Documentaries About Magicians You Should Check Out

by Allison Yakulis

Is magic one of my pet interests? Not particularly. I had a kit when I was 7 or 8, and after two lackluster performances for my extended family that were embarrassing and painful for all involved it gathered dust under my bed until my dad got rid of it. When Breaking The Magician’s Code: Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed debuted on FOX in 1997 I was 9, and totally into seeing how all the big stage tricks were done (by the by, a lot of it can be found on their Youtube channel if you’re interested). That was about it for me and magic, until I started streaming documentaries in my late 20’s and realized I will watch any documentary about magicians (and really enjoy it!).

Why? It’s not like they’re all masterworks of the medium (although some docs on this list are very well-composed). I didn’t know most of the subjects by their work, aside from James Randi and Ricky Jay, until I watched their docs. Hell, I probably can’t even count Randi, as he was an ex-magician by the time he was on my radar. So what’s the attraction?

It may have to do with the outsider vibe a lot of these guys have. Magic, unless you’re extremely good at it, is not considered “cool” (even then the, grasp is a tenuous one). And to get extremely good at it involves countless hours of practicing, honing skills, refining technique and, eventually, being able to put your own spin on a thing (because how many times can we see a rabbit come out of a hat before it’s old news, amirite?). It’s a lonely thing, with so much time being spent early-on to learn, create and practice and just a small amount of time actually performing for people. It’s one of those paths that seems incredibly easy to give up on, and yet something drives these people to excel at it. Passion and dedication are inherently fascinating.

Also, magic, despite its wholesome connotations of delighting children and bringing childlike wonder to adults, is all about secrecy, deceit and manipulation. Some of the docs I love touch on this notion that sleight of hand and misdirection can just as easily be used to cheat and con people as they can to amuse and entertain. Being really, really good at a thing - anything - can be powerful if used against other people.

So I offer to you, reader who suddenly has a lot of time on their hands, a round up of some of my favorite magician documentaries and where you can stream them. These were all accurate as of March 24 but, depending on when you’re reading this, your mileage may vary. Also some may be rent-able on other services than those listed as I only included free or subscription-based services.

The Amazing Johnathan Documentary (2019)
Written and Directed by Ben Berman
Running Time: 1 hour and 34 minutes
Recommended for: fans of trashy daytime talk shows
Stream it on Hulu

I’ll start with one that made a couple of waves when it dropped on Hulu last year. Maybe you’ve heard about it - there were certainly a few articles that covered it last year (read them after you watch to avoid spoilers). In short, Amazing Johnathan is audacious and funny, sometimes darkly so. It is a funhouse mirror of a plot, which leaves both the documentarian and his audience giddy and confused as to what is ever really going on. Some of these twists are so abrupt and absurd that I bark more than laugh at them.

Unfortunately, I can’t be much more specific as it would spoil the progression of events as Berman’s beleaguered doc unfolds. Berman does insert himself into the narrative part way through with a bit of personal introspection as to why he chose this subject, something that may infuriate purists who want their directors firmly behind the camera. However, I argue that he deserves a pass, as Johnathan proves himself repeatedly to be a hostile witness and Berman becomes increasingly concerned about finishing this endeavour. It actually turns a bit meta, when part of the narrative of the documentary becomes how difficult it is to make the documentary.

Still, it’s entertaining. Sometimes it’s more fun to watch things go horribly wrong.

An Honest Liar (2014)
Directed by Justin Weinstein, Tyler Measom
Written by Justin Weinstein, Tyler Measom, Greg O'Toole
Running Time: 1 hour and 33 minutes
Recommended for: fans of drama, skeptics, people who think Peter Popoff is a tool, people who think Uri Geller is a tool
Stream it on Prime Video

This film opens with an address by James Randi wherein he discusses the nature of deception and magic and points out, "It's ok to fool people as long as you're doing that to teach them a lesson which will better their knowledge of how the real world works". He is very specific about the distinction throughout the film; although he’s made a career of lying to his audience or perpetrating hoaxes, it is for the purpose of exposing worse liars and greater truths. This dedication to honesty becomes a bit more malleable in his personal life, but you can sympathise as those lies are for self-preservation rather than predation. And yet we see him struggle with the rock of his convictions and the hard place of circumstance and it’s pretty darn emotional.

