Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025)

Unlock the illusion.

PG-13
1h 52m

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Story: Eric Warren Singer
Premiered: November 12, 2025
Language: English
Status: Released
Budget: $90,000,000.00
Revenue: $146,060,630.00
Country: United States of America

Now You See Me: Now You Don't

6.2/10 (271 vote)

★★★★★★★★★★

Production: Lionsgate
Cohen Pictures
Media Capital Technologies

Spoiler

Ten years after their last dazzling performance, the legendary Four Horsemen – the enigmatic J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), the charismatic Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), the agile Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and the captivating Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) – have resurfaced, much to the delight of a packed, expectant audience. Their return is marked by a spectacular opening act that blurs the lines between magic and reality. They introduce a young audience member, Bosco Leroy (Dominic Sessa), into the heart of their performance, making it appear as though he is possessed. This elaborate illusion is designed to expose Brett (Andrew Santino), a skeptical crypto enthusiast in the crowd, and his associates. The Horsemen meticulously reveal their fraudulent schemes, redistributing the ill-gotten gains to the astonished audience. As the illusion of police sirens fills the air, the crowd disperses, leaving Brett bewildered and enraged when he discovers the "Horsemen" were merely projections on screens, their presence entirely fabricated.

The true architects of this audacious spectacle are revealed to be Bosco and his two closest friends, June (Arianna Greenblatt) and Charlie (Justice Smith). Having successfully executed their elaborate impersonation, the trio retreats to their secret hideout, only to be met by the real J. Daniel Atlas. He has infiltrated their sanctuary, having observed their performance from the audience. Atlas, possessing an uncanny ability to discern individual backgrounds, reveals his knowledge of their personal histories: Bosco, a former aspiring actor burdened by student loan debt; June, a fiercely independent and rebellious teenager with an anti-authority streak; and Charlie, an orphan who has navigated life without familial support. Atlas then unveils the core of their deception: their masterful use of deepfake technology to create the illusion of the Four Horsemen. He explains his own current mission, assigned by the clandestine organization known as "The Eye," which tasks him with acquiring the coveted Heart Diamond. With the original Horsemen disbanded, Atlas seeks to recruit this talented young trio for his ambitious endeavor.

The Heart Diamond, a gem of immense value and significance, is under the formidable protection of Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike) in Limpopo, South Africa. Veronika presides over a vast diamond smuggling operation, a legacy inherited from her father, Peter. During a tense board meeting, she demonstrates her ruthless authority by forcing a dissenting executive to hold a sharp diamond in his mouth, a chilling display designed to instill fear and ensure compliance. Later, Veronika receives an anonymous, threatening phone call demanding the Heart Diamond, with the veiled threat of exposing her deeply buried secrets.

Atlas and his new recruits, Bosco, June, and Charlie, embark on their next mission: infiltrating a high-profile gala in Antwerp where the Heart Diamond is being showcased before its impending auction. Under the guise of a photography crew, the young illusionists meticulously capture images of Veronika, subtly preparing the stage for their grand deception. Atlas, meanwhile, engages Veronika in a verbal sparring match, subtly undermining her and her network of criminal associates. As the auction commences, the younger Horsemen rejoin Atlas, ready to execute their plan. In a breathtaking display of misdirection, they create the illusion that the Heart Diamond has exploded in Veronika's hand, while Atlas has already secured the genuine article. They then execute a daring escape from Veronika's security detail, only to encounter Jack, Henley, and Merritt on the rooftop. It is revealed that each of them, like Atlas, has received a tarot card from The Eye, signifying their own assigned missions. Together, the reunited Horsemen manage to evade their pursuers through a cleverly staged helicopter illusion. Veronika, observing the aftermath, realizes the case she holds is a decoy, confirming the Horsemen's masterful switch.

Now reunited on a boat, the original and new Horsemen strategize their next move. The passage of time has brought changes: Henley is now a wife and mother of three; Jack has been jilted by Lula May (Lizzy Caplan), who has relocated to Paris; and the reason for the Horsemen's initial split is revealed: a disastrous heist that resulted in Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) being imprisoned in Russia, a burden of guilt that fractured their unity. Charlie, ever observant, discovers that the original Horsemen's tarot cards, when arranged, form a map.

