By: Mariah Thomas
Stealing Magic is such a compelling concept for a documentary. Upon seeing it on the list of Tribeca projects, I was instantly drawn in. It is a perfect blend of tracking down a “magic thief” in a P.I. way and an informative documentary. While the idea of someone revealing magic trick secrets may not seem like a big deal, this film gives a great glimpse as to why that is the case.
Magic is more than a gimmick; it is a lifestyle and career for many. Magician Andi Gladwin enters a potentially dangerous world to uncover who is behind stealing and selling famous magicians’ secrets. Every magician has their catalogue of tricks that are passed down but many have some that are exclusive to them. An anonymous online source has been caught selling breakdowns on how these tricks are possible. Therefore, they are stealing and taking away from the magicians. Andi Gladwin took it upon himself to become a citizen detective and attempted to track down the culprit. Eventually getting help from fellow illusionists, they all work together to save their business.
The thing that instantly captured my attention in this documentary was the chosen style in which it was aimed. The gimmicky detective vibe is heavily pushed in the best ways. Though this is a topic that wasn’t on my radar previously, I was invested the entire time. Stealing Magic does a wonderful job of not only educating viewers but also providing entertainment in the same way one may experience at a magic show.
This documentary was directed by Matthew Testa. I think he brought a wonderful twist to the telling of this story with his turn to a thriller atmosphere. Testa has previously directed and produced other films and documentaries that go deeper into that thriller world. This is a rare time I can instantly see how the choice of director heavily changed the trajectory of a project. I hope to see more projects guided by Testa’s thriller-fied film eye.
Stealing Magic is a great watch for documentary lovers. Even if you are not familiar with the idea of magic thievery, it is a worthy watch for the education and style alone. There is such a strong level of intensity kept throughout the project as these magicians work to track down whoever is stealing their tricks and along the way they uncover so much more.