But it takes a while to build to this point. Before all that, we see Randi as a much younger man, becoming one of the greatest escape artists since Harry Houdini and beginning to meditate on the morality of the brand of flim-flam he and his cohorts deal in. He begins to go after people he deems to be misusing the tactics of magic and mentalism to prey on others: faith healers in general and specifically preacher Peter Popoff, mentalist Uri Geller and the like. He writes books, he appears on talk shows, he organizes multiple hoaxes to demonstrate how these “supernatural” things can be accomplished. Even without the drama, James Randi has led a fascinating life and that alone gives reason enough for you to want to watch this doc. But, like any good documentary should, Weinstein, Measom, and their crew managed to build enough trust to capture Randi’s human side as well, and that vulnerability and honesty is what makes An Honest Liar a truly great watch.

Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (2012)
Directed by Molly Bernstein
Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
Recommended for: history buffs, social science majors, scholars of magic
Stream it on Vudu (with ads) or Hoopla

I’ll be upfront with this one - it is probably the driest of the bunch. Although this film covers Ricky Jay, one of the most skilled sleight-of-hand magicians in recent memory with an impressive list of professional achievements, the documentary also focuses heavily on magical history and influential performers from the 1940’s through the 1980’s. There is little personal drama here.

However, I know some of you doc buffs out there like to learn, and this is a great film in that regard. Jay is uniquely able to comment on the magical landscape he operated within as he personally knew and/or learned from dozens of master magicians in his youth and during his performing years AND wrote and lectured extensively on magic and magical history. The doc traces Jay’s trajectory from his growing up and learning to perform in New York to his move out west in his 20’s and growing televised appearances and is intercut with Jay performing close-up tricks or archival footage from larger performances. But, within the framework of Jay’s life, the film also becomes an examination of magic and top magicians from the decline of vaudeville in the 1930’s to the rise of mass media and concert-hall shows. It gives brief sketches of individuals like Cardini, Slydini, Abril Lamarque, Francis Carlyle, Al Flosso, Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller and other master magicians of yesteryear (all worth the time to Google). It explores how television became key to developing a modern magic career, with appearances on talk shows like Dinah Shore or Johnny Carson being the route to other big gigs (at points Jay discusses how he appeared between Ike and Tina Turner and Timothy Leary in 1960 at New York’s Electric Circus and how he was asked to collaborate with Alice Cooper for a performance, who he hadn’t heard of and thought was a woman).

Like I said at the top, Deceptive Practice isn’t as diverting as some of the other films on my list. But, if you’re yearning for some infotainment with an extra helping of info, this documentary serves it up. Bon appetit! 

Dealt (2017)
Directed by Luke Korem
Written by Bradley Jackson, Luke Korem
Running Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Recommended for: people who want to be inspired
Stream it on Hulu

Richard Turner tends to buck labels. He refers to himself as a “card mechanic” rather than a magician, likely to emphasize the immense skill required for his deck manipulations. He also rejects being called “blind”, even though both he and his sister have been legally blind since childhood and he’s had no light perception (total blackout blindness) since sometime in his 30’s. It’s this second label that is a bit of a sticking point, because despite his protests and best efforts people keep calling him that dreaded b-word. While the sighted people who keep writing and speaking about him in this way seem to think it makes him more impressive (he knows it’s your card and he can’t even see it!), Turner views it as belittling and an invitation for people to pity him. As Dealt traces Turner’s personal history, it is one marked by anger and stubborn determination at this raw deal which pushes him to excel at a variety of endeavors. He learned trapeze and tightrope walking, rode motorcycles in his 20s despite significant visual impairment, achieved a 6th degree black belt in karate, and has mastered most of the techniques of deck manipulation where most card magicians only perfect one or two - if Turner wants to do something, he not only does it, but does it better than most. However, an indomitable spirit is not a substitute for self-acceptance, and by attempting to overcome or ignore his blindness Turner puts additional pressures on himself and his family. Dealt is one of those stories that feels stranger than fiction, but also shows that even with incredible dedication and achievement there can still be room for growth.

AND A BONUS: Now you stream it...now you don’t! I wanted to include the following documentary on my list, but although the aggregator I use told me it was available on Prime, when I went to re-watch it it wasn’t there. Not even to rent. But as it’s been floating around some streaming services for a few years now (I think I caught it on Netflix like 6 years ago), you could get lucky:

Make Believe (2010)
Directed by J. Clay Tweel
Written by Cleven S. Loham
Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
Recommended for: kids, fans of Kids Say The Darndest Things
Stream it on ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Make Believe follows 6 teen magicians as they compete for the title of Teen World Champion at an international competition in Las Vegas. Besides the fact that these kids are incredibly talented, they're also incredibly funny (whether intentionally or not). It's got all the drama of those competition shows you love to watch, it's a little campy, a little technical, and it's got kids. This one is family friendly too. So if you're stuck inside looking for movies to watch with the kids and you can't even with Frozen anymore, maybe give this a shot.

Editor’s note: You can research where to stream movies on your own via Letterboxd and JustWatch.