MAGIC MAGIC is a horror film with a twist, and to provide any kind of review of the material at all means that I need to spoil the twist. It starts out as your usual 'backpacking Americans run into trouble abroad' type thriller, complete with lots of animal cruelty for those who like that sort of thing, and some of the most repulsive characters ever put on screen.
As the storyline progresses the viewer gradually becomes aware that this is something different. The horrors aren't supernatural and there's no killer here after the group, instead, the horror is internal and more realistic than most; it's the horror of mental illness. Sadly, the script is quite wishy-washy when it comes to the specifics of the thing, and the aforementioned bad characterisation spoils the whole thing. The Chilean locations are nice, but Michael Cera plays one of the most irritating characters I've ever seen, and Juno Temple (KILLER JOE) isn't much better in yet another degrading part.
As the storyline progresses the viewer gradually becomes aware that this is something different. The horrors aren't supernatural and there's no killer here after the group, instead, the horror is internal and more realistic than most; it's the horror of mental illness. Sadly, the script is quite wishy-washy when it comes to the specifics of the thing, and the aforementioned bad characterisation spoils the whole thing. The Chilean locations are nice, but Michael Cera plays one of the most irritating characters I've ever seen, and Juno Temple (KILLER JOE) isn't much better in yet another degrading part.