This cryptic map leads the seven Horsemen to an opulent estate in France, the property of their trusted ally, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). Thaddeus, too, has received a tarot card from The Eye, enlisting his aid. Navigating the mansion's intricate defenses and elaborate illusions, the group finds Thaddeus in his private chambers. There, Charlie uncovers hidden documents within a painting, revealing Veronika's dark past: her inheritance of the smuggling business from her father, Peter, and his disturbing ties to the Nazis. The documents also detail the tragic suicide of Veronika's mother and the suspicious car accident that claimed the lives of their housekeeper and her son, an accident seemingly caused by tampered brakes.

The arrival of the police outside the mansion forces the Horsemen to scatter and devise an escape. Atlas and Bosco evade pursuit through a rotating hallway. Jack and June navigate a room of optical illusions, where their perceived size shifts dramatically. Merritt, Henley, and Charlie find refuge in a hall of mirrors, outmaneuvering their pursuers. Thaddeus, cornered in his room, appears to vanish through the ceiling, only to reappear and reveal he has been shot by a police officer. He implores the Horsemen to continue their mission, urging them not to let his sacrifice be in vain. Atlas and Henley mourn their fallen friend, their resolve hardened. Meanwhile, Merritt, Jack, and June are apprehended.

Merritt finds himself interrogated by Veronika. Employing his extraordinary telepathic abilities, he discerns the truth: Veronika's mother's suicide was a consequence of Peter's affair with the housekeeper, and Veronika herself is strongly implied to have been responsible for cutting the housekeeper's brakes, leading to her death. Outside the interrogation room, guards escort a seemingly inebriated old woman, who then dramatically falls, appearing to break her arm. This is Lula, disguised, having been summoned by Atlas and Henley to orchestrate a rescue. She successfully frees Jack first, and the plan is set in motion to rescue June. Merritt, though engaged in a struggle with guards, remains captive.

The Horsemen regroup, with Lula feeling somewhat out of the loop, though she and Henley share a prior acquaintance. Atlas suggests returning the Heart Diamond to Veronika in exchange for Merritt's freedom, but the others are resolute in their determination to expose her criminal enterprise.

The exchange is arranged to take place in Abu Dhabi, at a lavish party hosted by Veronika's Formula 1 team at the Yas Marina Circuit. Bosco and Charlie, disguised as photographers, create a diversion by driving a car into the bustling streets. The Horsemen meet Veronika, successfully swapping the diamond and securing Merritt's release. However, Veronika springs a trap, dropping the five Horsemen into a tank that begins to fill with sand, a deadly predicament. Thinking quickly, Jack spots an overhead pipe and manages to break it, causing the tank to fill with water, which expands the sand, threatening to shatter the glass. As the water level rises rapidly, Henley uses her wedding ring to cut through the glass. With the combined efforts of the Horsemen, they break free.

Bosco finds himself pursued by the police through the city streets, eventually cornered. However, he ingeniously frees himself from his restraints, fights off Veronika's enforcers, crashes their van, and makes his escape.

Veronika proceeds to meet her mysterious caller, intending to hand over the Heart Diamond. To her shock, the caller is revealed to be Charlie. The truth unravels: Charlie and Veronika are half-siblings, their shared father being Peter Vanderberg, who had an affair with Charlie's mother. Charlie survived the car accident but knew Veronika was responsible for cutting the brakes as retribution for his mother's death. Veronika attempts to shoot Charlie, but the gun is loaded with blanks. The walls of the room dramatically fall away, revealing that this entire encounter was a meticulously orchestrated setup by Charlie and his allies to expose Veronika to a live audience. Charlie confesses that he was the one who summoned the Horsemen and orchestrated the entire sequence of events, including the discovery of the crucial documents at Thaddeus's estate. Veronika's Nazi affiliations, her history of murder and attempted murder, and her pervasive criminal activities are laid bare. She is subsequently arrested. Charlie addresses the audience, declaring that as Peter Vanderberg's sole non-incarcerated heir, he intends to use the profits from the Heart Diamond to benefit the people of South Africa, rectifying the injustices perpetrated by the Vanderberg family. The crowd erupts in cheers.

Some time later, the now eight-strong Horsemen gather at Bosco, June, and Charlie's apartment. Henley, Lula, and June contemplate forming a female magicians' collective, while Jack and Lula rekindle their relationship. They then receive a mysterious package containing a holographic message from Dylan. He reveals that his imprisonment was a fabrication and welcomes Bosco, June, and Charlie into The Eye. He concludes by informing the Horsemen that their extraordinary work has only just begun.