiveness adds up to nothing. And in the process, it presses the wrong buttons—including the angry black man who can’t control his rage (a stereotype) and a gay man who grooms another man (a trope). Potential black audiences may flinch. While the Taratino crowd, who never have enough grisly violence in one movie, may yawn.
Which segues into the elephant in the room. Jonathan Majors is a gifted, talent and skilled Yale School of Drama-trained actor. His filmography speaks for itself: Lovecraft Country, The Harder They Fall, The Last Black Man in San Francisco… Choosing a mean-spirited film with a devilish lead like this shows his range. He’s a character actor who can weave himself into any scenario. In that way, this project provides a prime showcase. Maddox is a soul-torn, out of control monster and Majors conveys that down to his emotional core. Tough subject matter. Revolting character. Bad timing for a skilled actor looking for a comeback film and trying to shed a violent persona that this role perpetuates.
Elijah Bynum makes perfectly crafted footage because his visual and auditory instincts are impeccable. Pity he stumbles and spews an ugliness so vile it won’t attract flies or vultures. Majors is a great thespian. Wrong movie. Wrong character. Wrong time. Beware of men in G-strings bearing false promises.
Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute and by Glen Wilson
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imqmeRe46iE
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.