Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uninspired docu has some profanity, sexual references.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Magicians: Life in the Impossible
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
MAGICIANS: LIFE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE reveals the professional and private lives of several working magicians at various stages in their career. The relentless hustle for work, the need to remain fresh and exciting, and the good and the not-so-good gigs are shown to be a huge part of the magician's life. The cameras reveal the challenges of maintaining relationships while on long tours, of finding and keeping audiences, and trying to break through to larger success on television or in Las Vegas. Through interviews and the wide array of work they take on -- everything from corporate seminars to glitzy casino shows, performing for drunk bachelorettes or more friendly audiences at the legendary Magic Castle in Hollywood, through long road trips and lonely hotel rooms -- this documentary shows that there's more to magic than card tricks and levitation.
Is It Any Good?
The filmmakers seem a little too attached to their subjects to delve deeper into the challenges unique to being a professional magician, and so in the end, this film feels like a missed opportunity. The magicians in Magicians: Life in the Impossible are shown to be driven, dedicated, and passionate about what they do. They each have their own particular twists on familiar tricks, and through the ups and downs of their careers and the rigors the magician's touring and working life takes on their personal relationships, what emerges is a testament to the persistence and hard work required to make it in this unusual corner of show business. Which is fine, but the problem with this documentary is that it doesn't say anything new or unexpected.
Moments of difficulty, of setbacks, of real conflict are given surface-level mention, hinted at, presented by the subjects of the documentary like someone trying to keep up appearances rather than show true emotion. Frustrations, sadness, regret are glimpsed but never fully explored. One of the most poignant scenes is the interaction between one of the magicians and a young boy after a well-received presentation in a Wisconsin joke shop, but these moments are few and far between.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about documentaries like Magicians: Life in the Impossible. What are some of the ways in which documentaries reveal who people are in both their public and private personas?
How is this documentary similar to and different from other documentaries you've seen?
What did this movie reveal about what it's like to be a contemporary professional magician?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 15, 2016
- Cast : Jon Armstrong , Brian Gillis , David Minkin
- Director : Marcie Hume
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s)
- Studio : Gravitas Ventures
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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