--- title: "Now You See Me: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/now-you-see-me/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/now-you-see-me" critics_score: 47 critics_reviews: 21 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Now You See Me (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 47 from 21 reviews: 2 positive, 9 mixed, 10 negative. Most critics land in the middle or below, and the pattern across the reviews is unusually consistent: a caper that starts with real fizz and gradually loses it. Praise clusters on the cast, particularly the easy rapport between Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher and Mark Ruffalo’s comic presence, and on the pace and energy of the first half. The Las Vegas set-pieces are widely enjoyed as spectacle, even by critics who do not believe a frame of them. The reservations cluster just as tightly on the ending. Review after review calls the final twist absurd, obvious or rule-breaking, and several complain that CGI-assisted tricks defeat the point of a film about magic. The spread is wide, from The AV Club’s warm notice to The Guardian, which finds everything after the opening ten minutes dull. The Hollywood Reporter dissents from the cast praise, finding warmth only in Mélanie Laurent, while Digital Spy finds the whole thing smug. ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 30 May 2013. Dowd finds the film a ludicrous but spirited caper that works best as light, entertaining popcorn fare. He singles out the leads’ easy chemistry while criticizing the CGI-assisted stage effects as a kind of cheating. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/now-you-see-me-1798176938) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 July 2013. The critic finds it a glossy, fast-paced, fizzy blockbuster that is implausible but leaves food for thought. They praise the cast, especially the lively chemistry and comic gags between Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/now-you-see-me-film-review-8688113.html) ## Screen Daily — Brent Simon Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2013. The page identifies this as a review, but its criticism is hidden behind a paywall. The available text does not reveal the critic’s verdict or what they praised or complained about. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/now-you-see-me/5056978.article) ## Little White Lies — Chris Blohm Rating 3/3/2. 2 July 2013. Blohm finds the film a campy, propulsive spectacle whose final reveal fails to match the buildup. He praises the execution of the bubble illusion, even while calling it implausible. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/now-you-see-me) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 3/5. Staunton gives the film a three-star verdict, describing it as a fast-paced drama. He singles out its gaudy Vegas setting, intricate plotting and snappy dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l9hvmo/now-you-see-me/) ## Total Film — Ken McIntyre Rating 3/5. 3 July 2013. The review finds the film engaging and energetic at first, but says its overloaded plot buckles under an absurd final twist. It praises the eye-popping spectacle and the cast’s evident enjoyment, while noting that the magic works less well on film. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/now-you-see-me-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Abhimanyu Das Rating 2/4. 31 May 2013. The critic finds the film’s promising setup overwhelmed by exhausting plotting and an obvious final twist. They praise the ensemble’s early rapport and comic performances, while faulting the bloated second half and hollow characters. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/now-you-see-me/) ## Empire — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2011. Richards finds the film entertaining for much of its runtime but says its ending undermines the fun. He praises the magicians-as-criminals conceit and the elaborate set-pieces, while criticizing the improbable, rule-breaking reveals. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/now-see-review/) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Rating 2/5. 1 July 2013. Johnston dismisses the film as a flouncy exercise in would-be story chicanery. He questions the point of a magic movie when CGI makes its tricks feel unconvincing. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/now-you-see-me-1) ## Variety — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2013. Foundas finds the caper watchable but ultimately flimsy and unsatisfying. He praises the accomplished magic tricks, while faulting the film for sidelining its illusionists and relying on monotonous camerawork. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-now-you-see-me-1200490336/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2013. Ebiri finds the film energetic and imaginative but ultimately muddled and unsuccessful. He praises its inventive premise while faulting the convoluted explanations and choppy editing. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/05/movie-review-now-you-see-me.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Gary Goldstein Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2013. Goldstein finds the film noisy, implausible and ultimately disappointing. He praises the briefly dazzling magician showmanship but says the plot’s holes and overlong twists weaken it. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-may-30-la-et-now-you-see-me-20130531-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2013. McCarthy finds the caper flashy but ultimately hollow, with no suspense or meaningful character investment. He singles out Melanie Laurent as the film’s only source of warmth. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/you-see-me-film-review-560765/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). The review dismisses the film as overcomplicated nonsense, arguing that its attempts at cleverness quickly exhaust viewers. It also criticizes Leterrier’s restless camera movement during even basic exposition. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/now-you-see-me-2) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 4 July 2013. Bradshaw finds the heist caper overcomplicated, implausible and dull. He praises its opening ten minutes but says the magicians’ skills and characters fail to make the story work. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/04/now-you-see-me-review) ## Eye for Film — Max Crawford Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 July 2013. The critic finds it an enjoyable, clever-enough magician heist romp, though it loses momentum near the end. The review praises its ability to keep viewers guessing but faults the finale for relying on an exposition dump. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/now-you-see-me-2013-film-review-by-stuart-crawford) ## Den of Geek — Nick Allen Rating 3/5. 31 May 2013. Allen finds the film entertaining but ultimately not clever enough, criticizing its manipulative final twist. He praises Mark Ruffalo’s comic presence as the standout in a strong cast. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/now-you-see-me-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Rating 3/5. 28 June 2013. Pape finds the film relentlessly entertaining but says its convoluted, anticlimactic ending lets it down. He praises the lively cast, especially Mark Ruffalo and Mélanie Laurent, while finding Jesse Eisenberg ill-suited to his role. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/now-you-see-me-review/) ## Paste — Shannon M. Houston Rating 5.8/10. 3 June 2013. Houston finds the film entertaining but shallow, with its showmanship undermined by thin characters and predictable twists. The cast and flashy magic performances are singled out as strengths, while the late-arriving attempt at substance feels awkward. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/now-you-see-me) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 2. 1 July 2013. The critic pans the film as smug, irritating and ultimately unconvincing. She particularly faults the implausible explanations for the robberies and the lack of substance in the cast’s roles. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a491169/now-you-see-me-review-magic-eludes-jesse-eisenberg-woody-harrelson/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2013. The critic finds the film engaging at first but ultimately an overly complicated mess. They praise its energetic first half, while faulting the excess twists and an implausible final reveal. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/now-you-see-me-review-magic-themed-heist-movie-maybe-too-much-its-sleeve-94751/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/now-you-see-me.md