The defence The Auteur Devotee
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
Back to trending 
The Prestige
Drama · Mystery · Science Fiction · 2006
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.
Movie details
The Prestige
“Are you watching closely?”
2006 Drama · Mystery · Science Fiction 2h 10m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
8.2 / 10
Community rating
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Prestige?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
The Mask of Dimitrios
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Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Reunited and It Feels So Deadly
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Elephant Song
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A psychiatrist is drawn into a complex mind game when he questions a disturbed patient about the disappearance of a colleague.
An Inspector Calls
Drama · 2015
Northern England, 1912. The dinner of a wealthy family is interrupted by Inspector Goole, who only announces that a young woman has committed suicide. Then, he simply asks everyone present, one by one, if they knew her.
Agatha
Drama · 1979
England, 1926. An American journalist looks for mystery writer Agatha Christie when she suddenly disappears without explanation, leaving no trace.
Tatami
Thriller · 2024
Iranian female judokas Leila and her coach Maryam, travel to the Judo World Championship, intent on bringing home Iran’s first gold medal. Midway through the Judo World Championships, they receive an ultimatum from the Islamic Republic ordering Leila to fake an injury and lose, or she will be branded a traitor of the state. With her own and her family’s freedom at stake, Leila is faced with an impossible choice: comply with the Iranian regime as her coach Maryam implores her to do, or fight on, for the gold.
Murder in Three Acts
Crime · 1986
In Acapulco, Hercule Poirot attends a dinner party in which one of the guests clutches his throat and suddenly dies. The causes seem to be natural until another party with most of the same guests produces another corpse.
The Sense of an Ending
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A man becomes haunted by his past and is presented with a mysterious legacy that causes him to re-think his current situation in life.
The Critic
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Jimmy Erskine is the most feared theatre critic of the age. He lives as flamboyantly as he writes and takes pleasure in savagely taking down any actor who fails to meet his standards. When the owner of the Daily Chronicle dies, and his son takes over, Jimmy quickly finds himself at odds with his new boss and his position under threat. In an attempt to preserve the power and influence he holds so sacred, Jimmy strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actress, entangling them and the boss in a thrilling but deadly web of desire, blackmail, and betrayal.
Agatha and the Midnight Murders
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As bombs fall on London, writer Agatha Christie decides it is time to kill off her most famous creation.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Christopher Nolan
Written by
Christopher Nolan · Jonathan Nolan
Hugh Jackman
Robert Angier
Christian Bale
Alfred Borden
Michael Caine
Cutter
Piper Perabo
Julia McCullough
Rebecca Hall
Sarah
Scarlett Johansson
Olivia Wenscombe
Samantha Mahurin
Jess
Court is in session
Put The Prestige on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.