In Victorian London, two stage magicians — Robert Angier and Alfred Borden — begin as allies before a tragic accident transforms them into bitter rivals locked in an escalating war of sabotage and one-upmanship. When Borden performs an inexplicable teleportation trick, Angier becomes consumed by the need to understand and surpass it, pursuing the secret across continents and into genuinely dangerous territory. Nolan's labyrinthine thriller about obsession, sacrifice, and the cost of genius keeps its most devastating revelations for the final frame.
