The Prestige (2006) First Time Watching! Movie Reaction!!

The Prestige (2006)
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[@TBRSchmitt]

It was awesome to watch such a great Christopher Nolan film that had previously escaped our radar! And it is no surprise that a movie about a war between magicians made for some magical moments! Thank you all for the support!

[@williamsmith5340]

Awesome movie

[@NimpanZ]

David Bowie as Nicola Tesla.

[@kaibricturner8836]

You guys have to continue the Schwarzenegger run! Check out Collateral Damage and Stallone’s Assassins and Escape Plan! Not to mention The Expendables series 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@NimpanZ]

"Now, you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because, of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled." - this monologue right at the end is given with scenes of the "clone" hats on the ground, the silhouettes inside the tanks and finally the "clone" of Angiers. We hear this monologue once more at the beginning of the film too but there's a part that comes right before it. "The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary" - the TURN in this film is Angiers diary. Everything in that diary is a fiction or a ruse, so all of the Colorado scenes, the Nikola Tesla scenes, cloning scenes are made up while Angiers is plotting his revenge. - "But here, at the TURN, I must leave you Borden. Yes, you, Borden, sitting there in your cell, awaiting your death. For my murder."

[@christinehorror8178]

Yeah I think its implied that falon is more jealous and kept the fight going so he's the one who went to the show and is caught. And I think he even says its his fault when in jail, aldred was just dressed as falon to meet him.

[@Scopper81]

The Prestige is a masterpiece. The way it effortlessly straddles genres has impressed me from the first time I saw it.

[@willcool713]

Virtually the definition of Speculative Fiction, imo.

[@Blackhawks19_xx]

The entire film is a perfectly executed magic trick. Which is exactly what filmmaking is, creating something out of nothing. Watching the reactions of the uninitiated trying to figure out how it’s done and ultimately the payoff aka “the prestige”.

[@Scopper81]

I love how The Prestige is an excellent period piece. And it's about illusion. But then it veers into really cool science fiction. And finally, literally Borden's final line. Very very creepy. Did Borden have one final trick up his sleeve? In a movie with such good science fiction, why shouldn't there be some occult as well.

[@reactions5783]

It's perhaps the most intelligent movie ever conceived. Only matched by its skillful execution.

[@daustin8888]

It os very meta in a way. Especially when you consider filmmaking is a big magic trick. "You want to be fooled"

[@Kai-fb1ol]

For my money, this is still Nolan's best movie. If you rewatch the movie you can see that one of the Bordens (the surviving one) was far more sympathetic than the other throughout, and is the 'good guy' of the movie. The twins have different personalities. I also like how Angier starts as the more sympathetic of the two magicians, but becomes far more monstrous than either Borden by the end. Also, it's clear that Angier's wife agreed with Borden changing the knot, so I don't think it's necessary fair to pin the accident ENTIRELY on him.

[@Kai-fb1ol]

@@oscardiggs246 Yes. Even then, the less sympathetic Borden was not that bad a guy, he was just reckless and more obsessed with the feud than his brother. He still tried to save Angier's life when he was drowning, and clearly loved his brother and niece. He didn't deserve to be hanged for a crime he didn't commit. Angier is 100% the villain of this movie. He let his wife's death (which was ultimately an accident) twist him into becoming a murderer, kidnapper and serial self-killer.

[@reactions5783]

Yeah, most people miss (on their first watch) the fact that Angier's wife also favoured and wanted that alternate knot herself. And that whenever Angier either asks Borden which knot he used, or reads it in his diary, 'that' particular Borden brother answers honestly, that he can't be sure ... because that brother was not the one who performed the trick on the night she drowned. He only has the word of the other brother who actually did play Borden that night to go on.

[@offspringfan1288]

Memento will always remain Chris Nolan’s finest film to date. The Prestige is definitely in his top tier though!

[@PaperbackWizard]

Borden's reasoning for changing the knot was he felt the knot they were using would slip when the chain lifted her into the air and she'd fall and break something. He wanted the tighter knot to protect her from that.

[@Cau_No]

@@PaperbackWizard Probably not. He was afraid some sailor could see the knot and recognise how easy it is to open. So they wanted a more 'difficult' one that didn't raise suspicions, but had a risk of not opening in time. And she did not train enough to do it... The obsession of the Bordens did not stop at the well-being of their freinds or family, they didn't even tell their wife or daughter.

[@SupergeekMikeDowntime]

Something I’ve realized, I think at the end, Michael Caine figured out how Angiers did it, and realized Angiers came up with this plan because he thought drowning was peaceful… because that’s what Caine told him to comfort him after his wife’s death. So at the end, he basically tells Angiers, “You suffered every time.”

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

I'd never thought of that...damn. Good point.

[@jp3813]

Cutter's last scene showed him helping Angier w/ the drowned clones. Hence, no figuring out necessary at that point.

[@SupergeekMikeDowntime]

@@jp3813 True, the thing he actually figures out was that this plan had been inspired by his lie about drowning.

[@jp3813]

@@SupergeekMikeDowntime I'm sure it was also inspired by Julia's death since there's a scene where Angier tries to hold his breath in water even before the funeral.

[@crawlie]

That's 100% it. He's not digging at him for his wife's death. He's telling him he's become a monster.

[@StephenTuplin]

Dear God. That scene with the boy's reaction to the birds is my ultimate Nolan goosebump moment. "But, where's his brother?". GAH!!! A MASTERPIECE.

[@AndiGravity]

It didn't dwn on me until just now that was the moment Christopher Nolan gave away the ending... You're right. I already thought it was a masterpiece, but damn.

[@Blackhawks19_xx]

That’s the very first thing I thought of after walking out of the theater. Nolan literally gives the payoff away early into the film. Pure genius.

