Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
Review by Ryan Michael Painter
You could argue that the Now You See Me franchise cheats by telling you they are about to pull a rabbit out of a hat and then proceeds to saw someone in half. Its twists rely on a complete lack of disclosure. This is particularly true of the first instalment and is enough for some to dismiss 95% of any of the films because the ending reveal is the first and only time the screenplay isn’t actively trying to confuse the audience.
You could also argue that this is more honest than most magic acts where the truth is never offered.
153 Minutes, Rated PG-13
Written by Seth Grahame-Smith and Michael Lesslie and Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Synopsis:
The Four Horsemen return along with a new generation of illusionists performing mind-melding twists, turns, surprises, and magic unlike anything ever captured on film.
For those who are unfamiliar with the first two Now You See Me films, they are lazily described as Oceans 11 with magicians. Like the Oceans films, each installment adds new characters to the team to offer an experience that is, to steal a line from Charlie XCX, the same but there’s three more characters so it’s not.
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t brings back most of the cast of Now You See Me and adds the trio of Bosco (Dominic Sessa), Charlie (Justice Smith), and June (Ariana Greenblatt). The premise is that The Four Horsemen have been out of the spotlight for a decade and are poised to make a dramatic return to thwart a corporation’s bid for world dominance. Rosamund Pike stars as Veronika Vanderberg, the main baddie.
Again, it is more of the same as the film taps into the formula of the previous films to give audiences exactly what Lionsgate thinks audiences want. The box office, not critics’ opinions, will ultimately determine how right the studio was. The variation to the theme is that the older characters are looking to mend the bridges they have burnt with each other as the younger trio looks to establish themselves as worthy members of the Horsemen family.
There’s nothing new to see here, but for those that enjoyed the sugary entertainment of the original films are likely to leave the theater with a candy-filled stomach and a sense of anticipation for the potential sequel.
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, with Rosamund Pike, and Morgan Freeman and is in theaters November 14, 2025.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
Please don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW us on:
- Facebook (@vsmoviepodcast)
- X (@vsmoviepodcast)
- Instagram (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast)
- Threads (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast)
- YouTube (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast)
- Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our audio wherever you listen to podcasts (https://shows.acast.com/vsmoviepodcast)
And please, if you like what we do, consider helping us keep on entertaining you. You can use this handy link:
Or, you could check out the merch in Our Store:
Not only will you be helping us out if you pick up some merch, you get cool stuff to wear around (including the coveted WTFWT? logo!)
