The Prestige

Play trailer

2:26

The Prestige

PG-13

2006

2h 10m

Drama

Fantasy

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

206 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Graham Fuller

Sight & Sound

11/02/2018

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

Go to Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

09/07/2007

3/4

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

Go to Full Review

Brian Tallerico

UGO

03/24/2007

An example of old-fashioned storytelling, the kind of magical movie that could have been made fifty years ago and, consequently, will still be watched fifty years from now.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Apr 30

3.5/4

A dense and multilayered drama that explores Nolan's usual recurrent themes while simultaneously serving up a cracking good mystery yarn.

Go to Full Review

Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

01/02/2025

Plus one of Jackman’s early conceits revealed what a good actor he can be, and we forget because of the body. He actually manages to seem like a different person and almost change the structure of his face in one early scene w

Go to Full Review

Brian Pendreigh

Radio Times

08/22/2024

4/5

Nolan constructs a fascinating tale that twists and turns at every opportunity, although there is perhaps one twist too many in a slightly overbaked dénouement.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Haseeb A

@iamhaseebaslam 53m

The Nolan rewatch continues, and today it was The Prestige. This might be the film with the most hard cuts I have seen from him, and it confirms how much he loves jumping around in time instead of telling things straight. The editing is relentless, but it fits a story about obsession and rivalry, where nothing is presented cleanly because the characters themselves are hiding pieces from each other and from us. Bale and Jackman carry this thing completely. Bale in particular is doing so much quiet work under the surface, and I really wish Jackman got to work with Nolan again because he is fantastic here. The twist does not hit the same way on a rewatch as it did the first time, but that is almost the point. Once you know the secret, it feels almost too simple, like watching a magic trick after someone explains how it works. Still an enjoyable watch. This one does not get talked about enough and deserves more credit as one of Nolan's most underrated films.

See more

Lukas M

@Bird_33 7h

Bale and Jackman were great, and Michael Caine was wonderful as always. Great movie with a twisting plot that is sure to keep your mind working the whole time!

See more

osanya T

@RT29669581 4d

This movie will break your brain because it is full of twists and turns .It is a must watch.

See more

jane T

@RT89222326 4d

The movie was quite enjoyable and kept me engaged throughout.

See more

Douglas S.

@RT21102375 Jun 22

Goodmflic, tad boring. Overall engaging. Writing this review weeks after watch

See more

Alfred Junior Karabo T

@Lfr3d-junior-k4r4bo Jun 15

Absolutely beautiful, tells a story in history, making it more magical. I like the way they brought an old real story like Tesla and put it in conflict, and what it showed

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Christopher Nolan

Director

Hugh Jackman

Rupert Angier

Christian Bale

Alfred Borden

Michael Caine

Cutter

Scarlett Johansson

Olivia

Piper Perabo

Julia

Donovan's Echo

33%

51%

Donovan's Echo

Watchlist

The Illusionist

74%

83%

The Illusionist

Watchlist

Lady in the Water

25%

49%

Lady in the Water

Watchlist

Runaway Jury

73%

75%

Runaway Jury

Watchlist

The Woman in Black

66%

54%

The Woman in Black

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Rank All of Christopher Nolan’s Movies

Queen of Katwe, The Secret Life of Pets, and More on Netflix and Amazon Prime This Week

Hugh Jackman’s 10 Best Movies

The Prestige: Trailer 1

2:26

View more videos

View more photos

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: Aaron Ryder, Emma Thomas
Screenwriter: Jonathan 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)