[@MorliHolect]

Then the dead bird is thrown out like the drowned clones later on...

[@bobbwc7011]

@@MorliHolect Which clones?....

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

"When I'm finished, he could be your brother," says Michael Caine of Angier's double. He really does just dangle it in your face.

[@joshuayeager3686]

Out of everyone I’ve seen react to this movie, you guys were closet to figuring out the truth. While the film has lots of foreshadowing throughout, the way it’s structured makes it difficult for lots of people to figure out. But you guys are one of the smartest reactors out there. Always a great watch.

[@selfishstockton6123]

@Zombie and I’m positive it went over your head as well

[@eddgaleon6061]

I actually figured out everything except the twin part the first time I watched it, but him having a twin actually blew my mind

[@memento5113]

i hate when two people are watching a movie with twists and try to figure it out at every turn. Just fkin enjoy the ride of a good movie

[@justinsherman9350]

Oooh, I love this flick, particularly David Bowie's appearance as Tesla. Something so perfect about that casting choice.

[@Melancthon7332]

Half the reason I clicked on this was to see if they recognized Bowie...sigh...

[@DeeWaterlily]

They didn’t even notice!

[@bellicose4653]

@@Melancthon7332 I was thinking the same thing. They are very astute so I'm surprised

[@Melancthon7332]

@@bellicose4653 It's simply generational. Intelligence has nothing to do with it. The whole reason they haven't watched all these now-classic movies is generational as well. And Bowie's high point was a generation behind even that of most of the movies they're watching for the channel. Like most people their age, they have probably only vaguely heard of his name, may or may not realize how often they've heard his songs in commercials and film soundtracks, and probably have no chance of knowing what in the heck he looks like. I was just kind of hoping against hope that they might know a little more than average.

[@sleepless_160]

When I watched the movie for the first and second time I definitely recognised a familiar face when Tesla came into the picture, but I couldn't quite place where I knew him from. I just assumed he was a well known, but not top-of-the-line actor, at least in the genres I enjoy. Mind you I've first seen this movie in 2018 when I was 20 years old. Only when I looked into the casting for the movie, because it was definetly bugging me that I couldn't place where I knew him from, I realized who he is and where I knew him from. Of course I listened to some songs of his, but it was never really my kind of music, but where I definitely knew him from was from a scene in the german indepentent movie "Christiane F. ," which I have seen a couple of times before watching the prestige.

[@tigqc]

The film is structured like the process of a magic trick. Act 1 ends with the wife drowning or the pledge, Act 2 ends with Angier stepping into the machine for the first time ("and here at the turn, I must leave you"). The ending of Act 3 is the reveal of Borden to Angier, or the prestige. The Borden twins actually have distinct personalities. The first of them (who loved Scarlett Johansson) is obsessed with performing magic tricks and is loud, confrontational, and quick to anger. He's the one who tied the double knot and killed Angier's wife in the process. He's also the one who got his fingers shot off by Angier and was ultimately jailed and hanged at the end. The second twin (who loved Sarah) is much more quiet, measured, and approachable. His talent is he's really good at deciphering how other magicians perform their tricks. Chronologically, we first see him when he and Angier go to figure out how the fish bowl trick is done. He is also the one who shows up at the funeral to pay his respects and says he doesn't know which knot was tied (he really didn't know and was telling the truth!). Tesla did build a machine for Borden when he and Angier's rivalry over the transported man trick started heating up, but it was just glorified set dressing, a machine that gave off electricity overhead. The trick was still performed by the twins as usual, there were no clones involved. Angier still believed Borden was just one man and that Tesla really had built Borden a teleporting machine. Angier asked Tesla to build one that could do the same thing, but better. Since Tesla was staring his last financial resource in the face he agreed to do it. Tesla did in fact succeed in building such a device for Angier, with the unintentional side effect of creating copies of beings or objects ("These things never quite turn out the way you expect them to"). Through science, Tesla inadvertently created a machine that could do REAL magic and you could calibrate how close or far away to send the duplicate. Tesla wanted Angier to destroy it because, well think about it: creating endless armies, endless resources to invade the world with if it fell into the wrong hands and such. Lord Caldlow is actually Angier's real name. Angier is his stage name. He came from a wealthy family who didn't approve of his interest in magic. He was a great showman but to fellow magicians his methods were amateur at best ("I can spot Angier's methods from the back of the theater"). Borden was good at magic tricks, but terrible at selling the crowd on them ("He's a wonderful magician, he's a terrible showman"). The first time you see Angier and Borden as magician's assistants walking up on stage you'll notice that Borden just walks up the stairs directly over to Angier's wife, whereas Angier faces the crowd, smiles and bows, putting on a show.

[@xXBlackIce7Xx]

Best explanation i´ve red so far.

[@kirathekillernote2173]

Really nice summary. But please split it in paras for better emphasis

[@MorliHolect]

I would definitely use the machine to duplicate gold, not to copy myself. Tesla should have done that too if he needed money that much...

[@Avocado11]

Of course he's a great showman, some might say he's the greatest showman.

[@bobbwc7011]

"Tesla did in fact succeed in building such a device for Angier, with the unintentional side effect of creating copies of beings or objects" Not really, it can be convincingly argued that the machine never worked, that there are no clones, because almost everything from Angier is unreliable narration, and it is more likely (and implied) that Angier used a double again. The real trick is that his version of The Transported Man is like the fishbowl trick by the Chinese dude: the act is all the weird fuzz Angier makes of being mysterious. Tesla's machine just makes things look spectacular.

