The Magician
A mysterious traveling magician confronts a skeptical Swedish establishment determined to reduce wonder, fraud, and identity to evidence.
Overview
A captivating exploration of illusion and reality unfolds as a mysterious troupe arrives in town, challenging the boundaries of belief.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- eerie
- paranoid
- theatrical
- arthouse film night
- classic cinema evening
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Bergman's tightly structured period drama as a frightening, thoughtful, and formally controlled examination of illusion, skepticism, and identity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Vogler's troupe relies on disguises, theatrical roles, and competing identities while townspeople attempt to determine who he really is.
The police chief and medical examiner interrogate the troupe's alleged phenomena and seek to expose magic as fraud.
The troupe is detained and examined by hostile civic authorities in an atmosphere of paranoia and controlled revelation.
Vogler's Magnetic Health Theater moves from town to town offering cures and magical spectacles.
Films like The Magician, and why
The Seventh Seal
shared existential drama, theatrical illusion, and tension between faith and rationalism
Persona
shared Bergmanesque psychological intensity, symbolic drama, and probing of identity
Hour of the Wolf
shared gothic atmosphere, supernatural ambiguity, and conflict between reality and fantasy
Fanny and Alexander
shared period setting, ensemble social scrutiny, and unsettling theatrical spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Ingmar Bergman
- Release Date
- 1958-12-26
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (251)
Cast
- Max von Sydow
- Ingrid Thulin
- Gunnar Björnstrand
- Naima Wifstrand
- Bengt Ekerot
- Bibi Andersson
- Gertrud Fridh
- Lars Ekborg
- Toivo Pawlo
- Erland Josephson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Kanopy, Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Magician about?
- A mysterious traveling magician confronts a skeptical Swedish establishment determined to reduce wonder, fraud, and identity to evidence.
- What is The Magician like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Magician as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Magician violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Magician.
- What did critics think of The Magician?
- Critics broadly regard Bergman's tightly structured period drama as a frightening, thoughtful, and formally controlled examination of illusion, skepticism, and identity.
- Which films are like The Magician?
- Films with a similar feel include The Seventh Seal, Persona, Hour of the Wolf, and Fanny and Alexander.
- How long is The Magician?
- The Magician runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Magician?
- In United States, The Magician streams on Kanopy, Criterion Channel.
