Magic for Humans (2018–2020) User Reviews

so many bad reviews and I don't understand why!

[sadiesdad2003 · 8/10 · 13 February 2021]

Its a tv show. Its meant to be entertaining and it definitely achieved that. I swear people just like to complain.

Delightful, mind boggling, and just pure, good fun

[ArielleNTB · 8/10 · 15 December 2019]

I absolutely adore this show! Justin Willman is a fantastic personality and highly engaging. His tricks are fantastic-- he takes common magic tricks and amps them up in unexpected ways. The show is funny and quirky and right on the edge of being a little too hammy but it has yet to cross the line. The segments are great: he has one recurring bit called "Magic for Susans" where (shocker) he does street magic for a stranger named Susan; a second bit is "Trick Questions" where he performs street magic for a passerby and then afterwards asks them an absurd, unrelated question. It never fails to make me laugh.

The major tricks themselves are also shocking and baffling, I'm always wondering how he accomplished what he did. The show got a lot of flack for being "staged"-- I'm not sure why, perhaps people don't understand what magicians do? It's not "real magic" like Harry Potter but it is real. I think the second season takes more steps to make that clear by using longer, seamless shots (and also there is an episode where he just flat out says, it's not staged).

The second season themes dipped a bit, but I still loved it. It's a great show for all ages and the perfect length for someone that just wants a quick laugh. If you like watching magic, you'll love this show.

Fake or not, this is pure fun

[CedricWalters · 8/10 · 10 June 2020]

Don't normally review stuff but when a show is being bombarded by people wanting to spoil the fun for others, I feel the need to intervene. Let's be honest, even if this show was staged it is still very much entertaining. It's hard not to smile watching Magic for Humans. As Justin says in his own show: what really matters is not that it's fake, it's how it makes you feel. There is nothing wrong with a little escapism, in this day and age we all need it!

Funny, entertaining and has heart

[matrixdukenukem · 10/10 · 8 December 2019]

Let me be clear, I watch magic shows on TV like I watch wrestling. They work hard for the make believe and in the end the only thing matters is if you're entertained or not. I was not only entertained, but laughed all the way through and even cries some.

Lose the notion and subside these fake reviews, this is definitely a good weekend watch.

Yeah I doubt it's fake

[tinyfordst · 9/10 · 19 January 2021]

The problem with really good magic is that people always think it's fake... The bigger problem is that all magic is fake, it's not magic, it's an illusion.

Justin is one of those great magicians who has dedicated his life to the art of magic and he is genuinely brilliant at it, if you've seen him live you will know how well he does what he does. But because he doesn't pretend to be working with the devil like Dynamo or Chris Angel people call him out for being fake, despite him doing some of the most basic magic out there.

This is a comedy show with magic like the Carbanaro Effect, where a great magician tries (and succeeds) to make you laugh. I really enjoy the show, especially the magic for Susans.

Brings me so much joy!

[dmccaa-50686 · 10/10 · 3 May 2021]

Me and the family like to watch it. Lots of good life living and real human connection along with some silly laugh at ourselves moments. It's a special show.

Stupid fake show, not magic!

[waltergarie · 25 August 2018]

WTF was netflix thinking airing this dumb show. No magic just camera edits and fake crowds. I could do these dumb fake tricks. What a waste of my time, thinking of cancelling Netflix account now!

Family fun!

[rach_8122 · 7/10 · 21 May 2020]

There are some harsh reviews in here. Of course magic isn't real people. We all know it's illusions... And there would be an answer for everything he does BUT half the fun is pretending it's REAL. I watched it with my daughter who was in complete awe and shock. She loved it. Great family viewing. :)

IT IS NOT CAMERA EDITING!

[dillon-72427 · 10/10 · 15 December 2019]

Lot of people hear haven't watched the whole thing, and they just review it. Watch Season 1 & 2. It's very much like judging the book by its cover. I am a Computer Engineer and I do CGI. If you look closely and watch it, it's not edits (I do this for a living - edits and animation). What he does it just years of training and pure talent. EXCEPT for the illusion of making his wife appear from a bag trick, that whole series of tricks is CGI - so what, he just added a little bit more entertainment. He DOES it LIVE without any edits or video animation for the most part (except for sound bits of course). It's just illusion done by a professional. I highly recommend it, specially Season 2. Watch fully before concluding.

Silly and entertaining

[julie-clapham · 7/10 · 17 May 2020]

We love this show in our family. It's definitely a comedy, as it's meant to be, not real magic but more like parlor tricks. It can be hokey and the tricks can be figured out and the participants can seem fake at times, but it's funny. Good mental bubblegum during this quarantined time.

Scripted baloney, sad

[stevenk-714-234850 · 1/10 · 28 August 2018]

Its not a magic trick when you have actors to play along. Wouldn't recommend to anyone, would just lead to disappointment. Takes away from how impressive real street magic can be and makes you doubt even the possibly real tricks in the show.

Good clean fun, stop the hating!!

[eidenneal · 10/10 · 15 May 2020]

Justin keep it up, your mix of magic and comedy is refreshing. Ignore the haters, they don't seem to get what you are doing. Reality of magic is the illusion of making you question what you just saw and you do it with a unique style!!