[@christopherlundgren1700]

You come to the conclusion that one of the brothers was still "at fault" for the death of Hugh Jackman's wife, because he was told not to tie that certain knot and did it anyway, but if it was a different brother that was scolded than the one that tied the fatal knot, it was really an honest accident. The brother that was at the funeral really didn't know what knot was tied, because he wasn't the one that tied it. Then when Hugh Jackman gets his revenge with the pistol trick, the brother that loses his fingers may not even be the same brother that was responsible for the knot. When you imagine the scenarios from that perspective, the escalation of bad blood between the aggrieved parties starts to make more sense. No one can let it go and everyone destroys each other.

[@znk0r]

The brothers decided to live as one person, the cost is having to deal with the concequences of the actions of either of them.

[@lionhead123]

The ultimate question is of course: Who is at fault? Was it Borden for not taking responsibility for Angiers and his own wife's death? Or is it Angiers, who had Borden sentenced to death whilst being innocent? Was the twin that lived in his right to shoot Angiers?

[@StupidSystemus]

The one obsessed with the trick is the one at fault.

[@davidw.2791]

Also, Mrs Angier indicated that she saw the knot and felt she can make it out.

[@lionhead123]

@@davidw.2791 that doesn't put less blame on borden. Besides, the real issue here is how far they are willing to go to keep their tricks a secret. Angiers went insane not understanding why Borden wouldn't know what knot he tied, simply because Borden never revealed they were twins. This led to the events in the first place. It led to all 4 deaths.

[@altafkalam2716]

Had The Presitge come after The Dark Knight, it would have garnered the attention it deserves. It's one of Nolan's best works, yet the most underrated.

[@kuhpunkt]

Number 48 on the list of best movies OF ALL TIME on imdb - underrated?

[@PaperbackWizard]

When I saw that Nolan was making a movie with Michael Caine and Christian Bale that *wasn't* a follow-up to "Batman Begins", one of my first thoughts was "Does this mean he's not making a sequel?" I still went to see it in theaters, though, and it was fantastic. It definitely whet my appetite even further for "The Dark Knight".

[@altafkalam2716]

@@kuhpunkt Not critically underrated. Underrated in terms of popularity. Not enough people have seen it compared to TDK or Inception.

[@kuhpunkt]

@@altafkalam2716 That's not what underrated means, though.

[@jamezmcc]

You guys were far closer to getting the "prestige" of the film than anyone who I've seen react to this. Not many were even suspicious of Fallon. Another great reaction to a great film guys 😁✌️

[@YankeeBlues21]

I think they might only be the second reactors to even really take note of Fallon before the last 30-40 or so minutes when the film starts to purposefully draw your attention to him with the kidnapping, foursome at dinner (with the mismatched couples), and Fallon comforting Alfred & Sarah’s daughter during their fight, all to set up the payoff later (and definitely the only reactors to pick up things like him also wearing gloves). They were already discussing him as being Borden’s engineer/assistant/etc (whatever Michael Caine is to Angiers) and his apparent muteness by his second or third scene.

[@TenTonNuke]

A movie so packed with talent that David Bowie and Andy Serkis are minor side characters.

[@rustcohle8790]

Bale is not guilty. His twin was the one that's on the stage when Hugh's wife died, that's why Bale genuinely doesn't know what knot was tied because his twin did it.

[@jp3813]

Bale plays both brothers. Hence, he's guilty and also not guilty. lol But considering that Hugh's wife agreed to use the knot, it was purely an accident (though escalated by the twins disagreeing about which knot was tied). As opposed to Robert leaving Freddie to be executed (partly in order to protect the secret of Tesla's machine), and Alfred murdering Robert as vengeance for his brother's fate (as well as to get his daughter back).

[@KingHoborg]

@@jp3813 There was a few scenes of one brother acting less aggressive or obsessive, I like to think it was that one that just wanted to move on (and survive). The more obsessive brother just had to know what the secret was, and was caught. I think it was also the obsessive brother that wanted to push the water tank trick with the untested knot.

[@jp3813]

@@KingHoborg Correct.

[@brownstarslots]

The wife was willing. She nodded to him before he started tying it. I've always wondered if she was into that Borden.

[@davidw.2791]

@@brownstarslots Then the wife is also dumb cuz if they so much as practiced it once in water she’d notice that the rope does indeed swell.

[@Flesharrower]

This is the "magic" of this movie, you can sit and talk about the complexities (or simplicity) of it for hours! Great to see you guys sitting and cranking through the theories.

[@davidmeir9348]

The prestige might not be Nolan best remembered film, but it might just be his all around best. Also from the same year and warmly recommended is Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro. It's in Spanish, so lot's of subtitles to read, but totally worth it.

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

Thank you for accurately describing it as not being his best remembered...I was just waiting for one of the top comments to call this film underrated, which it's not. People who know this film love this film.

[@spacemonkeyentertainment6413]

What i like most about the movie is that it is like a magic trick. First it fools you and makes you guessing. Then, when you know how it works and you go back to see it, suddenly it becomes so obvious and catching all the little tells becomes the fun of it. One of the rare instances where a rewatch enhances the experience imo.

[@lethaldose2000]

Borden being with his daughter at the end is such an awesome payoff. Cutter knows what Angiers did was wrong, and he stands aside so Angiers can be killed. Such a great full-circle moment.

[@jp3813]

Angier also tried not to involve Cutter after getting his last shows. Hence, the latter finally stays away from their war.

[@henrylemoine5951]

You guys should watch “Prisoners” from 2013! It’s also with Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal

[@KodeLiMe]

Every time I watch this movie with someone new, I'm sitting there sweating bullets, terrified that they're gonna figure it out. But, they never do. 10/10 movie, definitely Nolan's best.

