The Prestige

The Prestige is a 2006 science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan and is based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest. It stars Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier and Christian Bale as Alfred Borden, rival stage magicians in Victorian London who feud over a perfect teleportation illusion.

The cast also features Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, and David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. The film reunites Nolan with actors Bale and Caine from Batman Begins and returning cinematographer Wally Pfister, production designer Nathan Crowley, and editor Lee Smith.

The Prestige premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on October 17, 2006, was released in the United States on October 20, 2006 and in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2006, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution through their Touchstone Pictures label in the United States and Canada and internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures, to positive reviews and grossed $109 million worldwide against a production budget of $40 million. It received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.

Plot

In 1890s London, Robert Angier, Alfred Borden, and Angier's wife Julia work as magician's assistants under the mentorship of ingénieur John Cutter. During a water tank trick, Julia drowns after Borden ties her wrists, potentially using the wrong knot, though he claims forgetfulness afterwards. Angier blames Borden for his wife's death, and the two men, aspiring magicians of their own, become bitter rivals.