If ever there were two words that could define Now You See Me: Now You Don’t — the third film in the Now You See Me heist franchise — they would be: magic masala.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the original roster of the Four Horsemen — master illusionists Jesse Eisenberg (Daniel Atlas), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) — gather again 10 years later. Their plan: to flashily unmask the corrupt owner of a cryptocurrency exchange at an event and, being the Robin Hoods that they are, distribute his funds among the attendees, all of whom had lost money to the man.

However, Alakazam! Presto-Change-o! It turns out the heist at the event isn’t done by the Horsemen at all, but by a batch of talented youngsters — Charlie Vanderberg (Justice Smith), Bosco LeRoy (Dominic Sessa) and June Rouclere (Ariana Greenblatt), following in their footsteps. The Horsemen, alerted to their shenanigans, are instructed by their super-secret magic-society organisation, ‘The Eye’, to recruit the trio and steal ‘The Heart’ — the world’s biggest diamond. It is owned by Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), who is the head of a South African diamond company and daughter of a former Nazi who uses the business to launder money for war criminals.

While she is indeed a bad apple that hasn’t fallen far from the tree, her malice and threat aren’t as menacing or ominous as they initially seem.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is definitely made for the big screen, although its big reveal can be seen coming a mile away

Fleischer — known for his work with Eisenberg (30 Minutes or Less, Zombieland, its sequel Double Tap, and, without Eisenberg, the first and third Venom movies) — sets up one sleight-of-hand trick after another. Some of them are predictable, but that doesn’t make them any less fun.

There are also a few surprises with Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) and Lula May (Lizzy Caplan), who replaced Fisher as the fourth Horseman (or is it Horsewoman? ) in the second movie. For the most part, the old cast holds the story together, while the new ones — with the exception of Justice Smith — provide adequate support.

Acting-wise, this isn’t the best showcase for anyone save Pike. She goes full method, emoting and reacting with layers the screenplay never quite says she has; sometimes it’s a tad too much, but hey, it’s something. However, her co-stars make do with the basics, their plastic-y make-up (especially Fisher and Greenblatt) impeding their expressions… if, that is, they wanted to give any with conviction.

Still, the quick rushes of illusion and trickery keep the plot moving. Although one may see the final trick and big reveal coming a mile away, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t remains big-screen entertainment. If one misses it in cinemas, one should at least watch it on a big-screen television — smaller ones will ruin the spectacle and the magic.

Released by Lionsgate Films and HKC, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is rated PG-13, because its magic and masala are for everyone.

The reviewer is a freelance writer

Published in Dawn, ICON, November 30th, 2025