[@martinlatour9311]

Mindblowing movie. Gets better on every rewatch

[@commsense1979]

"Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled." This is the key to the whole movie. When Alfred suddenly appears in his future wife's home, there's no possible way for him to do that unless there's a double. But as an audience we miss it and can never figure it out because we believe in the power of the magician, even when we know it's all smoke and mirrors. And mind you, this is juxtaposed against the scene where we see that there are two canaries and one dies, so we KNOW that there has to be a double and yet we still don't catch it. One of my favorite movies. And all of the Danton's (canaries) in those little boxes... Powerful ending.

[@ilyakovtunov907]

About watching the movie for the 2nd time - it's an absolute must. Nolan gives us obvious clues right from the start, the biggest one is the boy asking about the yellow bird: where's his BROTHER? But like the audience in the theaters, we don't want to pay attention, we're not really looking for the clues, we want to be fooled. Brilliant.

[@michaelplowman8674]

The first clue given is when Borden talks about the real magic being living the gimmick all the time. Then the subtle changes as Borden converses with Fallon and the meaning those conversations then have.

[@davidw.2791]

@@michaelplowman8674 Ye Olde Chinaman was a real historical figure. He wasn’t old (definitely not dotardly and frail) and in fact he was a white British guy in make up. One night, a pistol malfunctions and hit him. “Oh my God, I’ve been shot!” were his last words.

[@nathanjudy7705]

I love that the brid trick is used so many times because it explains both teleporting tricks. The aspect of having to kill one, and the aspect the boy brought up saying "where's his brother". I also really like the parallel of these two with Edison and Tesla, of these men obsessed with something and sabotaging eachother's work to come out on top. Some of the stuff Edison did was as bad, and sometimes worse, than what these 2 were doing to eachother. This is 100% my favorite Nolan movie, loved seeing yall try to catch the different tricks.

[@KS-xk2so]

The reason they wanted to use the more dangerous knot was because the one they were using had a risk of coming undone when she was hoisted up to be put into the tank, meaning she could fall and get seriously hurt. The new knot was safer for her being hoisted up, but had more risk of not being able to slip free from it. You can see his wife and Bale lock eyes and nod at each other when he's tying her wrists the last time. They were both pushing for the more dangerous knot before that, so they both decided to try it out. Borden didn't kill his wife, its a tragic accident. Also, Hugh Jackman didn't just shoot his fingers off. He was trying to kill Borden, due to Fallon interfering and Borden trying to move, he only lost two fingers. Its still attempted murder. They aren't "even". Borden was part of an accident that killed his wife. Angiers actively tried to kill Borden. If anything, Borden is owed something at that point, but he's moved on.

[@emilybarner3440]

Y'all got so many things right in your reaction but also the great thing about this film is that the twist is inevitable, but extremely hard to pick out from the start. Great reaction!!

[@BloodSportA2]

A good representation of how well this movie pulls you in is when Angier hires Root to be his double. Hugh Jackman obviously just plays both roles, but he does a good enough job carrying himself in a completely different manner that in the moment you still feel like it could be a Jackman lookalike to play the Angier lookalike.

[@scope40k]

I feel like they also did something with Hugh Jackman's face - a different nose form or something; so Root looks similar to Angier, but different enough to recognize the difference when he's up close. Really amazing job of both Hugh Jackman and the make-up artists.

[@yw1971]

The inner irony of the movie... (all good movies are self-aware & therefore ironical). Nolan had lost that touch, unfortunately

[@Cookieboy70]

I thought it was a Jackman lookalike the first time, lol

[@Screaming.Monkey]

I agree, Hugh Jackman really sells the illusion of Root being a different person, arguably better than a real look-alike in makeup. Strangely, as good as Fallon's makeup was, the first time I saw the movie I could tell that there was something off about how he looked... It looked like somebody wearing makeup prosthetics, I just couldn't figure out why.

[@leemcqueen500]

@@yw1971 What are you blabbing on about?

[@quietman71]

You got SO close. I'm impressed. I had no idea what what was coming at the end. Christian Bale should have won Best Actor, and of course he wasn't even nominated. His performance was TOO good. You weren't even supposed to realize what he was doing until the second viewing.

[@esl4058]

I love the moment when Alfred points out the fishbowl trick. On first watch, it seems like he is just really good at spotting tricks, but on repeat viewings you realize he's actually admiring another artist for the absolute dedication to his act, which he and his brother had already been doing for years.

[@SupergeekMikeDowntime]

Also, the movie you’re thinking of at the beginning is “Now You See Me.” A very different film… despite the fact that Michael Caine is also in that one.

[@WrathOfTheGoth]

One of my all time favorite films. I'm a sucker for movies about magic. And then the movie itself is a magic trick. And the crazy brilliance of Tesla just elevates it further (as does David Bowie as Tesla). Then the multiple tragic romances and the wonderful existential horror of being both the man in the box and the man on stage. Literally killing yourself every show. So great.

[@jonathangault6465]

Seen my magic mates...put a cigarette through a coin..Levitate...And do lots of other tricks...Love them All ...every trick....All you have to do...is believe...and enjoy....Brw I'm the best audience ever...

[@jaysena3390]

Any other good movies about magic that you recommend?

[@WrathOfTheGoth]

@@jaysena3390 "Lord of Illusions" which is a horror film dealing with both classic magic and "real" magic. "The illusionist" which came out close to when "The Prestige" did and is also a period movie about a magician. "Now You See Me" which is a magic/crime caper combo (skip the sequel). The latter two rely on CG too much in a couple of places, but there is also a fair bit of practical work in them. There are also movies like "The Spanish Prisoner" that is about a confidence scheme, but not only features real magicians (Ricky Jay) as actors in it, but is another movie where the plot is essentially a magic trick. As far as I am concerned confidence games are kissing cousins with magic (there is a large overlap with mentalist routines). Unfortunately there aren't a ton of great magic focused fiction films. But once you've gone through the best of those, there are a whole host of documentaries on magic that are just wonderful. Some are literally filmed version of shows, and some are biographies that also explore the mechanics of certain elements of magic.

