1
DANIEL: Come in close.
Closer.
Because the more you think you see,
the easier it'll be to fool you.
Because what is seeing?
You're looking, but what you're really
doing is filtering, interpreting,
searching for meaning.
My job?
To take that most precious ot gifts
you give me, your attention,
and use it against you.
I'm going to flip through this deck.
And I want you to see one card.
Not this one. That's too obvious.
Pay close attention.
That was too fast. I'll do it again.
- Are you ready?
- Mm-hmm.
Okay.
- Now did you see one?
- Yes.
- Do you have one in mind?
- Yes.
Now, do you see your card here?
No.
That's because you're looking too closely.
And what have I been telling you all night?
The closer you look...
ALL: The less you see.
(CARDS FLUTTERING)
(CROWD GASPING)
(ALL CHEERING)
MERRITT: Now look into my eyes.
And sleep. Okay.
(MAN SIGHING)
And...
If you can get this bill from me,
you can have it.
Go ahead. Take it. Get it.
If you can say your name, you can have it.
(GRUNTS)
(BOTH LAUGHING)
All right, just hang out
there, wriggle a sec.
I'm gonna take a little peek under the hood
- of your hubby's brain.
- Oh, no, no, no.
I'm picturing...
Don't tell me. Um...
Of course.
Beach. Cocktails.
(SNAPS FINGERS) Florida?
Look, it was a business trip.
I mean, it is a kind of business.
Maybe the oldest business.
You know what, Honey Bee, let's...
She can't move, Mack.
You're thinking of a woman's name.
A, B, C,
D, E, F, G,
H, I, J...
J? Jean. Jane. Janet.
Who's Janet?
(CLEARS THROAT)
You know Janet?
It's not your best friend, is it?
(MUMBLING)
- Your sister?
- No, please.
Her sister? Oh, my God.
You weren't away on business.
- You were away on Janet.
- No.
Your wife's sister!
Okay, we need to move over here,
because it seems like
she's a little bit upset right now.
You want this to go away?
- Yes.
- Okay, pull out your wallet.
Come on, get it out.
Do you shake down everybody like this?
No, only the special few.
What is this? Two hundred seem fair?
You know what?
This is a big deal. Let's go $250.
You're a stick-up artist.
Yeah. Of course.
Okay, and sleep!
Now, when I snap my fingers,
you won't remember any of this.
And you, Warren Beatty,
every time you see or even think of Janet,
you're gonna picture me naked.
And that's not a pretty sight.
Yeah.
And... You're wide awake!
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
Well, we did the best we could,
but some people just
aren't to be hypnotized.
- Oh. I did it wrong?
- Come on, Honey Bee.
- Oh, no, you did it fine.
- Let me buy you dinner.
Look after her.
Just have to hit an ATM first.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am the next great magician,
and I will give $100
to anyone who can tell me
how this trick is done.
I have an ordinary spoon from Mel's Deli,
right here in Brooklyn.
Check it out.
Now, everyone
please pay very, very close attention.
Because I'm about to
bend this spoon with my mind.
(CROWD GASPING)
Thank you. Thank you. Pass that around.
MAN: - What's this?
- What are you doing, man?
Look at this!
Looks like we got a spoon and a stem.
(ALL GROANING)
JACK: - I've got other tricks.
Or you could give me my 100 bucks.
You said you would.
MAN: Nice wallet.
You have a very good eye, sir.
Thanks.
Wallet.
My wallet. My watch!
Stop that guy!
Stop that guy in the leatherjacket!
He's got my wallet!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Whoo! Okay, Los Angeles,
are we ready to end this thing?
Yeah!
When that timer hits zero,
a tank full of flesh-eating piranhas
will fall from above.
A lady has to have handcuffs. Right, girls?
One, two, three!
(CHEERING)
(BUZZER SOUNDING)
Yeah!
(SCREAMS)
Help! Stop it!
MAN: She's serious! She can't get out!
(SCREAMS)
- Go get some help!
Help, dude!
Get out of the way! Move! Move!
(GRUNTING)
(GASPING)
(PEOPLE SCREAMING)
(SCREAMS)
(SCREAMS)
Come on! This is bullshit!
Whoever thought of this is a sick sadist!
(LAUGHS)
(ALL CHEERING)
Yes!
I am your biggest fan.
I could tell by the way
you're attacking my face right now.
Close the door. Bad apartment building.
- Magician, come here.
- Okay.
Whoa!
- Wait, wait.
- What? What?
How did you do that...
The seven of diamonds
on the side of the tower?
- Yes.
- That's a trade secret.
- Uh-uh.
(SIGHS)
I'll give you a hint. It involved,
uh, bribing the tower electrician.
- How much?
- Uh, 50 bucks.
- But it's so hard.
- Oh, thank you.
Is it always a seven?
I could do that trick 52 different ways.
Can you do 52 different tricks on me?
I'll see what I can do.
Ooh! Magic man!
Ah! I love your shampoo.
(MOANING)
- Whoa! Hold up.
- What?
(YELPS)
You need to leave.
GIRL: Are you kidding me?
Oh, my God, this is so embarrassing.
Is this what you do?
Some kind of sick trick you do to women?
DANIEL: "45 East Evan Street."
Don't worry about it. I'll call you.
You don't have my number.
I'm magic. I'll find it. Have a good night.
Oh, you are such an asshole.
I'm going to go with her.
Go. I got your back. I'll be right here.
Go ahead!
That's on you, Fuller.
Let's go, let's go! Now, now, now!
Daniel?
(CHUCKLES)
DANIEL: Hey!
Henley.
Danny? Hey.
- Ah. You got a card, huh?
- Mm-hmm.
No, no, no, it's good for you. Congratulations.
All right, so here's what I'm gonna do,
I'm gonna go inside.
I'm gonna scope the place out.
You wait out here. I will come back
and get you, okay? Do not come in.
Hey, Danny! I'm not your assistant anymore.
Nice hair.
DANIEL: So, um, actually,
what have you been up to?
I think you know exactly
what I've been up to, Danny.
I saw all your anonymous
posting on my website.
You have a website. That's good.
Good for you. Get the word out.
- Oh.
- Uh...
Okay.
So apparently none of us
was the only one chosen.
Let me be the first one
to kick my ego to the curb.
Yeah. Excuse me.
- Door's locked.
- Is it? I'll check.
You. Now, hold it, don't tell me. Uh...
Helen? No, no.
Henley.
It's on your coffee cup.
Thanks for keeping me honest.
That wasn't mentalism, by the way.
It was just an observation.
Second observation, you are beautiful.
Thank you.
That's good. That's very nice.
Very well-polished. Nice bit.
J. Daniel Atlas. Nice to meet you.
Very nice. I know who you are
and I just want to say that
I'm not interested in you doing
your mentalism thing on us.
Especially when we don't know
who brought us here or even if it's real.
Shh! Hold on, I'm sensing...
I'm sensing you
are a control freak.
I'm sorry, have we met before?
It doesn't take a mentalist
to figure that out.
You are a control freak.
Well, I take that as a compliment.
Only he would take it as a compliment.
Okay, great. Good. Another compliment.
Okay. So that's why
you're no longer a couple.
A couple? No, no.
BOTH: We were never a couple.
He used to saw me in half.
She was a very good assistant.
But I was too fat for Danny.
No. I said that one time
because of the trap door.
- There were specs.
- You built it this size.
No one could fit through there. No one.
- Rebecca fit through.
- Ah...
Rebecca fit for years.
Do you know how hard it is to stay
in those tiny little costumes?
No. I'm the main attraction.
Okay. So he never made you feel special.
And, trust me, you deserve
to be made to feel special.
That's a really nice story.
Hope you guys enjoy each other's company.
No way.
J. Daniel Atlas?
Dude, I've seen everything
that you have ever done.
You're like...
I idolize you. Seriously.
From a true fan. It's so nice to meet you.
I'm Jack, by the way.
Question. Did you get one of these?
Yeah. Death.
The High Priestess.
I'm the Lover.
(COUGHS) Three minutes.
Hermit.
So, what are we...
Are we waiting for someone?
- Why are we just...
BOTH: - The door's locked.
Oh, no, nothing's ever locked.
Hmm.
HENLEY: What is this place?
- Ugh!
MERRITT: - Oh!
Wow. Thought my apartment was nasty.
JACK: Man, it's freezing in here.
HENLEY: What's that?
I don't know.
MERRITT: What's it say?
"Now you don't."
"A rose by any other name..."
(DANIEL LAUGHS)
JACK: Guys, what's happening?
Whoa.
Look at that.
Whoa.
JACK: It's gas!
MERRITT: Relax. Just dry ice.
Cool.
Wait. What do you think this is all about?
Hang on. Hang on.
(MOANS)
I got nothin'.
Okay. Thank you. Thank you for the delay.
I'm just trying to create
the space for wisdom.
Okay, so you're like Buddha,
if he wasn't so enlightened.
And you're like Jesus,
if he was arrogant
and all of his miracles were fake.
Okay, lovebirds, get a room.
Danny, be honest. Did you do this?
No. Wait, did you?
I wish.
Why didn't anyone ask me if I did it?
Oh, great.
JACK: Electricity is out.
Well, let's check.
Whoa.
(HENLEY LAUGHS)
HENLEY: Blueprints.