Thank you Netflix

Great magic but with layers of SJW BS.

[skot-watson · 7/10 · 20 August 2018]

Liked the magic, liked the magicians sense of humor but was turned off by the obvious liberal agenda that is shoehorned into almost every episode. Divey up, divey down

Scripted

[nmardle · 1/10 · 28 August 2018]

The concept of the show looked like it was going to be good, but within the first 2 minutes of the first episode you could already tell the 'participants' were in fact actors.

After watching the entire first episode it is clear that almost every trick is setup and uses fake people. Very disappointing.

Absolutely fun!

[deanemoore · 9/10 · 18 January 2021]

Its magic. Yes, it's a trick. All magic...is a trick. Penn & Teller. David Copperfield. Houdini. This guy. All really good at tricking you. That's the point.

An Honestly Fun Show

[chelseacarasusan · 9/10 · 26 August 2018]

Look Im not going to vouch either way about whether it's scripted or not; I want it to be real so I choose to believe it. But I Know it's a fine show with great laughs, relatable themes, and a cheeky host. Magic has always been lying for fun, why are people mad that others have made the lies that much crazier?

Perfect blend of magic, comedic timing/delivery, and humanism.

[SquidwardHitchcock · 9/10 · 24 December 2019]

Justin Willman's comedic timing and delivery is genius. There are laugh out loud moments. The tricks are mind-bending. The themes of the episodes reveal what it is to be human.

Don't listen to the 1 star reviews -- those people missed the joke! Yes there are some scenes where he knew the names of the people beforehand but that was part of the joke! You can easily tell the actual magic tricks are not scripted/rehearsed/planned or otherwise known by the participants beforehand. For people saying it's fake -- well yeah, magic is fake, sorry to burst your bubble at the tender age of however old you are!

the horrible host of cupcake wars finds a new gig

[davidm-14 · 6/10 · 22 August 2018]

He made cupcake wars (or was it halloween wars??) unwatchable, so it's good that he was able to find a new job, at least temporarily. his over-the-top use of bad puns and generally unlikeability that wafted off of him on that previous show like a 5-day old uncleaned catbox is reigned in somewhat here. perhaps he realizes the error of his previous ways. pretty watchable if you like magic

You guys know magic isn't real, right?

[Saraiw · 10/10 · 18 May 2020]

It's a funny show, I love the Dad Tricks lol. Magic isn't real, so duh the show isn't real.

It's a kids show, right?

[sirtristanthefirst · 23 August 2018]

If it's supposed to be a joke they do a poorly way of telling it. I don't see how any adult would think people acting terribly is fun and some magic that isn't really interesting since it's implied that it's all fake. Maybe kids would like it though.

Fun and entertaining, not the greatest magic

[nadblaster · 7/10 · 8 September 2018]

Justin is super charming, the bits are fun and funny, the weird little segments actually made me laugh a few times (Magic for Susans is such a dumb idea that you can't not laugh at it, c'mon) and the show overall was really entertaining and fun to watch - for the most part.

On the other hand, the show has a lot of real weaknesses. For one, I understand that this is Current Year and everything, but revolving a long segment around a sexual fetish where people like to pretend they're dogs was kind of a weird choice for a magic show. For two, the magic tricks are often pretty impressive, but nearly every single trick/bit/segment is shot with multiple cameras - leading to an easy argument of "this entire thing is just staged and dumb". Personally I don't care (to me, entertainment is entertainment) but at the same time it makes it a little difficult to enjoy or discuss with people who are more skeptical. Finally, the last segment of the last episode was just plain crap. I don't think it's fair to judge an entire show by one bad bit but damn.

Overall though I really enjoyed it, but I 100% admit that it's just because the host is just plain made to be on TV. He's funny and is just plain fun to watch. If they make a season 2 I'll watch it for sure. If you're a straight-up magic fan, though, this isn't even remotely close to Penn & Teller or the like and you might be disappointed.

FAKE

[matt_collier · 1/10 · 31 August 2018]

Looked good in the adverts but was staged and fake

Good show, tough crowd

[willconant · 10/10 · 7 January 2020]

Man, I would hate to be a magician performing in front of an audience with the attitude of some of the other reviewers! But seriously, I thought the show was entertaining for what it was and well-produced. I won't spoil any of the bits but if you are on the fence - check it out and judge it for yourself! Season 1 was good but the it really hits it's stride in Season 2. Fingers crossed for a Season 3 eventually!

Great series, bad finale.

[white-63612 · 6/10 · 31 August 2018]

Great show, great magic. Host is personable and hilarious. Seems like a genuine guy who does performs spectacular magic (oxymoron?). The big issue is with the overly sexual final episode. The first 5 episodes are family and kid friendly, then with no warning there are mentions of anal sex and gay orgies. I like rated R and MA just like the next person but when 1 episode is so drastically different, it can be off putting.

Entertaining but horrid...

[ronaldvandenboogaard · 1/10 · 28 August 2018]

1st episode kicks of nice with stunning people with magic.

But the lack of 1 take films all had me wondering if there was some recording enabled magic invloved. And after he pull's up his wife from a bag, wich clearly had glitches from switching to greenscreen.... fun was over...