[@jaysena3390]

@@WrathOfTheGoth Hi. Thanks, just re-watched The Illusionist yesterday actually. I remember it coming out around the same time as Prestige and set in what seemed like similar eras, and so on. At the time, they seemed comparable. Now, it's not even close. Prestige washes Illusionist by a mile lol, and is definitely one of the best movies of ALL time. Also saw "Now You See Me" a few years ago. I'll check out Lord of Illusions, thanks a lot. And if you have names of any dope docs too you could share, I would be very appreciative. Thanks. Appreciate this

[@johnnyawesome3042]

The wonderful thing about rewatching this amazing film is the performance of Christian Bale. He plays two very different characters with different personalities. The surviving brother (Alfred) and the brother condemned (Freddie). Freddie was hotheaded and fond of exotic knots, bullet catches, and risk taking in general for the sake of magic. Alfred was more even tempered and fell out of magic early on because he fell in love with Sara. Also, it’s interesting to note that Alfred answered honestly everytime he was asked “what knot did you tie?” He honestly couldn’t be sure because he knew his brother was reckless. Alfred (the innocent brother) was the one that got his fingers shot off. Freddie was the brother that was so dedicated to magic that he was willing to sacrifice his fingers for the illusion. It’s absolutely worth another watch just to see the character’s different personalities.

[@theretrosavage]

He's better in the Machinist

[@6666Imperator]

the buried alive scene hits so much more after the big reveal at the end. Thinking that it wasn't just a random double from the street but his own brother/twin that was put in a casket and buried

[@mikepeters807]

If you haven't seen it, Nolan's "Memento" is another mind blowing film you should definitely see/react to.

[@dereksbooks]

For me, Memento is the only Nolan film that surpasses The Prestige.

[@manofkent7629]

The Prestige is a modern masterpiece. There is not a wasted word in the script. Great performances. Great direction. You notice something new every time you watch it.

[@ladygeekgirl]

Glad you guys enjoyed it! There was another movie that came out that same year called The Illusionist. It was good as well but it was more a romantic movie than a magic mystery. Prestige was a masterpiece with twists and turns. Started out with the great friends then it became a competition and obsession of figuring out each others tricks.

[@TimotheeReacts]

OH YESS So excited for this reaction, I remember watching it and my mind absolutely being blown!

[@ScottMcGoldrick]

yoooo its the king of collab reactions himself!!! 💜

[@TimotheeReacts]

@@ScottMcGoldrick yessir you already know

[@Drizzl1335]

By now you guys know you picked an absolutely gem of a movie. Also check out The Illusionist.

[@bellicose4653]

Yeah the Illusionist is pretty good. I thought that was the other "magic" movie they were going to mention in the intro

[@Crl2p3]

Yes! I've been scrolling through the comments looking for this recommendation!

[@4Topwood]

You two are absolutely wonderful. I've always hated it when people talk through a movie. But now; after discovering your channel, I don't want to watch a movie without your commentary!

[@MrNachoChannel]

To me, there was only one twin that wanted to keep pushing forward. That twin that tied the knot, the one who sabotaged the bird cage, and finally who was framed for murder. The other twin was more conservative.

[@floppsymoppsy5969]

David Bowie was phenomenal in this!!!! I actually started to learn more about Tesla because of his performance.

[@AnnaCieslewicz]

Fun fact: the movie is even more interesting when you realize that the rivalry between the magicians can be seen as an allegory to the rivalry between Tesla and Edison.

[@DmanDmax]

The Illusionist is also a great movie about magic, with Edward Norton. It was completely ignored because it came out the same year as the Prestige.

[@adiwild]

The Illusionist is a great film and also Paul Giamati is in it and he is one of the most versatille actors around, the only problem i have with The Illusionist is Jessica Biel, that woman can't act for sh*t.

[@21toadian]

Agreed. Another great movie

[@flynyrdskynyrd1]

This is a GREAT movie to rewatch. Every scene has several lines that are a slap in the face when you know the actual truth.

[@kathytuaoi8784]

The scene where the boy sees the bird die and asks where is his brother is a massive clue is a masterpiece - obvious but well hidden

[@crapstirrer]

This is one of those movies you need to watch again after knowing the twist.

[@paulhewes7333]

The Prestige is a true work of art. One of Nolan’s best. The story, the acting, the effects, the music. All of it was top notch. David Bowie as Tesla was perfect as the mysterious scientist.

[@richardzinns5314]

The legendary bullet-catching trick came to be known in the nineteenth century as the trick with a curse on it, because so many people died when one thing or another went wrong. My favorite story is about the magician in the old west, who performed the trick without a hitch and was then killed when a naive cowboy, really impressed with what he thought was real magic, fired several bullets at the magician and yelled something like "That's great -- here, catch some more!" By the way, I agree with the other commenters that Prisoners is really worth watching.

[@xen0bia]

Rewatching the movie immediately after learning the twist makes a lot of subtle things pop. Alfred legitimately did not know what knot was used that lead to Robert's wife death as it was his brother - whom was much more reckless than he was - on stage that day, and so he legitimately felt bad for what happened, but is so dedicated to his trick that he couldn't say anything and pretty much got the blame for it.