DANIEL: They're incredible.
JACK: Who do you think did this?
I don't know, but I
really want to meet them.
It's a show.
Wow.
ANNOUNCER: Merritt McKinney,
Daniel Atlas,
Henley Reeves,
Jack Wilder.
Arthur Tress/er and the MGM Grand
proudly presents
The Four Horsemen.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
MERRITT: Thank you.
Tonight we would like to try something
that will, well, set us a bit apart.
For our final trick,
we're gonna do something never before
seen on a Las Vegas stage.
Or any stage for that matter.
Ladies and gentlemen,
tonight
we are going to rob a bank.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING LOUDLY)
That's a lot of excitement for a crime.
HENLEY: I'm getting excited.
What about you, people?
(CHEERING INTENSIFIES)
BOTH: One, two, three!
Sorry, sir. There's absolutely no recording
allowed during the performance.
Oh, yeah, yeah, sure, of course.
(BEEPS)
- Let me just put this away.
Actually, I need to take that.
After the show, I can come
and give it back to you.
Okay.
(CHUCKLING)
DANIEL: Okay, okay.
Now, please, please, settle down.
Now who here has a bank
they would like us to rob?
That's a lot of people with a vendetta.
So we'll choose one at random then.
(CLAMORING)
My associates will make sure
it's random. Right?
Thank you, Merritt.
We are looking at row number 5.
Where is that?
And Henley, could I please
have a random seat number?
Oh. Lucky number 13.
- B-5-13. Where are you?
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Sir, please, stand up.
Ah, there you are. Hi.
Could you just confirm for me that this
is, in fact, your seat? B-5-13.
Yes.
Okay. Wonderful.
Now, could you please tell us
your name and the name of your bank?
Well, my name is Etienne Forcier.
And my bank, it's Credit
Republicain de Paris.
French. Okay. Uh...
We were hoping for something
a little more local,
a kind of mom-and-pop
credit union with no security.
But that's fine. A promise is a promise.
Could you please come up to the stage
- and we'll rob your bank.
(CHEERING)
And while he does that...
There is someone here tonight
without whom we would just be
four magicians working the circuit,
trying to get...
Well, actually, trying to get here.
You probably know this man,
if not from one of the many, many
companies he puts his name on.
He is our friend. He is our benefactor.
Mr. Arthur Tressier.
Please, stand up, Art. Please, stand up.
MERRITT: The only man here with
the Queen's cell phone number.
Actually, please, stay standing, Art.
I want to say that when we came
to Mr. Tressier,
we promised that, as a unit, we could
become the biggest name in magic.
HENLEY: So we wanted to say, "Thank you."
And by the way, Art,
you notice on the sign out front,
we made sure we put your name on top.
If you turn out to be as good
as you think you are, dear girl,
that won't be necessary much longer.
HENLEY: We haven't done our closer yet.
(GRUNTS)
- Why don't you watch it
and then you can decide for yourself.
Ladies and gentlemen, Arthur Tressier!
DANIEL: Thank you.
And, of course, once again,
the Cardinal of Clairvoyance,
Merritt McKinney.
Etienne, what Jack
is bringing to the stage now,
is what we in the magic world
call a teleportation helmet.
You will need to wear this, as it will allow
you to literally fold through space and time
to your bank in the...
8th?
- 9th arrondissement.
- Yeah.
Now, once you are there, we will be able
to speak with you through this helmet.
- Now if... Ah!
- Ow.
- Oh, my God, that's beautiful.
(AUDIENCE CHUCKLING)
it has the added attraction of being
very stylish.
It's about time the French learned
from America on that subject.
Is that a beautiful piece of headgear?
- Thank you. Thank you...
- It is.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
MERRITT: Mais oui. Mais oui.
But before you go anywhere,
could you please, pick a card, any card.
Not that card. Oh!
No, that's an old American joke.
You can take that one.
Okay. This one?
Show it to your friends in Section B.
But not to us.
Okay, great.
Now if you could just sign your name there.
- Yes.
- In English, if possible.
MERRITT: - That's good.
- Thanks.
Put it in your pocket.
And now for one tiny detail.
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Now, Etienne, let's step into
this cockamamie contraption.
And I'll step off of it. Bonne chance.
It's 11:50 p.m. here in Vegas.
That's 8:50 a.m. in Paris.
Your bank opens in less than 10 minutes.
One,
two...
Three.
(ALL GASPING)
MERRITT: What the fuck?
- Wow! Etienne?
- Whoa. Etienne?
It wasn't supposed to happen
like that, was it?
HENLEY: Etienne?
I liked that little French guy.
Where did he go?
(CARS HONKING)
Wait, there he is.
No, no, no, no, please, please, please.
This is Daniel Atlas. Can you hear me?
- Etienne? Are you okay?
- Yes.
Perfect. What do you see in there?
Money.
Is this real?
Yes. Looks like three million or so
Euros' worth.
(SPEAKS FRENCH)
Okay, now, here's what
we're gonna need you to do.
I want you to take the card that you signed
out of your pocket.
And I want you to take the ticket stub
from tonight's show
and I want you to put it right there
in the middle of the money.
Now drop it.
Now, on the side of your helmet
you should feel a button.
Don't press it just yet.
That button activates an air duct
that connects Paris to Las Vegas.
Okay, good. Now you can press it.
All right, now, Etienne, hold on tight.
You might feel a bit of a vacuum.
(CHUCKLES)
(AIR WHOOSHING)
(WHOOPS)
Whoo! (LAUGHING)
Oh. Wait a second.
- Huh.
(RUMBLING)
WOMAN: Oh, merde.
(CHEERING)
(CHUCKLES)
(LAUGHING)
Thank you, Etienne. Thank you, everyone!
We are The Four Horsemen.
- And good night!
- Good night!
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
Hold up here.
Dylan Rhodes.
What? I don't think I heard you correctly.
Did you say magicians?
Yeah, Dylan, magicians.
Where are you now?
I'm at Aria.
I'm heading up there to grab 'em now.
FBI! Hands where I can see them.
Let's go. Get 'em up. Come on.
Uno minute.
FULLER: Let's go. Get 'em up.
Put the book down.
Okay. You got me.
- Freeze! Hands in the air!
HENLEY: (GASPS) Oh, my!
Do one of you guys
mind giving us a hand with our bags?
Let's go.
(PEOPLE APPLAUDING)
DYLAN: Boss, please tell me this is a joke.
I just got Willy Mears
to finger Paulie Attanasio.
I'm a month, two tops,
away from blowing this whole thing open.
- Get Turkelson.
- He's in Atlantic City.
What about Cowan? Look at him.
He's just sitting there on his ass.
Hilarious, Rhodes.
I love you.
Asshole.
I don't have time for this magic crap.
This crap just pulled
three million Euro out of a Parisian bank.
- That's how much they got?
- Yeah.
Actually, 3.2.
- Who is she?
(MUMBLES)
Who are you?
Alma Dray from Interpol.
I'll be working the investigation with you.
You gotta be kidding me.
It's bad enough they got me chasing down
David Copperfield and Friends.
Now I'm being saddled with,
no offense, with Interpol?
I look forward to working
with you, too, Agent Rhodes.
I'm sorry. I don't think I'm gonna
need your help on this. Okay?
- Where's the French guy?
- I already spoke to him.
Oh, you did?
You spoke to my witness before me?
Your witness?
I thought you didn't want the case.
Besides, he's useless.
Oh, really? Why is that?
Because he believes their magic was real.
Oh, he believes the magic was real?
You're right, he probably is useless.
Is it okay with Interpol
if we talk to him, too?
- Mm-hmm.
- Thank you.
I have never stolen a
thing in my life, okay?
I tried to give the money back,
but they won't take it.
Okay, okay, okay,
let's just say you robbed a bank.
I did.
Fine. Fantastic. You did.
But since I'm new to this,
can you explain to me how you went
from Las Vegas to Paris in three seconds?
With the teleportation helmet.
Okay, what the hell is going on here?
He was hypnotized during the show.
I told you, he's useless.
Okay, I'll deal with you when I'm done
with this other bullshit.
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
Hey!
FULLER: During the show,
half the audience was hypnotized
to believe they were in the Philharmonic.
I guess that "bullshit"
was the trigger word.
Okay. Hey, hey. coutez.
Etienne, come on down from there.
You're not in the Philharmonic.
- How do you say "stop" in French?
- Stop.
Tell him to stop.
No, I can't. You just have to
let him finish his movement.
Okay, I need a time-out.
Too many French people in one room.
- Agent Rhodes!
- Huh?
I'm ordered by my bosses
to provide a report.
And until we have one, I'm
here, like it or not.
So we can work together,
or you can continue to follow behind
asking the same exact questions I'm asking.
It's up to you.
(SNORING)
Hmm.
I'm not finished.
I just flew 12 hours,
after what was already a long day.
And I do not handle jet lag well.
So if you want to see who can be grumpier,
- I promise you, you will lose.
- Hmm.
Mm-hmm. Fine. So which one of these idiots
do you want to talk to first?
Him?
Dylan, for the record,
mentalism has never actually
been proven to be accurate.
Okay.
That is to say, that it's not a science.
It's more for entertainment.
All right.
Just don't believe everything the guy says.
That's all.
