Actors: Michael Cera, Juno Temple, Emily Browning
Directors: Sebastián Silva
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Run Time: 97 minutes
Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars
“Magic Magic” has seemed to completely slipped through my radar this year. It packs an impressive young cast including Juno Temple (“The Dark Knight”), Emily Browning (“Sucker Punch”) and Michael Cera (“Superbad”) in his most interesting role to date. Cera delivers the creeps and does a damn good job doing it. This psychological thriller really keeps you on your toes and hits when you don’t expect it. You definitely get this uncomfortable feeling through the whole film, which I did enjoy. I would recommend this for sure as a rainy weekend renter.
Official Premise: Award-Winning Chilean director, Sebastián Silva, invites you on this thrilling journey to the deepest reaches of your darkest fears. In a foreign country, far from home, Alicia (Juno Temple) arrives in South America to vacation with her cousin, Sarah (Emily Browning). When Sarah is suddenly called away, Alicia is stuck on a remote island off Chile with three of Sarahs friends, including Barbara (Catalina Sandino Moreno) and Brink (Michael Cera), an American exchange student with a sadistic streak. Bewildered, frightened, and unable to sleep, Alicias reality becomes a nightmare from which there is no waking. Ancient indigenous rites, disturbing animal behavior, and captivating hypnotic trances come together in an intense exploration into the darkest corners when the games go too far, reality unravels with astonishing and deadly consequences.
I wasn’t aware of the work of director, Sebastián Silva prior to this film but I will be keeping an eye out for him more now. In fact, I am actually shocked that this film was never released in theaters after its critically successful debut at Sundance this past January. Sony also only chose to release this film on DVD and skipped a Blu-ray release, not sure why. But I feel this could have benefited from a high-def surround track with its eerie score. In terms of special features, there is an exclusive to the DVD featurette included, “The Making Magic Magic”, which gives a look into the production.