By Melanie Arias, November 25, 2025
The movie “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” ended under two hours, proving that anyone could do anything, be anything, and the sequel can’t come quickly enough.
The “Now You See Me” franchise brings a different and more modern spin on magic through deception and misleading their audience, from card tricks to hypnosis. The “Now You See Me” movies always have a magical twist in store for viewers who think they have all the tricks figured out, and the latest installment released Nov. 14, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” has just that.
As lead character Daniel Atlas, played by Jesse Eisenberg, says in the first movie, “The closer you look, the less you see.”
Movies that have a more non-fiction take on magic usually fail to capture my attention, mainly because it all feels too real and less fantastical, yet I couldn’t stop my eyes from staying glued to the screen.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the third installment of the “Now You See Me” movie franchise brings back the beloved original cast of Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, famous for his role of Haymitch in the “Hunger Games Series”, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo and, shocking the fans in a good way, Lizzy Caplan, who was rumored to not appear in the new film.
After starring in the second film of the franchise, Caplan returning to the screen was one of the best revelations, both in the way she appears and in the way it was kept under wraps. I didn’t believe she was going to be in the film until she appeared on the red carpet for “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.” The media and fans believed she was not returning, mainly due to the return of Fisher, who wasn’t in the second film.
Caplan stole the hearts, mine included, of fans in the second movie. According to Vanity Fair she was the best part of “Now You See Me 2,” with her charming and sharp personality, but mostly because her comedic timing in the movies never fails. At first, I thought she was that comedic relief character, yet her personality and way of saying whatever she thought and being unapologetically herself made me admire her.
Eisenberg, Harrelson, Franco and Fisher were the original Horseman, magicians in a secret society called The Eye, who used their skills, card tricks, hypnosis, thievery and escapology to bring down corrupt people in power and businessmen, with Caplan joining in the second film.
Featuring a new generation of magicians, played by Ariana Greenblatt, who played young Gamora in “Avengers: Infinity War” and Dominic Sessa from “The Holdovers,” this third installment brings together two different generations of magicians and illusionists who have to work together to take down a corrupt business empire.
I was excited to see Greenblatt in the cast. After seeing her in “Borderlands” even though it wasn’t the best movie, her acting was the best part of the film, and I started to look forward to her casting. Her performance did not disappoint, despite not really having a lot of lines. Her outfits in the movie were also so her, with the stylist giving her oversized stylish clothing. The loose-fitting jeans were everything, and I felt it really captured the new generation plot of the movie.
When Greenblatt threw a wine bottle, I was glued to my seat.
Greenblatt, Smith and Sessa open the movie with an illusion done by the original horsemen in the first movie, kickstarting their involvement with the horsemen and The Eye.
Sent on a diamond heist by The Eye, the original horsemen, who are newly reunited after splitting up in the time between the second and third movies, end up on a job with the new generation that proves more deadly than they originally thought.
With the wide shots capturing the cast and surroundings and then narrowing closer to guide the viewers through the tricks and illusions, like in the second movie where the camera followed the card through the famous disappearing trick, my eyes were bound to be deceived. The cinematography made you see what the performers wanted you to.
I didn’t know I was being tricked until the end.
Sessa’s character, Bosco, exhibits a cliche commonly associated with younger generations and out of everything in the movie; this was definitely the worst plot line. Don’t get it wrong, Sessa’s acting fits his character, and his tone of voice really drew me in, but the acting around this plot line was so juvenile and overused I wanted to look away.
Today, where women enter “male-dominated” fields, three female magicians totally stand out in this film. Caplan’s character saves the day halfway through the movie, and Fisher’s gives off that motherly vibe while giving the best advice. Let’s also not forget the baddie herself; Greenblatt’s character had the whole I-can-do-what-you-can-do-but-better vibe and I was floored. Cinematic.
This is the type of movie where you need to push past the historical facts and explanations, focus on how the Horsemen, despite all the security camera and guards, always seem to best everyone with their tricks and mind games, the character relationships and keep an open mind because the last 20 minutes, when everything goes down, are not worth missing out on.