Please convey my deepest apologies
to your colleague out there.
I'm really sorry about this
whole Tranny Tuesday thing.
I was out of line.
Tranny Tuesday?
Well, it's an arrangement
he and his wife have.
Or might not have, if you believe
everything Agent Fuller
is saying to be correct.
But isn't there a proud tradition
in the FBI of men wearing dresses?
No shame, Agent Fuller. No shame.
(LAUGHS) I'm just having fun.
Was this your card? No.
See, I knew you weren't
a queen of hearts lady,
and I respect that.
The trick usually works better
when I'm not strapped in here,
but I understand protocol.
Okay, okay.
So, if you had nothing to do with it,
then how did
the playing card get into the vault?
Oh, yes. That would be...
What do the kids call it these days?
Oh, yes, that's right. Magic.
Just answer the question, okay, smartass.
All right. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
You can keep that. Don't share it with him.
It says here you are a mentalist.
- Hmm.
- What exactly is mentalism?
Tricks, mostly. Um, some science.
Targeted guessing
might be a most apt description.
Along with some intuition
and the occasional...
Voices in my head.
(LAUGHS)
Says here you were fairly
famous at one point.
Mm-hmm.
You can
even hypnotize people over the phone.
Some big tours
around the U.S. for a few years,
- two TV specials.
- Glory days.
Then your brother/manager disappeared
with all your hard-earned money.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Did your research, did you?
DYLAN: IRS audit. Back taxes.
You've had a long hard slog back into the
limelight, haven't you, Mr. McKinney?
Yes, indeed, it has. And I do appreciate
that trip down Memory Lane.
As far as I understand it,
when the man from Paris
put on the magical helmet...
Listen to me.
If you didn't rob that bank,
then you knew about it.
Which makes you an accomplice.
So if you wanna walk out of here today,
I'd suggest you start...
Now you listen to me, unless you think
there's a D.A. in the state of Nevada
who'd be willing
to make sense of this to a jury,
then we have a show to perform.
And you, Agent Rhodes,
have a drawing board to get back to.
Is this your first date?
What?
No, I mean, obviously, you guys don't
know each other well, if at all.
But, like,
there is a palpable tension in this room.
And before you get involved,
you should consider the fact
that she has a lot of big secrets.
And I know the first one is that this is
your first time off the desk. Isn't it?
You should have said something to him.
This is a weird way for you to find out.
You are literally begging to be arrested.
You know that?
If it means you would actually do it,
then, yeah. But you won't.
Because if you did, it means that you,
and the FBI, and your friends at Interpol,
actually believe,
at an institutional level, in magic.
The press would have a field day.
And we'd be even more famous
than we already are.
And you guys would look like idiots
even more then you already are.
Well, no, not you. But him. Right?
You have,
what we in the business, like to call,
"nothing up your sleeve."
And you know it.
Don't draw him in and then dump him because
abandonment is a big "area" for him.
Mommy?
Daddy.
Ah! You have big daddy issues.
- Okay, that's enough.
- I'll tell you what.
Your average therapist is gonna charge you
$200-$300 for this sesh.
Me? I'll take a tenner.
Okay, later, if you're
feeling magnanimous...
I'll still take a tenner.
You wanna know who sat
in that chair before you?
Mob bosses, murderers, and thieves.
And you know who put them there?
The guy who's sitting in this chair.
So I warn you,
I can maintain my resolve much longer
than you can maintain that phony arrogance.
And the instant that you even show
the slightest crack in that smug facade,
I'll be there.
I will be all over you like...
Like white on rice?
Sorry. That's unfair.
Let me warn you. I want you to follow.
Because no matter
what you think you might know,
we will always be one step, three steps,
seven steps ahead of you.
And just when you think you're catching up,
that's when we'll be right behind you.
And at no time will you be
anywhere other than
exactly where I want you to be.
So come close. Get all over me
because the closer you think you are,
the less you'll actually see.
- I'm gonna nail you...
(GRUNTS)
Something wrong with that soda, Miss?
(RATTLING)
(CAN OPENS)
Oh! Shit!
First rule of magic.
Always be the smartest guy in the room.
Boss, what are we doing?
We're letting them go?
They all but admitted
they're gonna do it again.
About a half an hour ago,
you didn't give a damn about them.
- What changed?
- I met them.
Hey. Guys.
Hey, I ran a check on the audience.
Most of it was just filler.
People that Tressier
dragged in to pack the room.
But guess who was sitting there in the
back, filming the whole damn thing?
I don't know.
Thaddeus Bradley.
Thaddeus Bradley,
the guy from TV with the DVDs and shows?
No.
Okay, well, he debunks magicians.
He exposes them.
He shows you how to do their tricks.
Get him on the phone.
- I did. You're having lunch with him in 45.
- Good.
WOMAN: Mr. Bradley started as a magician.
- He was actually quite good.
- Really?
- One of the best.
- You don't say.
"The greatest genius
is in seeing through the illusion."
That's a man who loves his work.
You sure I can't interest you
in a glass of wine?
No, no, no. No, thank you, sir.
We're working.
I will take one.
That's incredible. That's amazing.
Red dye, palmed.
Is that how Jesus did it?
That's incredible.
I'm sorry. Can I just take a minute here?
You were one of the great magicians.
Why did you stop?
Do you know how many people
went to see magic performed live
in the last half decade?
About 1.6 million.
You know how many DVDs I sold
in the same period?
Five million.
Right, so it's about the money.
Well, the money is only there
because the need to know
is greater than the desire to be fooled.
Like you, I detest those who prey
upon the gullibility of the masses.
With all due respect,
isn't there a cost, though, to this game?
Cost?
I don't know. Careers.
Lives.
I assume you're referring to Lionel Shrike.
I'm sorry, who?
Lionel Shrike.
A middling magician who drowned
in the Hudson River 30 years ago.
On Mr. Bradley's first special,
he revealed all of Shrike's tricks.
The next year,
Shrike tried to stage a comeback.
He was shackled inside a safe,
and dropped into the river.
But he never resurfaced.
You mean he died?
I didn't kill him.
He killed himself trying to do something
he wasn't prepared to handle.
You do realize this is a game?
Believe me, it's not a game.
It is a game.
You're the game. You're being played.
And your pathetic attempts
at fawning to gain my trust...
I mean, come on.
You got me.
If you really want to know
how a bank in Paris was robbed
from a stage in Las Vegas,
my special comes out next month.
Or I could just bring you in
on obstruction charges
and force you to tell me.
Unless, of course,
what you're trying to say to me is that
you actually don't know how they did it.
Showmanship and theatrics.
When a magician waves his hand and says,
"This is where the magic is happening."
The real trick is happening somewhere else.
Misdirection. A basic concept of magic.
Not interested in the concepts of magic.
I wanna know how they robbed a bank.
You're an idiot if you think
they robbed a bank.
But don't take my word for it.
How about a trip to Paris?
Hermia, the teleportation helmet,
please, darling?
You're joking, right?
You wanna know how they did it or not?
I'm just gonna put this on your head.
THADDEUS: Step right up.
There you go.
Now we just pull this
down all safe and snug.
Make yourself comfortable. There we go.
And when you're ready to go to Paris,
just say the magic word.
Blow me?
- That'll suffice.
- Bon voyage.
(SCREAMING)
THADDEUS: Bonjour.
I personally prefer to
take the stairs to Paris.
Welcome to the City of Light, Agent Rhodes.
Hardy har har. What was with the helmet?
My fun.
(LAUGHS)
- What?
- Nothing.
- Oh!
- So they got a vault set.
- Yes.
And it's the exact replica
of the little French guy's bank.
- So he's a plant.
- He was a dupe, not a plant.
They chose him.
They knew which seat he was in.
No, no, no, the audience picked the seat.
Unless, of course,
the audience didn't pick the seat.
They let them think they picked the seat.
We'll choose one at random then.
THADDEUS: Actually, they were
just palming the ball
with the seat number they wanted.
DANIEL: We are looking at row number 5.
Henley, could I please have a seat number?
Lucky number 13.
Could you just confirm that
this is, in fact, your seat?
THADDEUS: He was selected.
They programmed his mind
- to make him go to Las Vegas.
MERRITT: - Viva Las Vegas.
THADDEUS: And then
they kept reinforcing it, until he did.
They trailed him.
They studied him.
- Nothing was left to chance.
- Oh!
(SPEAKS FRENCH)
I got his measurements.
THADDEUS: He had no idea
he was their target.
And they simply activated him in Vegas.
When I snap my fingers...
And once again, Merritt McKinney.
DYLAN: But how did they know
what bank was his?
- You're kidding.
- Really?
Can you be any more
of a condescending ass?
- Yes.
(LAUGHS)
Like this.
There's a very rare, very mysterious way
in which a magician divines
an audience member's bank.
You ready?
Yes.
Credit card.
And that's how they got
the signature for the card
they left in the vault in Paris.
Very good.
You're being one-upped, Agent Rhodes.
Okay, but they had to get
the signature card in the vault.
You said they didn't steal the money.
No, I didn't say they didn't steal the money.
I said they didn't rob the bank.
My guess is that they targeted
a shipment of freshly minted money
headed to the Frenchman's bank
on-board an armored truck.
Which, of course, is just
as hard to break into.
