Cameron Black presents a trick for the audience and sys that magic is deception. He explains that there's deception where he tricks them, and the other kind where they trick themselves. Cameron says that their minds deceive themselves every day, just to make everything make sense even when it doesn't. He then goes out onto the Las Vegas stage to a cheering audience.
As Cameron takes a break between illusions, his producer Dina Clark reminds him that he's still got the Houdini escape and warns that he missed up the cues. Illusion builder Gunter Gustafsen warns Cameron if that the blowtorches are one inch off, Cameron will die. Cameron's assistant Jordan Kwon assures Cameron that he looks fine. Out on stage, Cameron announces that he will do the same escape that Harry Houdini did a hundred years ago. He's upping the difficulty by being blindfolded and using blowtorches to cut through the wire in two minutes, dropping him onto a bed of spikes. They lift Cameron up into the air and Gunter flips him upside down. The blowtorches activate and Cameron works on his escape.
Gunter gets a warning that one blowtorch is out of assignment. Jordan and Dina tell Gunter to stop, but Cameron insists that he's got it. One of the wires breaks ahead of schedule, and Cameron swings over to a chain. He misses it and smashes into a broadcast spring. After a moment, the screens go out and Cameron appears on the main screen. He disappears from the screen, appears on the stage, and everyone applauds.
In New York, "Cameron" signs autographs and an attractive woman catches his eye. They go out driving and the woman asks him how he does it. Cameron refuses to reveal his secret, and he notices that her eyes are different. He looks away and the car crashes.
Later, Cameron wakes up on bed. Police officers break down the door and the officer in charge says that Cameron fled the scene after he crashed the car, and killed a woman. Cameron says that the man in the photo isn't him: it's his twin brother Jonathan.
After the police arrest Jonathan, Cameron visits him in jail and asks why he read. Jonathan says that the woman in the car had different colored eyes, and he tried to save her after the wreck but she wasn't dead. The dead woman's eyes were the same color, and Jonathan figures that he was set up. He says that they could have pulled up the illusion, and figures that they were after Cameron. Jonathan begs Cameron to help him, and Jonathan says that he'll get him out.
The news soon releases the news that Cameron used a twin brother in his performances. The jury convicts Jonathan of involuntary manslaughter, and Cameron tells the reporters that he'll find out who set his brother up.
One Year Later
FBI Agent Kay Daniels and her men are flying a prisoner Felix Ruiz across the country. She wonders why he got arrested when he doesn't make mistakes, but Felix doesn't respond. The jet lands at the airport in Westchester and pulls into a hangar, and Kay's partner Mike Alvarez meets her. Shots go off, hitting the grenades on the tac agents, and smoke fills the hangar. Kay orders everyone to secure the perimeter, and they get out as she tells everyone to stop firing because the plane is loaded with fuel. The lights go out and there's an explosion.
Cameron is sleeping it off in a bar and the bartender, Bob, tells Cameron that Dina called and he told her that Cameron was there. Dina comes in and asks what happened, and Cameron says that he went on a magic bender. She warns that his search for Jonathan's illusionist is going to ruin him and he needs to get back to work. Dina admits that she misses Jonathan, and Cameron is surprised that she does after he dumped her for another woman. She warns that Gunter and Jordan are getting offers from other magicians, and they need a magician with a show. Cameron insists that he's putting together a new show, and sees a news broadcast about the explosion. He points out that the explosion is the same as the one they did for a plane disappearance, and figures that whoever did it was an illusionist and needed an audience.