[@romainlettuce118]

Or, you know, he could have just asked his brother what knot he tied… they’re both villains. Alfred’s “commitment” literally made his wife kill herself you fools

[@joshwondra9821]

With the 'you tied the wrong knot' thing, I always saw it as "one twin was in the room for the conversation about which knot to do, but a different twin was on the stage doing it". That's why he didn't know which one he did.

[@fakeyf2]

The first thing I thought of when Telsa demonstrated his duplicator is that they should duplicate bars of gold and become rich beyond the dreams of avarice but Telsa said such a device can only bring misery and Algiers is already wealthy and cares more for adulation than money. This movie is a masterpiece.

[@bobbwc7011]

Tesla's machine never worked.

[@fakeyf2]

@@bobbwc7011 ???? It duplicated the hats, the cat, and Angier.

[@bobbwc7011]

@@fakeyf2 Did it?

[@MsCathrynC]

Bob BWC , apparently you missed it. It was Angier that stepped into Tessa's machine, dropped through the trap door and drowned. His duplicate is who appeared a moment later, a real and complete duplicate with all the same memories and properties of Angier, prior to being processed inside the machine. The next night it was the duplicate who stepped into the machine and drowned, and HIS duplicate then appeared on stage, and so on, and so on. None of them ever knew how their predecessor had died so brutally until near the end when Michael Caine told the then current duplicate of how drowning is a terrifying way to die. That was the first time Angier (or his copy) heard that, and it was then passed on to the next, which is why he decided the machine must never be used again. Yes, Tessa's creation did indeed work. Too well.

[@bobbwc7011]

@@MsCathrynC Did it? You may want to look closer and read up on a storytelling tool called "unreliable narrator". Or you watch Usual Suspects.

[@Zozo-K-]

Great movie, with a great underrated performance by David Bowie as Tesla.

[@tophers3756]

I love how the film pretty much tells us from the start what it's up to when the boy asks about the bird's "brother".

[@jeffgray7922]

As a magician, I have a very special place in my heart for this movie. There have been some rivalries in magic that were somewhat similar (though not violent like here). By far my favorite movie from Christopher Nolan.

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

I love this film and it was the first Nolan film I watched! Very clever how the structure of the film served as a metaphor for the three act structure of magic (The Pledge, The Turn and The Prestige). I’m sure you know that the famous magician Ricky Jay had a cameo in this film as Milton and also served as the consultant on the film? He was in other films (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Tomorrow Never Dies) but I had no idea that he was a famous magician until I stumbled across his stage shows!

[@eddieanderson9399]

Be Enlightened... When this movie came out it was another example of a movie that has another similar movie come out around the same dang time. This magic movie came out when Edward Nortons and Jessica Biel's The Illusionist came out. Movies that came out had similartime. counterpart movies coming out at the same time. A Bug's Life/ANTZ Stir of Echoes/The Sixth Sense Volcano/ Dantes Peak Mission to Mars/Red Planet Executive Decision/Airforce One Deep Impact/Armageddon The Prestige/The Illusionist

[@christopherlundgren1700]

Babe/Gordy

[@omrmajeed]

Prestige is one of my favorite movies ever. It is so rewatchable.

[@scarlettaagni5179]

26:48 - The story goes that "until dead" part of the typical death by hanging sentence was because of cases like Margaret Dickson, who was hanged for the standard amount of time (30 minutes), but somehow survived and was consequently let go because well... she WAS hanged. She completed her sentence, that never actually specified she HAD to be dead at the end of it. They added "until dead" to make the death sentence an actual death sentence, just in case.

[@TheHurley108]

This is Christopher Nolan's best film, it doesn't get nearly enough credit for being the masterpiece that it is. Thank you for reacting to it ☺

[@SathReacts]

'But what about his brother?' (dead bird magic trick) Olivia's nephew spilled the beans on Bales WHOLE TRICK, but many people missed it. When Bale asked the guard 'are you watching closely?' is because him and Fallon swapped, so the asshole brother takes the noose and the Olivia loving one get's his daughter back.

[@davidw.2791]

No way. The asshole brother who Tied The Knot was the same impulsiveness that led him to check understage to begin with. The real question is “Which one of them is Jess’s father” cuz they both slept with “wife Sarah”.

[@TheWaynos73]

Great movie. My favourite movie from Nolan. So cool to have David Bowie as Tesla. Such a legendary entrance for a superstar. I love the nod that at the end that Angier (or maybe one of his clones) could still be alive too.

[@franciscohcoronado4947]

Even though I will forever hold the Dark Knight Trilogy in my heart, if I forget about it THIS is my favorite Nolan film!

[@magy357]

One of the best movies IMHO. And cherry on top of this cake - David Bowie playing Tesla. Wonderful!!! ❤️

[@R5d4d2]

By far Nolan's best film. So underappreciated. I love how the blood feud between Borden and Angier is mirrored by the rivalry between Edison and Tesla, the true magicians/wizards of their age.

[@HSGAutomotive]

All of Nolan’s stuff is great, but The Prestige is easily my favourite film of his

[@CalciumChief]

Like I always describe this movie, it's Wolverine and Batman fighting each other with magic.

[@ghostofyourmom]

And of course, Alfred Pennyworth and Black Widow are there too.

[@KJYKJY1985]

And Gollum and The Goblin King.

[@Fardawg]

The cutting off of the fingers comes earlier and wasn't due to Scarlet's character. They did it because they had to be able to fool the wife, not just the public. Remember that the wife was surprised that the wound started bleeding again; that was because it was the twin's newly cut hand.

[@maximillianosaben]

Oh darn, any Nolan movie not seen is worth a watch, and this one is so damned good! This and Inception were his two films in between his Batman trilogy, and boy is that some impressive creativity.

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

I love movies that turn into a totally different genre along the way. This starts out as a period piece drama and turns into steampunk sci-fi.

