The Stream: Annoying new characters and a nonsensical plot.

The Big Screen: Rosamund Pike’s crazy accent.

The Final Bill: Despite its humor and dazzling tricks, this unnecessary sequel is bogged down by annoying new characters and a convoluted plot.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writers: Seth Grahame-Smith, Michael Lesslie, Rhett Reese
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Rosamund Pike, Morgan Freeman
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Comedy
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, violence and suggestive references.
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
Production Companies: Epic Films, Lionsgate, Reese Wernick Productions, Summit Entertainment, The Fusion Media
Platform: In theaters November 14, 2025
Notable Trailers: Hamnet, Ella McCay, Anaconda, Michael

Alright, Streamers! This week in unnecessary sequels to franchises that haven’t had a movie in 10 years, we are graced with Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which I don’t think anyone was clamoring for. I’m just say… Anyway, this movie is the third installment about The Four Horsemen, a group magicians, who use illusions to pull off Robin-Hood-inspired heists. In Now You Don’t, The Four Horsemen team up with young, talented upstarts Charlie (Justice Smith), Bosco (Dominic Sessa) and June (Ariana Greenblatt) to take down Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), the owner of a South African diamond company that has ties to money laundering and war crimes. Sleigh of hand hijinks ensue.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is exactly what you think it’s going to be, especially if you’ve seen the previous two movies. In the grand scheme of things, this movie is pretty low stakes, fairly entertaining, and quick. All you really want from these movies is some quippy dialogue and some dazzling magic tricks. You will get both from this movie. It’s not revolutionary or particularly clever and some of the effects are not impressive; nonetheless, you will be entertained for the 1 hour 45 minutes of this movie. Don’t even focus on the plot because it makes no sense. Remember a movie about magicians tricking people designs itself to do the same to its audience, so, of course, things are going get tricky. *EYE ROLL*

Unfortunately, that’s where it ends as Now You Don’t is also forgettable and blends into the fabric of the previous Now You See Me movies. I will note that the villain here is pretty fun. Rosamund Pike is giving a daffy, ridiculously fun performance enhanced by a strange South African accent. She’s truly magnetic whenever she’s on screen. On the other hand, the cadre of young magicians are so annoying, both individually and collectively. While they are the reason for this new movie to exist, they are not likeable or particularly interesting as characters. They don’t add to the humor of the original Horsemen, and their chemistry with each other does not rise to their level either. It’s a real miss with them.

Ultimately, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is just an okay sequel in this franchise, but it is not essential viewing. It has some of the same humor from the previous movies and the core cast still has good chemistry. Rosamund Pike’s villainess performance is a treat. While the tricks are fun and generally entertaining, the new characters are annoying, and the plot is nonsense. This movie will leave your mind as soon as you step out of theater. Thus, it’s only a handful of popcorn so wait until it comes to streaming.