Unless you're already inside.
And despite what the banks
would have you believe,
the men who drive these trucks
are not exactly mental giants.
For our Horsemen...
- Oh!
- ...It was almost too easy.
HENLEY: Hey, boys.
So, how did they make the fake money
disappear from the vault? What is that?
THADDEUS: Hash paper.
Magicians use it all the time.
Creates no smoke, leaves no residue.
Oh, merde.
CONAN O'BRIEN: Two days ago,
no one heard of these guys,
but tonight's show sold out in 35 seconds.
I think these guys have cracked
the secret to show business.
Give your audience $3 million.
Puts 'em in a good mood, doesn't it?
Best finale ever.
They're gonna he
the first magicians in history
to get laid.
Remember, if the oxygen mask comes down,
- put it on the lawyer first. Remember.
- Oh, yes.
I always do. It's lawyer first,
- then myself and then the children.
- Then yourself.
Yes. Then the children.
Um... Allow me to make plain
what we've both been thinking.
And what's that?
Well, obviously, you have feelings
of affection for Daniel.
Unrequited and misguided, owing to
his lack of emotional availability.
Consequently, you're very tightly...
How should I put it? Um...
Corked.
Oh, I am?
Now, recognizing that
you have physical needs not being met,
and strictly in the vein
of helping a sister out,
I invite you to think of me
as your own personal corkscrew.
Wow. Thanks.
Let me mull over
that offer of cheap and meaningless sex.
Cheap and meaningless, maybe, but, uh,
not time-consuming.
(LAUGHING)
MAN: (OVER PA) We should be getting there
a few minutes early.
So, sit back, relax.
We should be in the Big Easy soon.
Appreciate you flying with us today.
So, what's in it for Tressier,
besides the money?
Ego.
Okay, pick your card.
Look at it, put it in
the deck, and tell me.
No, don't tell me.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Thaddeus was there that night.
He knows exactly how they pulled it off.
What about him?
What are you saying?
You think they could be working together.
I don't know. All I know is that these guys
were a bunch of street magicians
a year ago with no resources.
So, how do they go from doing that to this
without some kind of outside help?
Is this your card?
No, my card is sitting
over there in that guy's lap.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY)
Nice shuffle.
You know, this is hard.
According to this book,
some of those guys practice one simple
move eight hours a day for years.
Really? Some of those guys
seriously need to get a life.
Is it magicians, in general,
you have a problem with?
Or specifically those guys?
I could care less about
magicians in general.
What I hate is people
who exploit other people.
Exploit them how?
- Try again.
- Um...
By taking advantage of their weaknesses.
Their need to believe in something
that's unexplainable
in order to make their lives more bearable.
I see it as a strength.
My life is happier when I believe that.
Is this your card?
Yeah.
Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Cool.
(LAUGHS) That smile on your face.
Is it real?
Maybe.
So let me ask you, Mr. Detective Man.
Do you feel exploited?
Or did you have maybe a
tiny, tiny bit of fun?
MERRITT: Guy goes to the doctor.
Doctor says, "Sir, you're gonna
have to stop masturbating."
He says, "Why?"
He says, "So I can finish the examination."
Oh, Danny, can I talk to you about
- my role in the show real quick?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure.
- Hey, guys.
(LAUGHING)
We got a show to prepare for.
- Oh.
- Oh! Do we now?
No, no, no, don't do that.
You're not doing that thing to me. No.
What thing? I'm just looking at you.
No, you're not.
I've been watching you for a year.
I know all of your little tricks.
That what they are to you? Tricks?
Yes, it's gimmicks. it's Barnum statements.
It's reading the eyes. Body language.
I get it.
If it's such an easy thing,
why don't you do Henley?
Yeah, Danny. Why don't you do me?
No, you're too easy. I'll do Jasmine.
TRESSLER: No.
- Do me.
- Oh, yeah. Yeah. Do Art.
DANIEL: Okay.
MERRITT: Even better.
DANIEL: - Art.
- Yeah.
But I warn you, I can be difficult to read,
when I want to be.
Just stay with me, okay?
So, Art, you were a tough kid.
You know, kind of a real rapscallion.
You had a dog. A real tough dog.
A brutish breed. Like a real...
I want to say, Ben the bulldog.
Actually, I was a prissy little tot.
I had a fluffy white cat called Snuffles.
(LAUGHING)
- Wow.
Ah. Sorry.
Wait, let me try one.
- I can do way better than that.
- Let him do it.
Come on, give me one more time.
One more time.
He can do way better than that.
Let's do family.
You had an uncle on your mother's side.
He had a real, kind of...
A real masculine name.
A real, kind of, salt-of-the-earth...
You know, a real stick-it-to-you...
Like it was some kind of Paul.
Thompson? Was it a Paul...
(SIGHING) Okay.
You know what? I got nothin'.
- Nearly though.
- Was I?
Yeah. My uncle's name
was Cushman Armitage. (LAUGHS)
Really? Snuffles and Cushman Armitage?
That was your childhood?
I certainly hope tonight's show
is gonna be better than this.
DANIEL: Don't worry. Just you wait.
Hey. Come on, give me some good news
on a hotel room, please.
FULLER: What, are you kidding me?
No, it's Mardi Gras, Dylan.
There's nothing within
sight of the theater.
Hold on a second. Hold on.
Where is this woman?
Hey, hey! There you are.
What, the French girl doing a little
sightseeing while she's in New Orleans?
No. In fact, here, speaking French
- is actually an asset.
- Huh?
Do you see that woman up there?
That's Marie Claire.
And she has a lovely apartment for us.
You're welcome.
Yeah.
We got a place.
If you want to keep playing
into their hands, go for it.
I'm just trying to
understand how they think.
You think I'm playing
in their hands, do you?
I don't know how any of that
is gonna go against this.
This what? This magic?
Lionel Shrike.
In Central Park,
he has a guy pick a card and sign it.
Then he goes to a tree
that has been there 20 years.
They saw the tree in half.
Inside the tree, encased in glass,
is the card with the signature.
How did he do that?
I have no idea.
But I'm sure there's a logical explanation.
Excusez-moi.
You guys got a guy in that lobby yet?
FULLER: No, but I do have some good news.
Remember how Atlas is such a control freak,
he's got his whole crew
on those tracking bracelets?
What tracking bracelets?
FULLER: He has every member of his crew
wearing a tracking bracelet.
Those bracelets are on a sub-8 flat-band.
- So as long as Atlas is tracking them...
- Next.
...our boys can track Atlas
from right here in the mobile command unit.
DYLAN: Okay, call me
if you get any movement.
Copy that.
You are missing the big
picture here, Dylan.
There is a place in Paris, Pont des Arts.
Sometimes in the mornings
I sit on a bench there.
And I watch the people make a wish
and lock it in a lock on the bridge.
Then throw the key into the Seine.
All day they do this.
Mothers, lovers, old men.
Watching the key sink into the water
and their secret is locked away forever.
Real and, at the same time, magical.
(SIGHS)
So,
do you really think it's possible
there's a fifth Horseman?
Yeah.
(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)
THADDEUS: There is a legend
of a secret order
born in ancient Egypt called
"The Eye."
It is said they perfected sleight of hand
to steal food from the Pharaohs
and give it to the slaves.
Their purpose?
Using magic and illusion
to even the scales of justice.
Are The Horsemen next in a long line
of fools to believe this myth?
Will they evade the rules of law and logic
like they did in Las Vegas?
Or will the dark mysticism
of this Southern swampland
get the better of them?
(SLOW CLAPPING)
Bravo, Mr. Bradley.
Either you have a cease-and-desist,
which you don't, or you should leave.
If I want something to cease or desist,
it does.
Take five.
According to your potential backers,
you stand to make 2.5 million tops
from your best special.
I have here a check
for 3.5 million.
To walk away?
To fly away. My jet is at your disposal.
Let's not kid ourselves, Mr. Tressier.
You're in this to ride them up.
I'm in it to ride them down.
I take it that we do not have a deal.
And therein lies our conflict.
Let me be blunt.
My bank account is much,
much bigger than yours.
And my lawyers are much stronger.
And they will manacle you
with so many injunctions.
Until you stand by, hopelessly watching
everything that you own drain away
in front of your greedy little eyes.
This isn't the first time
I've been threatened.
And I'm still here.
It is, however, the first time
you've been threatened by me.
And if you do anything
to sully my investment,
the ride down, which you mentioned,
will be sudden, precipitous,
and measurable on the Richter scale.
Oops. You shouldn't have done that.
According to superstition,
one who uses a doll to
enact one's own wrath,
is likely to bring that
very wrath unto himself.
Isn't that funny?
And I thought you didn't believe in magic.
(ALL CLAMORING)
Do me a favor.
Visualize your most adventurous
sexual experience.
Stay out of my head, you perv.
Well, no, if I stay out of your head,
I'm never gonna get into your pants.
- Right.
- So let's stick with this exercise.
- And it helps...
THADDEUS: - Pardon the intrusion.
I just wanted to wish
you good luck tonight.
What, so you can try to expose us later
on your little website?
And on demand.
That's not gonna happen.
Oh, no?
Operating on a special plane
because of The Eye?
I heard it's a lovely place.
Lots of starshine and moonbeams.
Make any magician's wish come true.