[@zachlong5427]

Samantha's face the 16 minute 5-6 second mark is priceless!😁

[@NoelleMar]

So glad you two liked it! It had mixed reviews when it came out and I saw it in the theatre. I very much enjoyed the puzzle that unfolded. The biggest horror for me was the lengths both of these men went to, which harmed both themselves and those around them. A number of Nolan’s movies are about obsession and several feature a protagonist who uses *himself* in an almost unnatural way, with consequences for himself and others. Regarding the twin vs clone, both the clone and twin mirrored the other’s disability, which made it easier to disregard the twin thing. Angier and his clones limped, and Alfred and Borden lost two fingers, pretty important for a magician. The one twin said to not pursue Angier any more, so the more reckless twin died. I guess it’s good that the nicer twin lived?? In spite of the other horrors. As terrible as the double life Alfred lived was, the mass suicide / murder of ONESELF was the most monstrous revelation for me.

[@romainlettuce118]

Really? Not the driving Sarah mad and hanging herself part? lol The cloner wasn’t the “bad guy” just a broken hearted man killing himself again and again in the same way his wife died… He’s just a tragic character is all

[@primepm8861]

7:50 "Once you know, it's actually very obvious." God I love this movie.

[@alanzandie9614]

I've seen this movie more than 500 times I suppose. Everytime the face gestures, the commitments, the obsessions and all of those feelings get me soo deeply. This is utterly a master piece cuz it is about the unstoppable challenge between Tesla and Edison and human rage to get the most of sth. I also enjoyed watching your reactions throughout the movie. Thanks for sharing.

[@Rated314]

The biggest bit of foreshadowing on rewatch? The little boy figuring out the bird trick. "But where's his brother?" You maniacal bastard, Nolan

[@TvGyrl]

The film with Isla Fisher is Now You See Me, released in the 2010's The one that dropped around the same time as The Prestige, The Illusionist. Starring Edward Norton, Jessica Biel and Paul Giamatti.

[@TravMaxAdventures]

Now that you know the “Prestige” both literally and figuratively, go back and watch it a second and third time. It only gets better. You will pick up on so much more that you first missed. It’s worth a second watch. Trust me.

[@tdegrddeehjgd]

They tell you the trick at the beginning with the little boy and the bird in the cage when he asks where the birds brother is. A very clever movie and one of Nolan's best.

[@MrSporkster]

Hugely underrated movie, and one of my personal favourites. Loved your reaction!

[@kuhpunkt]

@Moxie People say that literally under every movie in the comments... movies can have like 90% on RT and be nominated for 5 Oscars, yet they are criminally underrated. The word has completely lost its meaning.

[@astragalusson]

The weird thing to think about is that clones mentally doesn't feel like clones. They have all the memories, feelings, etc of the "original" man walking into the machine. So, clones experience the trick like they've walked into the machine and transported to the exit point. The clone and the drowning man under the stage is all the same mentally. That's why Borden says "The hardest part is not knowing if you're gonna be the man drowning or the man getting the prestige" in the end. The one saying this line is obviously a clone, because every night the "original" dies at the bottom. So this specific one talking in the end only experienced transporting every time, hence he's alive there. But when you go into the machine you know you know there will two of you experiencing two different things, one you will be drowning, one you will be getting the praise in the prestige! The clone you will feel like "huh, I'm the one transported" and the "original" you will feel like "crap, I'm the one drowning" but the clone will keep performing the trick because he's never experienced drowning.

[@Screaming.Monkey]

I'd like to know what the chances are of making it to the 100th show without drowning once. Is it a 1% chance, or is there an exponential thing happening? 😀

[@astragalusson]

​@@Screaming.Monkey Your question logically doesn't make sense. The clone, regardless of how many shows, never drowns, not even once. Do a million shows, the clone will feel like he's transported a million times. However, every time he feels like he's just transported, another one will always experience not being transported, just falling down to the water tank and drowning but because that one always dies, the drowning experience doesn't remain with the remaining Angier line. In other words. When you enter the machine you don't know which one you are going to be. After the machine does its job, there will be one you that says "crap, I'm the one drowning" in the tank and there will be one you that says "thank god, I'm the one transported" behind the stage. They will be both you, but only the "transported" one will survive.

[@sethheasley9538]

My favorite Nolan by a mile. So good. It's great to rewatch. My son and I have watched it enough times that we feel like we can figure out which Borden brother is in each scene.

[@lordoftoxicity]

Definition of Occam's razor : a scientific and philosophical rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities.

[@chand911]

The cost Hugh Jackman had to pay was that it was always him dying, not the clone. Whenever he did the trick, he was the one going to drown.

[@streetlevelaudio4388]

One of my top 5 all time fave movies! Thanks for the reaction!

[@Cookieboy70]

I've seen this movie over 10 times, and I swear each time I find another hint or clue that I had not previously noticed before that also helps explain what was really going on.

[@123haninhk]

I rewatched this last night! Wow, can’t believe it. I always watch this movie every year after Christmas or before New Year. Such a good movie 🍿

[@laurenmichel9686]

One of my favorite movies! So glad you watched it. The ending is wild and so perfect. For me, the most chilling moment is when Angiers says "I don't care about my wife, I care about his secret;" that was when this movie took on a whole different tone. And such a great performance, Jackman's cavalier delivery followed by his own slightly disturbed reaction, it's when he realizes his motivation as well. Everyone is phenomenal in this movie & I loved your theories as the movie kept shapeshifting! Bowie as Tesla is pure magic. Favorite moment: when we see Tesla's lab destroyed and Daniel just gasps, "Oh, no! ...Edison." 😂 History in a nutshell. Happy New Year, guys!

