The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

As Albert Weinselstein (1982) celebrated his birthday, his mother's thoughtful gift - a comprehensive magic trick set from legendary illusionist Rance Holloway - would forever alter the trajectory of his life. With diligent practice, young Albert honed his skills alongside classmate Anthony Mertz, eventually morphing into the dynamic duo Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton. Their act took Las Vegas by storm, securing a coveted spot at the Bally's Hotel, where they headlined for a decade. However, as time passed, Burt's inflated ego began to suffocate their partnership, driving away female assistants with an eerie uniformity - all bearing the name "Nicole." In a rash decision, Burt hastily recruited production assistant Jane as his latest Nicole, further eroding Anton's patience.

The duo's fortunes began to wane when they encountered Steve Gray, a street magician with an unsettling card trick featured on his TV show, Brain Rapist. As audience interest in their act dwindled, Bally's owner Doug Munny grew increasingly disenchanted. Seeking inspiration from Gray's unorthodox stunts, Anton proposed a similar approach - the "Hot Box" - wherein they'd be sealed inside a Plexiglas enclosure suspended above the Las Vegas Strip. Overconfident and woefully unprepared, Burt's panic-stricken performance led to a catastrophic failure, leaving Anton injured and their partnership in tatters. Jane, too, bid farewell.

Refusing to adapt, Burt continued his solo act with disastrous results. Munny ultimately shuttered the production, and Burt found himself bankrupt, having squandered his earnings on lavish lifestyles. Despondent, he struggled to find new opportunities until landing a gig at an assisted-living facility catering to retired Vegas performers. There, he crossed paths with Holloway, who had long since retired from the stage, disillusioned by the industry's transformation. As Burt showed Holloway Gray's performances, featuring feats like sleeping on hot coals and regurgitating jelly beans, he was shocked to discover Jane - an aspiring magician herself - working alongside Gray. Horrified by Gray's approach, Holloway and Burt revitalized their own craft, refining their tricks and rediscovering the sense of wonder that had initially drawn them to magic. A visit from Jane and her grandmother at the facility paved the way for a poignant reconciliation with his former partner.

The curtain rises on Doug's grandiose endeavor: a lavish casino-hotel opening night extravaganza. In a calculated move to generate buzz, he hosts a talent search, dangling a five-year contract as the ultimate prize. The evening takes an unexpected turn when Burt (actor name) is invited to perform his magic show at a high-stakes birthday party for Doug's son. However, Gray's uninvited appearance injects a toxic dose of competition into the proceedings, as he attempts to outdo Burt with his own brand of sorcery. Jane's disgust with Gray's antics prompts her hasty departure from the party.

Meanwhile, a serendipitous reunion between Burt and Anton, a veteran magician, sparks a creative epiphany. Their shared experiences in Cambodia, where they encountered the enigmatic properties of kratom - a plant-based substance capable of inducing profound somnambulism - inspires a game-changing trick: the "Disappearing Audience". As the stakes escalate, Gray's performance at the talent search takes a dark turn, as he resorts to drilling into his own brain. The stunt's unintended consequence leaves him grappling with devastating brain damage.

Undeterred, Holloway introduces Burt, Anton, and Jane's performance, which culminates in a daring execution of the "Disappearing Audience" trick. Behind the scenes, the trio secretly sedate the audience with kratom-infused sleeping gas, only to awaken them at an outdoor location, where they're arranged in the exact same seating configuration as before. The stunned onlookers respond with a mix of awe and confusion, prompting Doug to award the headlining act to Burt and Anton. Jane is invited to join their opening act, cementing her role in this unlikely trio.

As the curtains close, the trio performs the "Disappearing Audience" trick once more, returning the now-awake audience members to the casino theater. Gray, still reeling from his brain damage, watches on in a daze, his drill bit-clad skull a poignant reminder of the consequences that followed his reckless ambition. The film concludes with a jarring exposé: the unsavory methods employed by Burt, Anton, Holloway, and their cohorts to transport the unconscious audience members to the outdoor location - a moving van hastily filled with the sleeping crowd, dragged from the theater without regard for dignity or comfort.