You've come a long way,
much further
than anyone would have expected
of a bunch of wanna-bes and has-beens.
If by "has-been" you're referring to me,
I just wanna say I'm flattered,
because I always considered myself
a never-was.
Do you mind if I do a quick read on you?
By all means.
Okay, I'm picturing a little boy.
He wants to be a great magician someday.
And though he's good,
he's not quite good enough.
So he ends up at the bottom
of the entertainment food chain,
feeding off of those
who have the talent that he never did.
Tell me. Am I getting close?
Wait. Before you go. I'm working
on something new. Do you have a second?
Okay. Name a card.
- King of hearts.
- Knew it.
Okay.
It's up your left sleeve.
Is it?
No. No, I don't see it up there.
You know, why don't you check
your unnecessary velveteen pocket there?
Yeah.
Anyway, thank you so much for coming by, but
this is kind of a talent only area, so...
Break a leg.
Hey, you break something, too.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,
the Savoy management welcomes you
to tonight's special performance,
The Four Horsemen, Act Two.
Unlike traditional performances,
The Four Horsemen encourage you to film,
call your friends,
upload, stream, and tweet the show freely.
Thank you.
The show will begin in a few minutes.
Nice watch.
It's a family heirloom.
Oh. By the way, I know
how he did that trick.
- Who?
- Shrike.
So, when he was 14,
he saw a hole in a tree in Central Park.
He had a guy who worked at the carousel
sign a card for what looked
like a routine little trick.
And?
At the guy's retirement, 18 years later,
Shrike performs, has the guy sign a card,
and presto!
The card is in the tree.
It was in the tree for 18 years.
The card was in the tree.
The tree grew around the card in 18 years.
I mean, that isn't magic. It's not magic.
The point is, the trick
was not to look closely.
It was to look so far
that you see 20 years into the past.
After Shrike drowned,
they never found the body.
What are you suggesting?
(CROWD CHEERING)
ANNOUNCER: Arthur Tressler presents
Jack Wilder,
Henley Reeves,
Merritt McKinney,
and Daniel Atlas.
The Four Horsemen.
Thank you. Before we begin,
we'd like to single out
two people in particular.
A man and a woman to whom we'd like
to dedicate tonight's performance.
FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes
and the lovely, if somewhat inexperienced,
Interpol Agent Alma Dray, everyone.
(CROWD BOOING)
Yeah, Agent Rhodes
has personally vowed to "nail us."
And we encourage him to do so
if he has the brains and the fur.
What is magic?
Our argument,
nothing but targeted deception.
So I want you to look.
Look as closely as possible.
Because the tricks you are about to see
may not seem connected.
But we assure you, they are.
Is what follows 100 different tricks?
Or is it one giant illusion?
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
And now for one
of the oldest tricks in the book.
Danny, if you wouldn't mind
opening up the box,
and showing everybody
that it's completely empty.
Now, we're gonna need
12 courageous volunteers.
I'm gonna take sweet little Fluffy here,
and put her inside this mystery box.
There are two pencils out there.
Hold 'em up high. Let me see 'em.
- Here!
WOMAN: - Yeah!
And now, you will say the magic word.
Abracadabra.
Yes, and I will wave this magic wand
for no reason. And then...
Fluffy has magically vanished
before your very eyes.
If you haven't experienced mass hypnosis,
you're about to.
And sleep.
Down, down. Sleep, sleep. Completely sleep.
Good, good. Sleep, sleep.
And now we are gonna debunk
a few magic myths this evening.
We all know that Fluffy is,
in fact, alive and well.
And Fluffy has miraculously appeared.
As has the mirror
which makes the box only
appear as though it's empty.
When you hear the word "freeze"
you are all football players.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
And your job is to tackle,
dismantle,
crush,
tear limb from limb,
the quarterback.
Now, we've all heard
of pulling the rabbit out of the hat.
But has anyone heard
of pulling a hat out of a rabbit?
You will know who the quarterback is.
He will be the one saying that word.
Freeze.
ALL: Three, two, one...
- Elvis, help me out, bud.
- Thank you very much.
In Jack's bowl
are ping pong balls with section numbers.
Jack, could you hand me a section number?
Thank you. We are looking at Section B.
- Where is Section B?
(CHEERING)
Okay. There.
It's gonna be one of you guys. Get ready.
I don't know why everybody's happy.
It's only them.
Merritt, can I get a row, please?
Put your hands in the middle.
One, two, three...
ALL: Kill the quarterback!
Get on back to your seats.
I got a feeling I'm gonna
be seeing you soon.
(HENLEY GASPING)
(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING IN AWE)
(HENLEY SCREAMS)
(LAUGHING)
I guess you have lost some weight.
At the intermission,
we asked you to write down
your current bank balance,
and seal it in an envelope.
Now it's time to take those envelopes out.
Everyone take 'em out.
Now, everybody, shout out your name.
All at once. Go.
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
Shout 'em out.
Clement? Frannick?
- Yeah! Up here!
- Oh. Way up there.
Okay. Dina? Robertson?
That's me!
Okay. Names. Names. Let's go.
(SHOUTING CONTINUES)
Josepha Hickey?
That's me!
Josepha, I want you to
focus on your balance,
and count from one to 10 out loud.
One, two, three, four, five...
Stop.
Is the first digit 5?
Yes.
Do it again. This time, faster.
One, two, three, four, five, six...
Stop.
Six. Again.
One, two...
Josepha, is your
bank balance $562 as of today?
Yeah. That's what I got.
(APPLAUSE)
Unfortunately, you're wrong.
Okay, Dina,
1,
4,
7,
- 7.
- Yeah.
You think it is.
But in fact, you, too, are wrong.
Uh, Clement...
You do not have $6,500 in your account.
In fact, everybody stand up. Everybody.
Yeah. Put your envelopes to your forehead.
Focus on your number.
Ooh! Oh.
This is... Oh, dear. Just as I feared.
Oh, this is strange.
You know, I hate to say this,
but you're all wrong.
Every last one of you is dead wrong
about what you think is in your account.
- Okay, you can sit down now.
(INAUDIBLE)
Oh! Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.
This evening would not be possible
if it weren't for our great benefactor
Arthur Tressier.
Big applause! Big applause!
Art, actually, why don't you
come up on stage for the finale?
MERRITT: Come on down, Art!
HENLEY: Come on down, Art!
DANIEL: There he goes. Okay, good.
Are we on red?
Bright red. We're all standing by.
All right, no one leaves the theater.
No one.
DANIEL: There he goes.
Now, Art, did you fill out your envelope?
Well, no need. We've done it for you.
Now, Art, I took a guess.
North of 140. Am I right?
That's 140 million, by the way.
I'm sorry, Merritt.
How can he be right about his balance
and everyone else be wrong?
I think possibly because he, too, is wrong.
Everybody, take out your paper.
And using the flashlight under your seat,
start to warm up that paper.
I think your correct
balance begins to appear.
Now, Art, don't worry,
we have a flashlight for you.
Yes.
(PEOPLE LAUGHING)
- Whoa!
(HENLEY LAUGHS)
DANIEL: Look.
HENLEY: Huh? Wow.
What's going on there, Daniel?
Wait. This is weird.
A second ago, it said $144,579,651.
But now...
Now it says $70,000 less.
- Josepha, can you stand up?
- Yes.
Now, what is your new number?
$70,562 now in my account.
(CHEERING)
Is it possible that Josepha's balance went
up the exact amount that Art's went down?
Hey. Check it out. It's happening again.
DANIEL: Is it?
HENLEY: Wow. It is.
Art's balance has gone down another 280K.
Dina Robertson? What did yours say?
$281,477.
(CHEERING)
We have a confession to make.
She's right. We lied about something.
Yes. None of you were chosen at random.
All of you have one thing in common.
Everyone in this room was a victim
of the hard times that hit one of
America's most treasured cities.
Some of you lost your houses, your cars.
- Your businesses.
- Your loved ones.
But all of you were insured
by the same company.
ALL: Tressier Insurance.
MERRITT: You were abandoned.
You were loopholed...
...out of your settlements.
This is all for show. Correct?
"All" meaning we're doing it onstage
in front of a paying audience?
- Then, yes, it's for show.
MAN: - Whoa! Whoa!
I've got $82,000 in my bank account!
It says it right here on my cell phone!
Everybody, look at your cell phones
right now! Everybody!
(CELL PHONES CHIMING)
(ALL CHEERING)
Whoo!
Is this for real?
I don't know.
DYLAN: Is this happening?
I don't know! I can't tell!
Hey! Did you do this?
JACK: How could we, Art?
We don't have your password.
We'd need access to information
we could never get our hands on.
Ah, yes, security questions, for instance,
like, I don't know, your mother's maiden name
or the name of your first pet.
Where would we get that information, Art?
You certainly would never tell us.
FULLER: We got confirmation.
It's really happening. They robbed him.
Do not let them get away.
Hey, we left you the jet and the Rolls.
(SHOUTING ANGRILY)
You got hell to pay!
DYLAN: Stop!
Stop! Nobody move!
Freeze!
Quarterback!
ALL: We are The Four Horsemen.
Good night.
(GRUNTING)
DYLAN: Get 'em off me!
Get off! Get off me!
(SIRENS WAILING)
Get off me!
