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Review: ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ is a Crowd-Pleasing Caper that’s More Smoke and Mirrors than Substance
November 11, 2025Ben MK
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The epitome of popcorn entertainment, the Fast and Furious franchise has always given moviegoers exactly what they want. Blending high-octane vehicular action with globe-trotting espionage, the ten-film saga has done the impossible, cheating cinematic death time and time again while also topping its predecessors with each successive sequel. It's a crowd-pleasing formula that Now You See Me: Now You Don't director Ruben Fleischer clearly aspires to, as he reunites the Four Horsemen for a new, continent-hopping adventure. But does this third installment in the magic-wielding series have enough tricks up its sleeve to still impress audiences twelve years after the original? It's been ten years since the Four Horsemen's last public appearance, and three enterprising young New York City magicians — Charlie (Justice Smith), June (Ariana Greenblatt) and Bosco (Dominic Sessa) — are aiming to take advantage of their idols' absence from the spotlight. Using a combination of smoke and mirrors — not to mention a few holograms — they've concocted a show that will fool audiences into thinking that their favorite magicians have reunited, when in reality, the actual Four Horsemen are nowhere in sight. As luck would have it, however, their act proves too convincing, attracting the attention of none other than J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg). But instead of serving them a cease-and-desist order, Daniel has something much more intriguing in mind. The recent recipient of a fateful tarot card, Daniel invites Charlie, June and Bosco to join him on a mission — one that involves stealing the valuable Heart Diamond from its owner, Vanessa Vandenberg (Rosamund Pike), a woman who isn't shy about committing a little murder and money laundering to get what she wants. But does this trio have any idea of what they're getting themselves into? And, for that matter, does Daniel? Enlisting some much-needed help from his fellow Horsemen, mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), escape specialist Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and card master Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), Daniel and his new associates soon embark on a journey that will span several international locales, from Belgium to Abu Dhabi. Yet, while the objective of their mission seems simple enough, they'll quickly learn that there's much more to the target of their con. An extremely successful businesswoman encircled by more than her fair share of vicious rumors and shady family history, Veronica will do anything to keep the Heart Diamond out of the hands of those who seek to pry it out of her collection. Little does she realize, though, that this is no ordinary heist. For in true Horsemen fashion, there's always an aspect of retribution involved — and when it comes to those who would want to seek revenge on Veronica, there's no one on Earth more deserving of getting vengeance served on their behalf than Veronica's half-brother, who notoriously passed away in a car accident 15 years earlier. A crowd-pleasing, illusionist-themed mashup of the Mission: Impossible and Ocean's Eleven franchises, the result makes for an entertaining crime caper, doubling down on the what-you-see-isn't-always-what-you-get premise of its predecessors and delivering plenty of over-the-top theatricality coupled with a fair bit of globetrotting adventurism. Still, while Now You See Me: Now You Don't clearly has its sights set on usurping Dom Toretto and his crew as everyone's favorite popcorn-friendly ensemble blockbuster, there's still something of a your-mileage-may-vary component to this threequel, depending on how much viewers actually enjoyed the first two films, especially considering how the so-called sleight-of-hand involved can, more often than not, seem like manufactured movie magic, rather than tricks that would be semi-plausible in real life. Make no mistake, there's definite fun to be had with Now You See Me: Now You Don't, thanks in large part to the top-notch chemistry between its cast. That said, once you realize that the film's primary trick is in making audiences fall for its exciting blend of sleek action set-pieces and thrilling heist sequences — and that there's really not much else to it other than the push to build out this series into a Fast Saga-esque multi-movie universe — the illusion begins to wear thin. Ultimately, the franchise's third entry still adds up to an enjoyable evening at the multiplex. If you're expecting anything more substantial than glossy, check-your-brain-at-the-door adventure, however, you might want to consider pulling a rabbit out of a different hat. Now You See Me: Now You Don't releases November 14th, 2025 from Lionsgate Films. The film has an MPAA rating of PG-13 for some strong language, violence and suggestive references. Its runtime is 1 hr. 52 min. |
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