At the hanger, Mike tells Kay that they haven't found any bodies yet. Cameron is looking around and Kay tells him that it's an active crime scene. Mike realizes that it's Cameron, and Cameron says that he's looking for the proscenium. He works out where they were standing and tells them that the plane disappeared, it didn't explode. Kay tells Mike to get Cameron out, and Cameron explains that he knows how they did it because he did the same illusion. Mike confirms that he saw the show on TV, and Kay challenges Cameron to demonstrate. He performs a deck flip and explains that someone did the same thing to make the plane disappear. They slit it out and replaced it with wreckage, and Cameron reveals the grooves on the floor. The smoke and the explosion were pyrotechnics. When Kay points out that tac agents were blocking the only exit, Cameron hits a wall with a crowbar and says that there was a hidden door. The door finally falls open, and Kay calls for the tower logs. Cameron says that the same illusionist who made the plane disappeared framed his brother, and offers to help because it will lead to the illusionist.
At the FBI office, Kay introduces Cameron to her superior, Deakins. She figures the whole thing sounds crazy, but gives Kay the opportunity to find Felix with Cameron's help. They then hold a briefing and confirm that the plane took off, deactivated the transponder, and flew off below the radar. Kay figures that the cartel wanted Felix dead so Felix set up the whole thing to disappear. Everyone has to think that he's dead, and three days ago they intercepted a call between Felix and his banker Dominic Prince. They planned to meet in NYC. Cameron speaks up, saying that they drove the plane away because it would have made too much noise taking off. Deakins orders her agents to run it down.
Kay and Cameron leave, and she tells him that she's never seen him because her focus is on Felix. He says that he was born into the magic business because his father was a magician. Nobody knew that he and Jonathan were twins. Kay refuses to say anything about herself, and tells Cameron that she doesn't like magic.
Cameron and Kay check out the warehouse district where the plane must have gone, and they ask workers if anyone saw a big truck roll through. Cameron loudly announces that they're with the FBI, and Kay warns him that they won't tell them anything. The magician performs a magic trick so that someone will give away something. He gets the workers on his side, and Kay notices one man nervously watching. She approaches the man and accuses him of seeing the plane. When he runs, Cameron throws the knife he's using for the illusion in front of the man, cutting off his escape.
The man says that he saw the plane at a nearby warehouse and there's armed guns outside. One of them is Andrei Stanislav, Felix's right-hand man, and Kay figures that they're moving Felix. Cameron insists on going in, and she handcuffs him to the door before going in on her own. He soon breaks free and says that the men inside are DEA agents who were working with Felix. Cameron shows Kay the plane in a nearby room and a team of welders taking it apart. As they go to call for backup, they run into Felix and his men. They open fire, and kay and Cameron take cover. Felix gets to his escape car and drives off.
Andrei chases Cameron off, and Cameron says that he spent a month in Budapest learning to catch a bullet. Andrei prepares to shoot him, and Kay arrives and wounds him. The backup arrives and Cameron admits to Kay that he can't catch a bullet. He figured that Andrei would hesitate, and Kay tells him that Felix escaped. Cameron says that nothing is impossible, and Kay tells him that it's her life and they lost the man she's spent years hunting.
Cameron goes back to his studio and discovers that Jordan is packing to leave. Dina is trying to convince Gunter to stay, but he and Jordan are going to sign up with Chris Angel. She insists that they have a show, and Cameron explains that the illusionist who framed Jonathan helped Felix escaped. Gunter is furious that Cameron doesn't respect them, and tells Cameron that the FBI doesn't need him. Dina says that they need a show, and Jordan warns Cameron that he sounds crazy. Cameron asks for one last day and apologizes for not being there for them. He explains that the FBI--and Jonathan--need all of them.
Mike and Kay question Andrei about where Felix is. He refuses to give up Felix or Dominic, and Deakins comes in and says that Dominic is there. They meet with the banker, who says that their relationship with Felix has deteriorated. He'll help the FBI in return for full immunity and protection. The agents agree and Kay says that Dominic is wearing the wrong suit. She demands to know who he is, and Cameron admits that he's disguised. He says that they need their own illusionist to catch Felix's illusionist. Kay and Deakins talk outside, and Mike tells Cameron that Felix is personal for her. They take Andrei away and Kay glances at Cameron in the conference room.
