The Prestige | Rotten Tomatoes

The Prestige

PG-13

Released Oct 20, 2006

2h 10m

Drama

Fantasy

Mystery & Thriller

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The Prestige: Trailer 1

2:26

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77%

Tomatometer

206 Reviews

92%

Audience Score

250,000+ Ratings

An illusion gone horribly wrong pits two 19th-century magicians, Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman), against each other in a bitter battle for supremacy. Terrible consequences loom when the pair escalate their feud, each seeking not just to outwit -- but to destroy -- the other man.

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Critics Consensus

Full of twists and turns, The Prestige is a dazzling period piece that never stops challenging the audience.

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Graham Fuller

Sight & Sound

Although the film's stunning reveals make the audience realise it has been duped... there is a protagonist to empathise with each time.

Nov 2, 2018

Full Review

Bob Mondello

NPR.org

The film is never less than engaging, though considering that the title The Prestige refers to the moment in a magic act that gives it its "wow" factor, it's kind of a shame that the ultimate "reveal" in the movie is a little too tricky for its own good.

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

It's quite a movie -- atmospheric, obsessive, almost satanic.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 7, 2007

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Akhil Arora

AkhilArora.com

Nolan looks at how obsession can drive you beyond your limit and destroy everything, even when the simple answer is right in front of you. In the process, he … intentionally crafts an allegory of filmmaking itself.

Oct 17, 2023

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

In terms of building narratives on top of narratives, this one really cemented Nolan as one of cinema’s most cerebral storytellers.

Jul 20, 2023

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

The Prestige is a thrilling film but it requires multiple viewings to better understand the narrative.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 17, 2023

Full Review

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r96 s

'The Prestige' is tremendous! An expertly made movie about magic, one that lasts just over two hours but it is most definitely 120mins+ well spent. I was sold by the whole vibe of it from the very beginning, sometimes you can just tell you're going to absolutely enjoy something from the opening minutes and this, for me, was one of those films. The casting is terrific, many well known faces appear. Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine (how about that speech), Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson are all brilliant, the latter two do hold minimally iffy accents though; or maybe it was just me. There are a few other strong performers too, like Andy Serkis and David Bowie! No-one onscreen puts a foot wrong. Christopher Nolan is again back to his twisty best with this one. It's admittedly nothing as super deep as, say, 'Inception' and I did read where this one was going in certain aspects, though certainly not every angle - either way, it's just as thrilling to watch no matter how much or how little you pick up. Big fan of the way the film depicts its events throughout. Just now seeing how highly this is regarded, on Letterboxd at least. I know I do try to avoid as much as I can with movies, but based on the aforementioned I'm kinda shocked I hadn't heard anything about this growing up or even in recent years. Most of Nolan's other works I at least recall hearing through the grapevine, yet this one evidently somehow slipped through the net. Probably a good thing, mind you.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/16/24

Full Review

First name L

An early indicator of Nolan's skillful storytelling; the final twist is nicely executed. One of the rare adaptions that overshadows it's source material.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/15/24

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Graham B

One of the single best movies I’ve ever seen, the twist was one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/06/24

Full Review

Chelsea D

Bro the plot twist go hard

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/27/24

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Terry M

Amazing film, mind-blowing finale. Loved it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/22/24

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Kingston M

One of my favourite movies ever! Would definitely recommend!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/21/24

Full Review

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Christopher Nolan

Director

Hugh Jackman

Rupert Angier

Christian Bale

Alfred Borden

Michael Caine

Cutter

Scarlett Johansson

Olivia

Piper Perabo

Julia

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The Prestige: Trailer 1

2:26

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Synopsis

An illusion gone horribly wrong pits two 19th-century magicians, Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman), against each other in a bitter battle for supremacy. Terrible consequences loom when the pair escalate their feud, each seeking not just to outwit -- but to destroy -- the other man.

Director: Christopher Nolan
Producer: Chris J. Ball, Valerie Dean, William Tyrer
Screenwriter: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Distributor: Buena Vista
Production Co: Newmarket Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $53.1M
Runtime: 2h 10m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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