All right. I want everyone
on the street! Everyone!
(THADDEUS CHUCKLING)
ALL: Quarterback!
Fuller, meet me in front of the theater
and bring the tracker.
Let's go! Let's go! Now! Come on! Let's go!
Give me the tracker.
Let's go.
FBI! Clear!
- Dylan!
DYLAN: - Damn.
What have you got?
That's him right there. Follow the red dot.
All right, I'll take this.
Go. Box 'em. Cut 'em off that way.
He's turning left on Burgundy.
(CAR ALARMS BLARING)
(GRUNTS)
DYLAN: - on!
(CRASHING)
(TRACKER BEEPING)
Hey! Move!
- Move! Move!
- Oh!
(ALL CLAMORING)
I got him heading north on Bourbon.
- Sorry. Move, move!
- Hey!
Hey, excuse me. Move, move! Excuse me.
Ow!
I've lost him at Bourbon.
Damn! Where are you?
Excuse me.
He's heading south on Exchange Place.
Stop!
What are you doing?
DYLAN: He's going in Napoleon House.
(SIREN WAILS)
- Move! Move!
(WOMAN SCREAMS)
Move out of the way!
Hey!
Move!
He's in the bathroom.
I have him in the bathroom.
(GRUNTS) No! No! No!
AGENTS: Freeze!
FULLER: - Lower your weapons!
(DEVICES BEEPING)
What? I'm tracking myself!
NEWSCASTER: The Horsemen
left egg on the face of what they call
the alphabet agencies, calling into question
the efficacy of the FBI's task force
as well as the man in charge
of the investigation,
Special Agent Dylan Rhodes,
who was publicly ridiculed,
and even tackled at tonight's performance.
Talk about a fumble.
This is quickly becoming a national story,
as The Horsemen have now seemingly
pulled off the impossible
for the second time in as many days.
Two nights ago in Vegas, The Horsemen
seemingly robbed a bank in Paris...
Hey.
- What are you doing?
- I'm having a drink.
I came to get you.
I'm worried about you.
You're worried about me.
Well, I'm worried about you.
- Atlas. You had him.
- He didn't have a weapon.
I couldn't shoot him and you know that.
Yeah, but you... You let him go.
Didn't you?
A pretty French girl shows up out of
the blue, acts like she's my partner
- and then she lets the bad guy go?
- Let go of my arm.
Who exactly are you anyway?
(GRUNTS)
I thought you said you were a desk agent.
Not bad.
What is this?
What's the Eye of Horus?
Oh, certainly nothing
I want to get into tonight.
You're dismissive enough
about me when you're sober.
Find your way back yourself.
Mr. Bradley? Mr. Tressier would like you
to join him for a drink.
Sir.
TRESSLER: Thank you.
What is your role with them?
Role?
Yes. You seem to know
everything about them.
What they're gonna do.
Where they're gonna be.
If it makes you feel any better,
this wasn't about you.
Please tell me why this was not about me.
This is a magic trick, Mr. Tressier.
Played out on a global scale.
You, sir, are the abracadabra.
The distraction,
while they set up the real trick.
I was a $140-million distraction?
Yes.
And that very ego that got you involved
with them in the first place
is what keeps you from seeing that.
- You know...
- "I can destroy you."
Yes, I do know.
Well, you won't.
And you won't destroy them.
Whatever this grand trick is,
it was designed a long time ago.
And I believe that what's about to follow
is really going to amaze.
So I suggest you sit back
and enjoy your front row seat.
You paid quite a lot of good money for it.
Whatever you stand to make...
I'll double it, if you expose them now.
And destroy them.
I stand to make five million.
Am I flinching?
No, you're not.
Hey.
I'm sorry for your arm.
No. I'm sorry.
I was an asshole. I was drunk.
I'm at a loss.
You know, when Merritt said I hardly spent
any time away from the desk, he was right.
I'm a researcher. That's what I do best.
So what's this all about?
Supposedly, if you buy into it,
The Eye are the keepers of real magic
and the protectors of
those who practice it.
"Candidates for initiations
must follow a series of commands
with blind obedience."
- This isn't real.
- But there are some who think it is.
May I?
According to this,
they only take new people twice a century.
So what? The Horsemen are doing these
shows in order to get into this thing?
- I don't know.
- I don't know.
I mean, I guess these guys
could just rob banks to rob banks.
They don't have to put on a show for that.
It's probably just a myth.
But it doesn't make any sense, and I don't
think logic will solve this for us.
- You don't say?
- No.
I believe that some things
are only discovered
if you take certain leaps.
Well, I gotta get to...
Yeah. Yeah.
- Thanks. Good night.
- Yeah. Good night.
- Sorry.
- It's all right.
If The Eye did exist, we'd have to assume
they were watching us, right?
(PHONE BEEPING)
Shit.
I think someone is watching us,
but it isn't magic.
Your fears are correct.
This is not and has never been your phone.
It's a clone in every way, except for this.
A bug.
Someone has heard every
call, read every text.
That's how they were able
to stay ahead of us.
God damn it!
Get me Atlas' interrogation tape.
Yes, sir. I have it on the hard drive.
Picture's up.
DYLAN: Okay, fast forward.
Go on, go on. Freeze!
Okay. Frame by frame. Go on.
Play it through.
Ah! Stop. Zoom in tighter. Tighter.
There. That's where he took my phone.
Is that thing transmitting?
Only when you're making a call
or sending a text.
Plus I removed the bug.
All right. Put it back in
and turn on the phone.
They don't know that we know about the bug.
As of this instant, we are ahead of them.
We need to keep it that way. Understand?
Find my real phone and track it.
Already did. As of about 20 minutes ago,
it's in New York City.
Good.
I wanna cut 'em off at the knees.
They got power? Cut it.
They got phones, electricity, water?
Cut it.
Squeeze 'em out.
I want 'em to feel our presence.
And get me an airplane!
The firewall's down.
- Do they know about this?
DANIEL: - They who?
"They," "them," whoever we're working for.
Who are we working for?
And are we prepared to go to jail for them?
DANIEL: - Stop being paranoid.
- It really does happen.
It happened to you.
Doesn't mean it's gonna happen to us.
Guys, I don't know if
can do this, all right.
I don't want to go to jail, you know?
Then don't screw up.
You're always talking about wanting
to be treated like an adult.
Now might be a good time
to start acting like one.
Stick to the plan. Stay
here and burn it all.
(TIRES SCREECHING)
MERRITT: I don't know what I'm doing here.
I don't know what you would do
anywhere else.
I'm here for the pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow.
That's it. Then I'm gone.
You can do whatever you want
when this is over, Merritt.
But until then, you stick to the plan.
Hey, guys. Uh... They're here.
- My guys are ready to go.
- Let's do this quickly...
- Uh. No.
- What?
She doesn't have jurisdiction here.
She's Interpol. She's with me.
- She stays.
- What? What?
Stay in the car.
Let's go.
MERRITT: Okay. Let's do it.
FBI!
MERRITT: Ladies first.
- Don't move!
(SCREAMING)
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
- Tell me.
Is my money being well-spent?
- Exceedingly well.
(CAMERA CLICKING)
Now you tell me,
how do you like your Horsemen?
Fricasseed or fried?
Shredded.
I'll tell the Chef.
(GRUNTING)
(DISPOSAL WHIRRING)
Freeze!
- Dylan!
(WHIRRING)
DYLAN: Hold on!
Oh, you little...
Come here!
OFFICER: Five is clear.
Standing by for six.
- You little shit!
(IMITATING) You little shit!
- What game are you playing?
- What game are you playing?
We're all good at six. Move to seven.
Copy that. Going to seven. Go, go, go!
No, no, no, no, no. Go back!
Hey!
DYLAN: Come here!
(GRUNTING)
Ah!
Come here!
All right, whoa, hold on, hold on!
- Really?
- Yup.
Ow!
Oh, you...
Ow!
You little... (YELLING)
(GRUNTS)
Shit!
(DYLAN YELLING)
Shit!
(PANTING)
Give me that!
(GROANS)
(CAR LOCK CHIRPS)
FULLER: All units, cover
the north exit now!
Clear on Evan.
FULLER: Block every possible exit.
Hey! Get back... Shit.
- FBI. Sort of. I need your car. Thanks.
- What?
What?
- Elvis, help me out, bud.
- Thank you very much.
In Jack's bowl
are ping pong balls with section numbers.
Jack, could you hand me a section number?
Thank you. We are looking at Section B.
- Where is Section B?
(CHEERING)
Okay. There.
It's gonna be one of you guys. Get ready.
I don't know why everybody's happy.
It's only them.
Merritt, can I get a row, please?
Stop! Stop!
(GRUNTS)
Hey!
(GROANING)
(HANDCUFFS CLICKING)
Good. Follow him!
Don't ever tell me to
stay in the car. Ever.
I didn't have tactical command.
If you don't trust me, just tell me.
Promise me, next time, you will back me up.
Could we have
this conversation later, please?
No!
Okay, fine, I promise. Now, go!
(TIRES SQUEALING)
- Whoa! Where'd they go?
- Where are they?
I don't know. She just took some guy's car.
- Where are they?
- That way. That way.
- Is that your car?
- Yeah.
Let's go.
(GRUNTS)
(BRAKES SQUEAL)
- Whoa!
