The diamond industry is the biggest con-trick of all time. Many years ago, an illusion known these days as a branding exercise created “the worlds greatest symbol of love” to enable a small piece of rock to achieve the price per gram that it does. “What honest woman wants a falsehood on her finger?” In a wink to the distinct possibility that the mysterious crypto industry is about to unseat the diamond, an early scene in “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t” (Lionsgate), showing now at the Montrose Playhouse, involves three up-and-coming magicians who “steal a little money from crypto-bros.” But the theme of the film is really the diamond. As one of the magicians suggests to the owner of a diamond mine, “I’m in the illusion business like you.”
Let me get my one substantial misgiving out of the way straight away. Actually it is revealed by the cinematic poster: the film is over-stuffed with stars. The four (or is it five) “Horsemen” from the previous instalments (this is film number three) are already supplemented by Morgan Freeman and a guest-star baddie (Michael Caine, then Daniel Radcliffe, now Rosamund Pike). But the new film adds these three younger magicians to the roster. Without seeing the previous films, the cast would be bewildering to the audience; in any event most receive so little dialog that their characters fail to be adequately developed and they are really nothing more than cameos. Who are all these people?
A personable group of illusionists known as the “Horsemen” reappear (or do they?) after a ten year silence. There is a much bigger project than stealing from crypto-wallets to plan—“what’s the trick?”—which involves stealing an expensive diamond from the Vanderberg family, who mine in South Africa. Chatty J. Daniel Atlas, played by always-watchable Jesse Eisenberg, responds to the quip “You’ve been talking forever,” with the great line, “Yes and I’m about to talk some more,” as he critiques the plan. The gang decide to accept the challenge and the setting relocates very smoothly to Antwerp (one of the excellent early tricks, involving switched courier signs, is at the railway station there).
One of the most wonderful scenes takes place when the two crews first decide to join forces in a Belgian country house. Each individual must prove their mastery of the magic to be in the club. They strut and they compete and they trick and they shuffle and they gloriously entertain. The house itself is an Alice-in-Wonderland set of mysterious rooms that are not as they appear. In one room, the height of the wall on one side is much lower than the height of the wall on the other, with the effect that the character on the lower-ceilinged side looks far too tall. Another room is upside down altogether. One room is a house of mirrors. Another still is a set of white sparkling staircases that would be more at home in “Cinderella.” There are codes to be broken to get through doors; mysterious portraits that hold secrets; sliding doors and trapdoors.
The best of the new illusionists, “basically a computer full of useless information,” is played by Justice Smith, an intelligent actor who appeared in “I Saw the TV Glow” (Fruit Tree), which was played as one of the mystery-film nights at the Playhouse last year. That role was complicated and highly ambiguous and about as different as imaginable from this one. “You are not a big talker but you are a big apologiser,” he is told; but his sizeable function in the story is revealed in a fantastic twist in the last ten minutes.
Filmed in Abu Dhabi, New York, Antwerp, and Toronto—and with a soundtrack mixed in Glasgow—behind this production is a seriously big budget. Perpetually funny Woody Harrelson is on good form, at once in a well-paced scene in a jail and in delivering the simplest line. “This is going to be fun,” he says at one point, the audience laughing. The crowd the other evening also enjoyed the competitive scenes between Mr Harrelson and Mr Eisenberg, limbering up as if for a prize fight; although Mr Eisenberg could do with a director skilful enough to slow down his tendency to speak too fast. The generational gap between the “Horsemen” and the new trio—which is easier to believe in the case of Mr Harrelson—facilitates quip after quip which, surprisingly, doesn’t get tiresome, although admittedly it may be more amusing for the Gen-X set. “Wisdom and skill overcome youth and arrogance every time,” or, “Prove to me that you don’t need a babysitter,” or, “I’ve been picking locks since before she was born,” or, “Do you not know what ‘cool’ means?”
The musical score feels more like one which might be commissioned for a “Jurassic Park” movie; it’s too heavy for the basically trivial theme. I found myself musing on the repeated shots of the various actors’ hands, in particular during the group-think gatherings; after all, magicians aim to divert their followers from what they are doing with their hands. A balance needs to be found between the two objectives of the filmmakers: the magic, and the running, punching, scheming heist. Perhaps the film leans too heavily towards the latter—but this is a small quibble.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” playfully kicks around the two words “trick(y)” and “illusion,” exploring the many meanings of both. The House of Horrors outside Antwerp is a delightful creation and almost a character in its own right. This is an unserious film which now and then reveals some authentic insider tips—“Magic 101: never act surprised when the trick actually works!”
Adam Poole
17th November 2025
If you are interested in viewing this screening, please book your tickets here