Soon, Kay stages a conversation with the disguised Cameron where Andrei can hear it. Cameron leaves and Kay tells Andrei that if he wants the same deal, he should talking. Soon, Andrei tells them that Felix is in NYC and meeting with Dominic the next day. Felix has a squad of mercenaries guarding him, and Cameron says that with their intel and his team, they can catch Felix without any bloodshed. Deakins doesn't trust Cameron, but Kay says that they should hear him out. Cameron says that he needs police officers, cars, controlled explosives, and lots of money. Finally, he needs another master of deception.
Cameron is setting up the plan when the guard brings Jonathan in. They go over the plan together and Cameron explains that Jonathan will pose as Dominic to trap Felix. Jonathan blames Cameron's show for putting him in jail, and complains that their father forced them to play one person. He was trapped in Cameron's life, and Cameron wouldn't let him out. Cameron realizes that Jonathan doesn't need him, and admits that he's no good without him. He points out that they've designed all of their illusions together as one person, and he needs him. Cameron begs Jonathan to help him, and Jonathan writes down something to help Cameron with his swap.
Cameron's team arrives and Dina makes up Cameron as Dominic while Jordan and Gunter ague. The FBI sets up where the real Dominic is meeting Felix, and Gunter secretly tasers him and dumps him into a wheelchair. Cameron steps in while Gunter moves a screen briefly across them, covering the whole thing. Kay and Mike follow from a safe distance as Felix's men pick up the disguised Cameron. They check him for bugs and take him to nearby building.
Inside, Felix gets into the car with Cameron. Seconds later three of the same cars drive off. Kay has her men follow all three of them. Meanwhile, in the real car inside the building, Felix asks Cameron what he told the FBI. Cameron tries to deny it, but Felix knows that he's lying. His man ties up and blindfolds Cameron, and Cameron switches to his normal voice and says that he's a magician. He knocks out the man holding him, breaks free, grabs the wheel, and hits another man with the car, and then drives out with Felix. Cameron drives down the street, still blindfolded, and points out to Felix that shooting him when he's driving isn't a good idea. Felix quickly gives directions to Cameron to drive through traffic, but they crash into a barricade.
Cameron gets out of the car and pulls the blindfold off as the police arrive. Felix grabs Cameron and leads him off, and Cameron asks who Felix hired. They come to a dead-end alley and discover that there's a fake scenery flat making it look like the street continues on. Cameron explains that they set the whole thing up so that Felix's only choice is to give up. Felix prepares to shoot Cameron, and Cameron asks for the name of the illusionist who helped him escape. The cartel commander says something in Spanish and shoots Cameron, and Kay and the agents come out and arrest him. Cameron steps up and claims that he claimed the bullet, and Mike leads Felix away. The magician tells Kay that Felix said the illusionist was "the sorceress with the magical eyes", and realizes that the woman in the car is the illusionist.
That night, the team celebrates at Cameron's studio. Cameron invites Kay and Mike in. Mike asks how Cameron did the bullet catch, and he says that he didn't. Dina takes out a gun and explains that she went through Kay's Felix files and determines what his gun of choice was. They printed a 3-D replica and Cameron switched it in the car using a briefcase with a secret compartment. Mike complains that they're ruining the magic with explanations, and Kay looks around at Cameron's old props, including one of his "Disappearing Boy" illusion when he was a child.
Cameron is out on the balcony, and Kay comes out and asks what he's going to do next. He says that when they were kids, he was the performer and Jonathan was the Disappearing Boy hidden but always there for him. Cameron insists that he has to get Jonathan out, and Kay points out that illusionist copied every detail of Cameron's disappearing-plane illusion except one. She went back to the hangar and found a deck of cards like the one that Cameron left when he performed the illusion. Kay gives the deck to Cameron, and he finds a phone inside. It activates and the sorceress says that her show's about to begin. She asks if Cameron is ready, and Cameron realizes from the background noise that she's at the Frankfurt Airport. He says that they're coming for her and hangs up.
Written by Gadfly on Mar 12, 2018