Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus

Released Jul 12, 2013

1h 40m

Comedy

List

83%

93 Reviews

Tomatometer

50%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Jamie invites an eccentric woman on a road trip with his friends. His devil-may-care journey becomes a battle of wills, as the two lock horns before they try a hallucinogenic concoction.

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Critics Consensus

Slight and unpolished, The Crystal Fairy is held together with Sebastian Silva's assured direction and a pair of strong, committed performances from Michael Cera and Gaby Hoffman.

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Bob P

You keep waiting for something to happen but this film just meanders through a drug never-ending party of 20 something year old characters. Seeing Crystal Fairy totally nude for significant minutes is certainly interesting but the guys never truly connect with her. The end is emotional but it happens too abruptly. Not a movie I would recommend.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Depending on your mood you could either enjoy the movie unfolding or be annoyed as hell. Pace is slow, so prepare. Gaby Hoffmann absolutely steals the show with her completely believable performance. Even though she is nude for some of the movie, it is not titillating and perfectly fits her character. Michael Cera's character is not very likable but it serves it's purpose and he does a great job. The other actors gave nice performances as well. So, if you are filling chill, relax and watch the movie unfold.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

dave s

Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus is a likable enough film, but I defy anyone to explain why. The two main characters certainly aren't likable, the plot is a bit thin, and, other than a revelation from Crystal Fairy (Gabby Hoffmann) at the end, the whole thing just sort of leaves you hanging. Despite that, I liked it. Jamie (Michael Cera) is a narcissistic and boorish American tourist who embarks on a road trip with three locals to find the rare San Pedro cactus, known for its hallucinogenic traits. The scenery is nice enough and Cera is fantastic as the truly detestable lead character. I guess that that's good enough for me.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

spyrel s

I thoroughly enjoyed this, but recognize it's a chill movie. You have to be comfortable to chill and let it unfold. I also found it an extremely realistic depiction of traveling in your 20's in a certain milieu. That means it meanders a bit, and you're left with strong memories but not a simple "this was the point of what just happened" message. Like that trip you took, you go back to it, to remembered people, images and moments, and kind of piece it together in your own narrative over time. All the acting is great. Michael Cera is a painfully annoying American and also someone you recognize well, maybe with even a cringeworthy awareness that there are brief moments of cluelessness that look personally familiar. Give it a try.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

College student experience, script and production. Cera's character is so irritating it's hard to get through until he "transforms" from his magical experience.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This film was almost good.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

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Sebastián Silva

Director

Michael Cera

Jamie

Gaby Hoffmann

Crystal Fairy

Agustín Silva

Pilo

José Miguel Silva

Lel

Juan Andrés Silva

Champa

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J. Hoberman

ARTINFO.com

Jamie and Crystal are vivid '60s types, indelibly played.

Nov 21, 2018

Full Review

Anna Smith

metro.co.uk

It should appeal to fans of offbeat character-driven dramas - not to mention fans of Cera himself, who's embracing these morally ambiguous characters with gusto.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 6, 2017

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

It pootles around in vaguely trippy fashion, relying on loose improvisation as the characters variously get on each other's nerves (and ours) before reaching a collective one-ness with the universe. Or something.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 19, 2014

Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

It's a tribute to the leads and the strong hand of Silva that we can be enchanted and repulsed by both.

Jun 19, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Crystal Fairy weaves her spell over you from beginning to end.

Nov 27, 2019

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

While there may not be much here as far as Cera reinventing himself, leave any of that baggage at the door for this loopy endeavor that is most certainly unpredictable, especially given its simplistic narrative.

Aug 22, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Jamie invites an eccentric woman on a road trip with his friends. His devil-may-care journey becomes a battle of wills, as the two lock horns before they try a hallucinogenic concoction.

Director: Sebastián Silva
Screenwriter: Sebastián Silva
Distributor: IFC Films
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 12, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 28, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $187.5K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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