There he is!
(SIRENS WAILING)
DYLAN: Move!
Left!
We're heading east on the FDR Drive.
- This is not east.
- North! North!
- We're heading north on the FDR Drive.
- What?
MALE NEWSCASTER: We're coming
to you live above the FDR,
where NYPD and federal agents,
as you now see,
are engaged in a high-speed pursuit,
following a black sedan.
DYLAN: Fuller, where are you?
Right here. Trying to catch up to you now.
NEWSCASTER: We're now trying
to get you a better shot.
Come on!
Whoa!
Sorry.
Whoa!
NEWSCASTER: It looks like they're turning
onto the 59th Street Bridge.
As soon as we have them within range,
we will bring you those pictures live.
Good. Just stay with him.
(SIRENS WAILING)
Go, go, go!
(YELLS)
Behind... You're behind the bus!
Get over!
Ha-ha!
Oh, shit!
Uh-oh!
Come here!
Get back! Get back!
Dylan, let's go, man!
Come on, you...
FULLER: Come on, man! Get out!
DYLAN: He's gonna die in here.
Leave him! There's nothing you can do!
Let's go! Leave him!
DYLAN: - The paper!
FULLER: - Dylan!
Let's go! Let's go! Come on!
NEWSCASTER: Today,
the unfolding story of a popular
and controversial group of magicians,
who have been fast capturing
the public's imagination,
took a dark turn when a police
action that began in Chinatown
developed into a dramatic, high-speed chase
across the 59th Street Bridge,
which caused a fatal collision
that took the life of Jack Wilder,
one of the so-called Four Horsemen.
The whereabouts ot the other three
Horsemen remain unknown at this time.
FULLER: Dylan, they just figured out
what the paper was in Jack's car.
So they know what it is?
And why the kid died trying to protect it.
Evans is on his way to brief us right now.
Let's go.
You're gonna wanna take this first, though.
What's that?
Your friend Thaddeus Bradley.
Rhodes.
You do understand the function
of the magician's assistant,
don't you, Agent Rhodes?
Yeah, she's there to distract them
while he sets up the trick.
I'm going to go with her.
Go. I got your back. I'll be right here.
Go ahead!
That's on you, Fuller.
Let's go, let's go! Now, now, now!
Daniel?
(CHUCKLES) You'd be right
if you weren't so wrong.
While you're watching the magician,
that lovely innocent is actually
pulling the strings.
Don't you find it peculiar that Interpol
would send you
a first timer off the desk
to be your assistant?
Why did she request to be put on the case?
- She was assigned to the case.
- Oh.
Luck of the draw.
Like choosing a random card in the deck.
I find it odd, your
sudden act of generosity.
What's in it for you?
Just trying to even the game.
I feel like I'm playing with somebody
wearing ankle weights and flippers.
Keep up, Agent Rhodes. Keep up.
FULLER: Hey.
We got a problem.
COWAN: Here's the safe.
No, no, no. Hey. What's he doing here?
Giving us our first solid lead.
We've been investigating a private security
contractor called Elkhorn
- for the last five years.
- And?
They've been hiding close
to a half billion dollars...
I didn't ask you. I asked him.
The money's in a vault inside
a warehouse in Queens.
We think this vault
is your magicians' final target.
COWAN: The magician
who died on the bridge...
You pulled our classified Elkhorn file
right from his crispy little hand.
And despite their bullshit
Robin Hood razzle-dazzle,
your magicians are nothing
more than common thieves.
How did they get the file?
This is the part you're gonna find
particularly interesting, Agent Rhodes.
They patched to my server after they accessed
your mobile command center in New Orleans
with codes they got from your phone.
You ordered us all out to chase after them.
The level of incompetence
displayed on this case,
that's a magic trick in and of itself.
Abracadabra. I'm taking over.
Boss, he's taking over?
EVANS: Let's go, gentlemen.
DYLAN: Hey.
Hey. I want to have a word with you.
Don't ever talk to me like that again.
- Why the hell did you take this case?
- What?
People say I'm "hard to read."
That's an American expression.
Do you understand it?
Yes.
Good, then let me make myself
perfectly clear to you.
If I find out that you are anything other
than who you say you are, I swear...
And we French also have an expression.
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
"Faith can move mountains."
If we hope to capture The Horsemen,
then you need to have a little faith in me.
Because I've done nothing
to deserve otherwise.
I just got my ass handed to me.
I am losing this case.
So faith is a luxury
I don't have any time for right now.
DANIEL: More than anything in his life,
Jack wanted to be
the most famous magician who ever lived.
And I can't say he achieved it,
but I do hope wherever he is,
it is full of magic.
But the point is... Sorry.
The point is...
The point of why we are here is to say
that we are not... We cannot quit now.
We've started something
bigger than all of us.
We have to finish it.
(SIRENS WAILING)
MAN: Approaching the warehouse.
Units 5 and 6
cover the north and south entrances.
We are going for the vault.
Hey. Where's the safe? Where's the safe?
EVANS: What is this?
Where the hell is the goddamn safe?
We just moved it while you were outside.
- Evans' orders.
COWAN: - What?
I never said that.
Sir, you got a phone call
and said Washington wants the safe moved.
You never heard that
come out of my mouth, Agent.
What happened?
What happened? You tell me what's going on,
because this is bullshit!
No!
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
Jesus Christ.
Sir? Sir? What are you doing?
I think it's Beethoven's
Concerto in D-Major.
- Where's the safe?
- His team is loading the truck.
- Hey! Hey!
- Hey!
DYLAN: - Stop the truck!
- Stop!
- Stop!
- Hey! Stop that truck!
(DYLAN AND FULLER CONTINUE YELLING)
What the hell's going on?
We got our orders.
Now you've got new orders. Open it up.
Okay. Here's what I want.
At this moment,
they think that safe's leaving this site.
So we stay with it. We follow it all
the way to... Where's it going?
5 Pointz. Up the street.
So we go to 5 Pointz.
Wherever the safe goes, we go.
It'll lead us right to 'em.
You two are with me.
Guys...
Look. Office just called with this.
Horsemen posted it to YouTube
20 minutes ago.
The point of why we're here
is to say that we are not...
We cannot quit now.
We've started something bigger than all of us.
We have to finish it.
Remember the name Jack Wilder
when you see us live,
5 Pointz, Queens, 7:00.
Their show is in a half an hour.
It's exactly where we're headed.
I don't know, boss.
I don't wanna be the naysayer,
but these guys are kinda tricky.
Rhodes, they're entertainers.
NEWSCASTER 1: A stunning
turnout here in 5 Pointz
as the renegade Horsemen
taunt the FBI into a final showdown.
NEWSCASTER 2: The Horsemen have
invited us to their final round
of their three-act face-off with the FBI.
What do they have in store?
We're about to find out.
(CROWD CHEERING)
(SIRENS WAILING)
COWAN: All eyes on the truck.
Let's see who approaches.
Copy that.
FEMALE FBI AGENT; Agents Rhodes, Fuller?
Go, for us.
We've got movement.
Someone's walking toward the truck.
It's a woman.
FULLER: - Freeze!
- Oh, shit!
(GUNS COCKING)
THADDEUS: What the hell's going on?
COWAN: Hey! It's the guy from the TV.
Put your guns down.
Look who it is. The fifth Horseman.
Are you kidding?
I'm following them, just like you are.
I'm not following anybody anymore.
You've been ahead of us this whole time.
But guess what? I'm ahead of you now.
Your ass is mine.
You guys are still idiots.
- Yeah?
- This happens to be the former
rehearsal space for Lionel Shrike.
It's where I did my first show.
Now, if you wanna look
like even bigger idiots,
why not open it?
And while you're doing it, Agent Rhodes,
would you mind reenacting your look
of absolute befuddlement for me?
It will make a wonderful cover for my DVD.
Open the safe.
- Go ahead.
DYLAN: - Open it.
(BEEPS)
AGENT: - What the hell?
What?
Give me that. No. No!
(LOCK TUMBLERS MOVING)
What is this?
(CLUNKING)
- Get back!
(BALLOONS SQUEAKING)
Who doesn't love a good magic trick?
They have you chasing empty safes again.
Once again, misdirection.
The show is starting. Move out!
The question I'd be asking now,
Agent Rhodes is...
"What happened to the real one?"
(SIRENS BLARING)
COWAN: Clear! Clear 'em out!
Come on. Move 'em out.
Move 'em out of the way.
FBI! Give me a path!
Clear out! Clear out!
DANIEL: What is magic?
Magic is deception.
But deception designed to delight,
to entertain, to inspire.
Look out! Clear! Clear! Look out!
DANIEL: It is about belief.
MERRITT: Faith.
HENLEY: Trust.
(CROWD CHEERING)
Without those qualities,
magic, as an an' form,
would no longer exist.
HENLEY: But what happens if these qualities
are not used for their higher purpose?
And instead they're used to cheat, lie.
DANIEL: For personal gain or for greed.
Then it's no longer magic.
It's crime.
So tonight, for our final act, you're
gonna help us set a few things right.
What's going on here, Rhodes?
I don't know.
Showtime.
Look!
There they are on the roof. Let's move!
Go, go, go!
- Dylan!
- FBI, coming through!
What are you doing here?