[@jamiecruze5208]

With two Bordens, it also explains how the one didn't know which knot the other one tied.

[@Jim73]

My favorite clue is what the boy says about the bird in the initial bird trick.

[@SharkWayneGaming]

It's such a great movie. Fun Fact: The Asian Magician was based on a real magician known as Chung Ling Soo. He was an English man who was pretending to be an asian magician. His assistant would "Translate" what he was saying to reporters while he was speaking gibberish. He was one of the known 12 to have been killed by "The Bullet Catch" Trick. Even Houdini wouldn't touch "The Bullet Catch" because it was too dangerous. Check out Penn and Tellers "Magic and Mystery tour" where they go to Asia to checkout asian magic. They have a guy do "Goldfish bowl" Trick and its waaaay cool and impressive after seeing This movie.

[@SaiyanHeretic]

Personally, I think this is Nolan's best film. The script is amazing, the performances are gripping, and the plot is character driven, not merely in service to some high-concept science fiction.

[@JeepersCreepers2013]

Nolan is so good at playing with time to keep you guessing in his movies

[@baronvg]

This movie (and it’s ending) BLEW MY MIND when I watched it. So many clues to point to obviously and too many to bring up but I just wanted to mention how they broached the bird and how they always had to kill it for the trick. And that’s exactly what ended up happening with Angier. One more plot point that I didn’t realize until many years later was that when Borden admitted he didn’t know which knot he tied, he really didn’t know because it was his twin that tied the knot.

[@pelgron5080]

Loved the biggest clue when the child asked where is the dead bird’s brother

[@LokRevenant]

My favorite fact about this movie is that in the book, it's Albert and Frederick Borden. Albert + Frederick = Al | Fred, Alfred. When Borden gives Sarah the key to the house, that's Albert. When Borden fights with Sarah at dinner with Olivia (when Olivia calls him 'Freddy'), that's Frederick. If you keep in mind that Albert loves Sarah and Frederick loves Olivia, the movie will often tell you which brother you're watching. Every time Borden tells Sarah he loves her and she says that he doesn't mean it, it's the movie saying, "This is Frederick." Every time Borden is suspicious of or rude to Olivia, the movie is saying, "This is Albert." And in the scene where Borden (I'm guessing it's Frederick; he seems to be more aggressive and hot headed) yells, "Why can't you outthink him," the movie never shows who he was talking to. Because the other brother (Albert, who seems more sensitive and more of a thinker, and who I also believe is the one who went to Julia's funeral), isn't dressed up as Fallon. The coolest part of all this is when Borden (Frederick) is in prison and Fallon (Albert) comes to visit right before the imprisoned one is executed, the one in prison throws the other one his rubber ball. They're doing The Transported Man for the very last time. They've LITERALLY been planning The Transported Man for their entire lives.

[@tutorialslave]

There are maybe a handful other reaction channels out there on par with your intellectual engagement with the footage watched. Witnessing your thought processes is at times as exhilarating as the movie/show itself. Kudos to the both of you and a happy new year in advance!

[@sitebstudios]

This is the film that cemented my love for Nolan. It is a great film! Great reaction!

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

My first and favourite Nolan movie, only watched it because David Bowie was in it lol.

[@Matrim42]

A lot of people don’t get why they changed the knot at the beginning. It’s because the knot that was easier to slip on purpose was also easier to slip on accident. They note that she could fall and break her leg while being hoisted if the knot drops, but it goes by quickly so most people miss it.

[@PaperbackWizard]

Here's my theory, and you can refer to it if you like when watching the movie in the future. The two Bordens, I'll call them Good and Bad, are both committed to keeping the secret, obviously, even to the point they won't tell Sarah. Good loves Sarah, but he'll keep the secret for his brother's sake. Bad is only interested in magic. Any time you see one of them performing magic, you can bet it's Bad. Any time he's sabotaging Danton, it's Bad. There are moments when Bad tries to pretend to be Good for Sarah, but he doesn't love her, so he can't really pull it off. I'm *pretty* sure Bad is the one who gets buried, but I'm not 100% on that. I *am* sure that Good is the one we see telling the other to stop going after Danton, and that Bad is the one who goes backstage and sees him fall in the tank and then gets arrested and executed, because Bad is the one who was obsessed, not Good. Good was the one who ended up with the little girl at the end, who was Good's daughter, because Good wouldn't have let Bad sleep with his wife. And Bad was the one who convinced Good to chop off his fingers, because we see his wife saying "It's as bad as when it first happened" before Scarlett even goes to work for him. (If you can't tell, I've seen this movie a *lot*. I saw it in theaters when it first came out.)

[@PaulWinkle]

One of the best movies of the last 20 years, pretty underrated. And I am even not even a big fan of magic tricks. Everyone is talking about Inception, because of the CGI. ThePrestige proves you dont even need CGI for a solid rock movie

[@leemcqueen500]

To be fair inception doesn’t use much cgi.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

I almost and actually will need to rewatch The Prestige first as it’s that kinda movie! I think the other movie you might be thinking about is The Illusionist that came out same time as The Prestige, starring Ed Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell...

[@leoda_lion4107]

Its interesting how drowning was brought up at the end, because Michael Caine knew at that point what he was doing, and reminded him that drowning yourself sucks. As far as Alfred Borden, had an interesting thought- what if at the beginning they were perfecting their trade even then...? That would explain why he didn't know the knot that was tied. Because he honestly didn't know. And because there are two of them, they are always pushing the envelope, and more ahead of other people.

[@jean-philippedoyon9904]

The Prestige is the most underrated movie in the whole Nolan catalogue ! 2 of the biggest plot twist ever !!