Netflix has just added one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies, the 2013 slick heist thriller, "Now You See Me."
Released to commercial (but not critical) success, Louis Leterrier's "Now You See Me" throws us in with a band of talented magicians embroiled in a cat-and-mouse chase with the cops as they carry out a series of robberies.
It was big enough to spawn a franchise (threequel "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" hits theaters this November) and is evidently winning over curious Netflix fans, too. Mere days after being added to the streaming service at the start of the month, "Now You See Me" has become the streamer's latest No. 1 most-watched movie.
Intrigued by this stage magic/heist thriller mash-up? Here's a little more info about the new arrival, and why I think you should stream "Now You See Me" on Netflix now.
What is 'Now You See Me' about?
Louis Leterrier's "Now You See Me" introduces to a talented group of illusionists — street magician and leader, Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), escapologist Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and impressionist, pickpocket and sleight of hand expert, Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) — collectively known as the "Four Horsemen".
Brought together by an unknown force, the Horsemen begin using their talents to carry out elaborate, Robin Hood-style heists, robbing the rich and powerful and sharing their wealth with their adoring fans. At the same time, we follow an FBI agent and an Interpol detective as they investigate and attempt to stop the elusive illusionists.
In addition to the above stars, "Now You See Me" also features Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Mélanie Laurent.
Should you stream 'Now You See Me' on Netflix?
It's important to go into "Now You See Me" with the right sort of expectations; this is not an all-time heist caper, but it is a breezy blast of smoke-and-mirrors flashy fun.
"Now You See Me" is best approached as a slick, surface-level thriller. It's akin to movie junk food: high-concept, disposable blockbuster fun ("The Prestige" this ain't), mostly buoyed by its sly, self-confident but entertaining characters and their entertaining stunts.
Things progressively get more implausible, sure, and the movie's absolutely let down by a weak, left-field ending, but I've always had a soft spot for the "smug magicians carry off elaborate bank heists and dodge the cops" conceit. If you're able to let yourself be swept up in the fast-moving plot and to be fooled by the Horsemen's tricks, I think you'll have a good time.
While I'm a fan, "Now You See Me" isn't exactly critically acclaimed. At the time of writing, the movie has a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (from a total of 171 reviews), though the Popcornmeter score is a more respectable 70%.
Glancing at the takes from "Top Critics" on the site, you'll see some reviewers were swept up in the magic... and others most certainly weren't.
For example, Empire's Olly Richards rated the movie 3/5 stars, praising the elaborate thrills and the sparky cast, concluding: "Magicians as criminals is a marvellous conceit and Louis Leterrier gets a great deal of entertainment out of it, but it can't disguise a weak end with smoke and mirrors."
Reviewing at Entertainment Weekly, Owen Gleiberman, similarly, described the movie as a "fast and airy thriller" and "an engagingly preposterous high-wire act," one that's "exceedingly clever [...] when it bothers to make sense."
On the flipside, The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave it a measly 2-star score, summing "Now You See Me" up succinctly as "overcooked, overcomplicated and underinteresting," adding; "it just gets tangled, wildly implausible and dull, and the quartet's mastery of the ordinary non-magic skills necessary in large-scale theft is entirely unconvincing, and no amount of narrative misdirection can get around this." Ouch.
Regardless, I do think there's fun to be had with "Now You See Me." If you're looking for some light thrills to liven up your next movie night, give this mystery thriller a shot. And, if you find you enjoy your time with the Four Horsemen, Netflix has also added the sequel.
But if you're really not convinced, we can still help you find your next watch. Check out our round-up of the best movies on Netflix for tons more streaming recommendations perfect for your next movie night.
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