Want to watch magically intriguing yet dark and deceptive movies like The Prestige? Step right up!
Christopher Nolan films donāt disappoint. Itās interesting to see how he crafted a brilliant screenplay and directed Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale to turn out magnificent performances as 19th-century London-based magicians. These illusionists want to outperform each other to clinchāwhat elseāthe āprestigeā of being the best.
Intrigued? Read on to find out my recommended movies like The Prestige that will equally leave you spellbound as the stories take on dark and deceptive turns with every trickāmagic or no magic involved!Ā
10 Magically Dark & Deceptive Movies Like The Prestige
1. Now You See Me (2013)
A mysterious hand brings four modern-day magicians together to perform tricks in public while robbing vaults in private. They shower their audiences with the cash as authorities try to catch them, while a former magician tries to unearth their secrets.
French director Louis Leterrier hits a Hollywood jackpot with the help of his fantastic leads, shocking us with deceptive yet juicy role twists you wonāt see coming. Talk about smoke and mirrorsāand money!
Apparently, magic and modern mystery sellāas evident in this filmās success. It even had a 2016 sequel, and another will reportedly come out in 2022.
2. The Illusionist (2006)
A magician in 1880s Vienna stages the greatest illusion yet as he goes against a tyrannical ruler while trying to save the love of his life.
Edward Norton performs as the illusionist who battles a crown prince played by Rufus Sewell. In the middle of their subtle war is the woman they both want to keep, played by Jessica Biel. The darker magic in this story emanates from the illusionistās tricks of communicating with the dead to hopefully entrap a vicious killer.
Divergent director Neil Burger helmed this loose adaptation of a short story by Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Millhauser.
3. Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)
A con man-magician is swept away in the Land of Oz where he fools people to fulfill a prophecy. With his fake magic, they believe heās a true wizard. Trouble begins when heās called upon to face real danger.
James Franco dazzles viewers in this spiritual sequel of the Oz stories. The deception is long drawn out, until the final trick thrills you.
Similar to movies like The Prestige, things arenāt what they seem at firstāuntil the end. Its story strays far from the happy memories of the yellow brick road, after all, as it takes a darker detour.
4. Practical Magic (1998)
Two sisters grow up in a unique household where their witch identity is celebratedāuntil men end up dead because of an attached curse to their name.
Sandra Bullock plays the nicer witch while Nicole Kidman plays the wild witch in this cult classic. Marketed as a rom-com, the lighthearted touch sometimes slips into darker tones when the sistersā magic is challenged by evil forces. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest provide formidable support as older aunt-witches while Aidan Quinn plays a love interest.
Can you spot Westwood star Evan Rachel Wood here? She played Sandraās older teen daughter. Go search!
5. The Craft (1996)
This ā90s cult classic features twisted tales of teen girls trapped in a coven of their doing. Four high school outcasts become fast friends as they discover their magical abilities. They reap the benefits at firstāuntil malevolence casts a spell over them.
Goth teen Fairuza Balk leads this unforgettable film that, as fantastical as it may sound, has storylines grounded in realities that any teen would identify with. No wonder itās a hit!
Parallel to movies like The Prestige, expect dark plot twists that would make you cheer for the gals and jeer at the evil that befalls them.
6. The Devilās Advocate (1997)
A promising young lawyer is invited to become part of a prestigious New York law firm, not knowing heās about to make a deal with the devilāfor real.
Keanu Reeves delivers the young lawyer role quite well as he shares the screen with Al Pacino who plays his mentor and evil whisperer. Charlize Theron plays the young lawyerās wife subjected to hallucinatory evils. It’s an entertaining film to see Hollywood A-listers battle out their good vs. evil scenes.
If a film wins the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film just like this one, it definitely has chills! Go watch!
7. Constantine (2005)
A detective specializing in the occult and the supernatural assists a police detective uncover the real reason behind her twin sisterās death, which lead the two in unearthing a bigger and darker plot that could threaten humanityās existence.
Keanu Reeves plays the cynical titular character while Rachel Weisz plays the hopeful detective in search of the truth. They present how the appearance of good and evil could also be nuanced and reinterpreted when a paranormal power struggle happens between angels and demons.
These movies like The Prestige could also point to religion as an illusion, as exemplified by Constantineās plot.
8. Ghost Rider (2007)
A teenager turns into a dark rider when he grows up, trying to still side with the good even if heās battling it out with demons.
Nicolas Cage plays the titular Ghost Rider, the motorcycle-driving bounty hunter who catches the bad guys and lets them see the error of their ways. Eva Mendes is the ladylove his character once abandoned to protect her from his deal with the devils. This reluctant superheroās journey is a continuing struggle of good versus evil.
And itās a struggle and formula that apparently pays off, handsomely, as it became a box office blockbuster worldwide.
9. The Sixth Sense (1999)
A 9-year-old boy struggles with bothersome supernatural issues. A child psychologist tries to help himāuntil he learns the truth about their situation.
Haley Joel Osmentās iconic line āI see dead peopleā takes a darker turn in this narrative headlined by Bruce Willis. M. Night Shyamalan directs the story by giving us bits and pieces of thrilling details that culminate into one big horrific reveal. As the ābig trickā is presented, everything makes sense in a different way.
Similar to movies like The Prestige, big plot twists near the end will push the narrative forward in directions one wonāt expect.
10. The Island (2005)
In a futuristic compound, two individuals find out the harsh truth about their existenceāand defy authorities to seek the higher truth.
Michael Bay directs Ewan McGregor and Scarlet Johansson in this action thriller that presents a magically perfect spectacle which crumbles as the main characters find out about the truthāthat they are clones that exist for wealthy people. The real struggle begins as these clones try to change their narratives.
If you like sci-fi dystopia that has biopunk feels, then this movie is for you. With its intriguing take on justifying human cloning, itās indeed worthwhile to see.