They're going in the wrong direction
and you know it.
Rhodes! I need all personnel now!
You need to trust me.
Take your leap of faith.
Wait.
- Yeah?
- Uh...
As our, let's call it,
year of living dangerously
comes to a close,
in a rare moment of vulnerability,
I'd like to express a sentiment
to you about our relationship.
Okay.
Well, when I first met you,
I thought you were kind of a
- dick.
(LAUGHS) Oh.
(LAUGHS) And?
No, that's it.
That's very nice.
- Yeah.
- I'm touched.
Yeah. Just from the heart.
Well, I didn't tell you
where I was touched.
Oh. you!
(CHUCKLING)
Oh, God.
What are we gonna do when this is over?
We're on our own.
Our instructions run out after the show.
Even if there is no "Eye,"
if we were completely played and we spend
the next 20 years in jail, then,
I just want to say that...
I know. Me, too.
Whoa. (LAUGHS)
Little too sentimental for me.
(CHEERING)
There they are!
Go grab 'em! Put 'em down! Go, go, go!
Grab 'em!
(CROWD GROANS)
(CROWD LAUGHING)
Get up!
What the hell?
Ah, shit!
(PANTING)
HENLEY: - Hello, New York!
(CROWD CHEERING)
Thank you for the magic.
And thank you for being such
an incredible and dedicated audience.
Unfortunately, like all good things,
it must come to an end.
So we would like to start
our show tonight...
By saying goodbye.
(CHEERING)
HENLEY: All we wanted was to
bring the world to a magic show.
DANIEL: And thereby bring a little magic
back to the world.
DYLAN: Clear the way!
MERRITT: This has been
one hell of a ride for all of us.
But it's time for us to disappear.
DANIEL: Good night, New York.
MERRITT: And thank you for believing in us.
DYLAN: Stop!
Freeze!
- No!
(GUNSHOT)
God damn it!
I'm sorry.
You were right. It's bigger than all of us.
This is one time I'm not happy being right.
So I guess this is it.
Is it?
Dylan!
Dylan! Dylan!
Hey.
- You see that?
- What?
Where's the real money?
(CAR ALARM BLARING)
MAN: You're under arrest!
Hands in the air! Now!
I want two each inside of here.
The other 30 around here.
Roofs, alleys, balconies.
- Eyes on The Horsemen at all times.
- Yes, sir.
Wow, 100 years ago, William Robinson
took the name Chung Ling Soo
and spent his entire life
never speaking English in public.
(SPEAKS FRENCH)
This other guy, Maximillian...
I am not interested in a history
lesson on magic at this moment.
I've been framed.
- I'm sure you were.
- Yeah, but I can prove it.
I always do.
Just like I predicted
that you'd play the fool.
Let's just drop the
theatricality, all right?
The cameras aren't rolling in here.
Fellas, can I have a few minutes
with my friend here alone, please.
GUARD: Sure.
THADDEUS: All right.
- I got information to trade.
- Mmm.
I believe that's how it's done. Huh?
If it's of some value.
These bars give a man time to think.
And I'm pretty sure I know how they did it.
Remember the rabbit trick
in the second show?
The box was never empty.
(WHIRRING)
The room wasn't either.
After gaining access to the warehouse,
The Horsemen left the real safe
and transformed the whole room
into a giant rabbit box.
You go charging in there,
thinking the safe was already gone.
Hey!
Hey! Stop!
Missing the trick. Again.
Which was to make you think
the safe had already been stolen,
so you'd drop your guard and leave.
Now, while you were busy
playing with balloon animals,
someone was breaking into the warehouse.
Who?
Jack Wilder.
Holy shit.
No. No way. He died right
in front of my eyes.
Unless, of course, he didn't.
It's locked.
JACK: Weren't you listening?
Nothing's ever locked.
MERRITT: Ah!
Well done, Mr. Wilder! Good work.
MERRITT: You're a big boy now, Jack.
He escaped in a standard
FBI vehicle, right?
Led you to the bridge.
Where the other Horsemen were waiting
with an identical replacement car.
It only took a split second
for you to lose contact with it
and make the switch.
(MERRITT LAUGHS)
- Oh!
(LAUGHS)
THADDEUS: When you crawled
into that burning car,
quite heroically, I might add,
you almost died trying to rescue
what I assume was a cadaver
from the morgue.
DYLAN: Why go through such an elaborate
and dangerous plan
- just to frame one guy?
- I don't know.
They never kept any of the money they took.
Yeah, that's the part
I haven't been able to put together yet.
But I just gave you information that
is substantially more important.
- No. Not really.
- What?
I finally got a chance to really look into
Lionel Shrike.
His comeback attempt. His accident.
The insurer who denied the family's claim?
Tressier Insurance.
The bank that carried the note?
Credit Republican of Paris.
Credit Republicain de Paris.
DYLAN: What do you make of that?
A sucker is born every minute.
What if all this was just leading up to us
getting mugged in Central Park at 2:00 a.m.?
No, I'm telling you,
we're right where we need to be.
- We just have to find...
- That?
DANIEL: The Lionel Shrike tree.
HENLEY: And the card encased in glass.
What do we do now?
Oh, nice!
(CAROUSEL MUSIC PLAYING)
DYLAN: So, here's my new theory.
The legend is that the "Eye" is everywhere.
Waiting
for the truly great magicians
to distinguish themselves
from the mediocre ones.
Maybe that was you.
Deep down inside you wanted nothing more
than to be part of the "Eye,"
but you were never invited.
So you try to destroy them.
But instead what happens?
You pissed them off.
The Eye isn't real.
Okay, then, explain then.
Who's behind all this.
Somebody with an obsession.
- Meticulous.
- Who?
Somebody prepared to sacrifice everything.
Somebody so prepared to lose
that they wouldn't even be a suspect
until the trick was done.
I don't want a profile. I need a name.
Who? Who?
I don't know who.
But they had to have access to the
warehouse to plant the mirrors.
Always a step ahead of me. And the FBI.
Got past them not once,
not twice, but consistently.
Almost as if they were on the in...
DYLAN: (WHISPERING) The inside.
- You.
- Mmm.
Why?
That is the question, isn't it?
You're right.
I can't tell you how long I've waited
to see the look on your face.
Who are you?
What do you want from me?
What do I want?
I want you to spend
the rest of your life in this cell,
staring at four walls
and wondering how you missed it.
How you let yourself
be so blinded by your ego
that you convinced yourself
that you were one step ahead
when you were always two steps behind.
Dylan?
Wait a minute.
Dylan! How did this happen?
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(PEOPLE SCREAMING)
Dylan!
Why?
Why?
MERRITT: - Oh, my God.
(JACK CHUCKLING)
I did not see that coming.
That's impossible!
JACK: No way.
That was actually pretty good.
Thank you.
When I said,
"Always be the smartest guy in the room."
We were in agreement.
Okay. Right.
Henley.
I've never seen her speechless.
I take that as a huge compliment.
Hey, man, I'm so sorry for
kicking your ass. Really.
Hey, listen, for the record,
I have always been a 100% believer.
And the amount of energy I have expended
to keep these infidels on point...
(HENLEY LAUGHING)
Merritt, you're in.
God bless.
DYLAN: Come.
The real magic is taking four strong solo
acts and making them all work together.
And that's exactly what you did.
So welcome.
Welcome to the Eye.
(HENLEY GASPS)
it was all connected.
Credit Republican. Tressier Insurance.
Bonjour.
Bonjour.
And Elkhorn?
What's the connection to Shrike?
Elkhorn started as a safe manufacturer.
They used cheap steel.
They cut corners.
When he got to the bottom of the river,
the safe warped.
And he was trapped.
He was your father.
DYLAN: The morning before the show
didn't feel like any other day.
When my father said he had to go to work, he
could see that I didn't want him to leave.
So he gave me his watch, and he told me
to count the seconds until he came back.
I have never let his watch stop since then.
And from that moment on,
I created a persona.
I planned. I worked out every detail.
But the one thing
that I couldn't imagine happening
was you.
And I know that the logical
conclusion for you
is to take this case to its resolution.
And for you to turn me in.
Yeah.
But you know how I feel
about resolution and logic.
And you also know
that I think some things
are best left unexplained.
DYLAN: One more secret to lock away.
Come here!
Get back! Get back!
Dylan, let's go, man!
Come on, you...
FULLER: Come on, man! Get out!
DYLAN: He's gonna die in here.
Leave him! There's nothing you can do!
Let's go! Leave him!
DYLAN: - The paper!
FULLER: - Dylan!
Let's go! Let's go! Come on!
DANIEL: Please, stop, stop, stop.
All right, stop the van. Stop the van.
I'm gonna jump out of the van.
Oh, thank God.
HENLEY: Where are we?
Great, another shit hole.
Okay, feeling it.
I'm exhausted, and hungry, and cranky.
HENLEY: Check out this place.
MERRITT: Where'd you bring us?
DANIEL: Was there no
landfill where we were?
JACK: This place is awesome.
- Is this our new gear?
DANIEL: - There'd better not be, like,
matching jumpsuits in there.
You know I don't wear spandex.
It's locked.
Guys, the cards.
What card?
DANIEL: What do you mean, "what card"?
Hmm.
Okay.
(UPBEAT SONG PLAYING)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)