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The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

Play trailer 2:26 Poster for The Amazing Johnathan Documentary Released Aug 16, 2019 1h 31m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 41 Reviews 55% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Filmmaker Benjamin Berman has a difficult time separating truth from fiction as he documents the final tour of a dying magician.
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The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

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Critics Consensus

The Amazing Johnathan Documentary sets out to survey a magician's final tour -- and ends up pulling off some wildly ambitious tricks of its own.

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Critics Reviews

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Cath Clarke The Big Issue As a device for a film it's interesting to a point -- but it didn't fully work its magic on me. Nov 21, 2019 Full Review Ian Freer Empire Magazine The Amazing Johnathan Documentary starts as a blast but as the journey progresses, becomes ever more slippery: Is Szeles tricking Berman? Is Berman bamboozling us? The answer is entertaining and frustrating in equal measures. Rated: 3/5 Nov 19, 2019 Full Review Ed Potton Times (UK) It's compelling stuff: funny, moving and, yes, often amazing. Johnathan is a slippery subject, but in Berman he has a committed chronicler, who is even prepared to smoke meth with him on camera. Rated: 4/5 Nov 18, 2019 Full Review Steven Sheehan The Digital Fix Learning more about Berman's childhood and problems faced completing the documentary just isn't that interesting, and once you see through the illusion, the magic quickly starts to fade. Rated: 6/10 Feb 6, 2020 Full Review Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall [The Amazing Johnathan Documentary] provides a fascinating look at art, perception and the nature of truth. Rated: 4/5 Nov 25, 2019 Full Review Jamie East The Sun (UK) A cursory tale that it's well worth planning things in advance as much as possible, this is a gnat's breath away from being a complete disaster, but is saved by a first-time director's naive faith it will all be saved in the edit. Rated: 3/5 Nov 25, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tyler J Seems like a very dishonest Documentary where the director needlessly interject himself into the film! Not worth your time. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/16/24 Full Review David R Dishonest film making. Monstrous directing. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/04/23 Full Review Joel N WTF even was this movie? Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review J R Yet another documentarian who thought it necessary to make the film mostly about themself. Complete with the obligatory footage of going home to his rich parents' home to talk about how he's thinking about giving up. It's a doc about how hard it was to make. Ho hum. I'm beyond sick of this narcissistic format. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Nunya B This is horrible. It is not a documentary about Johnathan. It is a bad video maker whining about too many people making documentaries about his subject. The viewer is left without knowing anything about The Amazing Johnathon. I have to search down one of the films this guy is complaining of that are actually about the magician instead of a this waste of time. Ross McElwee this director is not. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 11/05/22 Full Review Audience Member In his heyday The Amazing Johnathan was one of the funniest and most surprising comedy-magicians on the circuit. The premise for this slightly rambling and confusing documentary is to follow Johnathan on his come-back tour after a forced absence brought on by an apparent diagnosis of terminal illness. How much of what we're told is true and how much manipulation and trickery becomes the subject. Unfortunately the price is an increasing lack of focus. Still interesting, though. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

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Cast & Crew

MexMan 100% % MexMan Watchlist Carré 35 100% % Carré 35 Watchlist God & Country 88% 46% God & Country Watchlist TRAILER for God & Country The Filmmaker's House 57% % The Filmmaker's House Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Benjamin Berman has a difficult time separating truth from fiction as he documents the final tour of a dying magician.
Director
Benjamin Berman
Producer
Miranda Bailey, Benjamin Berman, Russell Wayne Groves, Amanda Marshall, Jacob Perlin
Screenwriter
Benjamin Berman
Distributor
Hulu
Production Co
Anonymous Content, Cold Iron Pictures
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 16, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 16, 2019
Runtime
1h 31m
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