Stream It Or Skip It?

Prepare to be amazed by Justin Willman in his first hour-long Netflix special, Magic Lover. The magician and comedian has already made a splash on the platform with shows like Magic for Humans and The Magic Prank Show with Justin Willman, but this new special looks to up the ante as this seasoned performer uses his 30+ years of experience to turn skeptics and nonbelievers into bona fide magic lovers. Will you be amongst the converted? You’ll have to watch to find out.

The Gist: Filmed in front of a live studio audience at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, Justin Willman: Magic Lover combines comedy and magic to give viewers an engrossing hour of tricks, mind games, and illusions.

Up top, Willman establishes that there are two kinds of people who come to this kind of show: the magic lovers and the plus ones. The latter group typically isn’t a huge fan of magic, or at the very least, they’re skeptics who likely would never go to a show like this of their own accord. Willman opts to play directly to the nonbelievers with a first trick that seems to have him pulling the name of an audience member’s first crush out from a box, only to immediately reveal that the name was produced by a printer hidden within.

The comedian jokes that “Magic is like hot dogs. The more you know, the harder it is to swallow.” Willman acknowledges that it’s natural for some people to doubt, but he implores the audience to let themselves all be magic lovers just for this next hour, and then punctuates his request by crumpling up the printer into a ball of paper, which proves surprising and spectacular enough to get even those pesky plus ones onboard.

From there, Willman invites the entire audience to come together and engage with his show, utilizing exemplary crowdwork that ensures that everyone from the front few rows to the balcony to even the theater’s lobby is involved in the performance. Willman utilizes everything from some tried-and-true tricks like turning a one-dollar bill into a twenty, to more original marvels like having an audience member solve a Rubik’s cube behind his back, a game of chance that leaves another audience member’s phone at risk of being smashed, and a mic drop-worthy final demonstration of serenditipity that begins with kids spinning a wheel to win various stuffed animals and ends with a standing ovation from the entire crowd. Curious? Guess you’ll just have to check it out for yourself!

What Comedy Specials Will It Remind You Of?: It’s a bit difficult to find direct comparisons to the kind of comedy magic work that Justin Willman is doing, but fans of his work will likely also enjoy Drummond Money-Coutts’s Death By Magic, as well as other magic specials and shows from all-time greats like David Blaine and Penn & Teller.

Memorable Jokes: The following is perhaps less of a joke and more of an extremely impressive feat, but at the very least, it’s undeniably memorable. Willman begins this notable segment of his show by sharing, “When I was 12, I spent one summer memorizing every ZIP code in America. I don’t wanna say I was unpopular, um… I had a lot of free time on my hands. This is before the internet, this is what we did.”

What ensues is a bit that’s equal parts fascinating and funny as Willman works the entire room, asking audience volunteers for their ZIP codes so he can then name the exact city and state that corresponds to each one. Humorous moments occur naturally as Willman speaks with different people, including a fancily dressed woman who, for some reason, only responds to his inquiry in whispers, and a man who does Willman’s work for him by answering with his city and state (Hastings, Florida — it’ll become relevat again later) instead of his ZIP code. Willman ends the segment by rapidly reciting back the 17 ZIP codes in the exact order in which he first heard them, leaving the entire audience (and also me as an at-home viewer) in awe.

Our Take: From start to finish, Justin Willman: Magic Lover is a riveting and delightful watch. This is mostly due to Willman himself, who makes the viewers feel included in or “in on” his various tricks by being a likable and charming good sport who can joke around with his audience without ever punching down.

Willman further perpetuates this spirit of inclusivity throughout various top-notch and seemingly effortless crowd interactions with people from all over (and even outside of!) the room. He operates with the kind of ease and confidence that can only come from experience, ensuring that both the in-person and at-home viewers feel comfortable with him steering this wild and wonderful ship, even when we don’t know what direction it’s heading.

While the various sleight-of-hand and magic tricks were undoubtedly impressive, perhaps the most remarkable thing of all was Willman’s memory. To be able to recall everything from multiple ZIP codes to various audience members’ names and other little personal details he gleaned from them is nothing short of magic in its own right. Whether or not you believe in sorcery or illusions or the supernatural, at the very least this special should make you in awe of the magic that is the human mind. It just goes to show that perhaps the realest magic of all is simply people in a room together, living in the moment as they shine whilst doing incredible, serendipitous things.

Our Call: Whether you’re a believer or a plus one, Justin Willman’s entertaining and engaging new special is sure to make a magic lover out of you yet. STREAM IT!