I’ve always been a fan of magic—as a little boy, I used to put on my tophat and try to amaze the audience. I vividly remember when I was about nine years old, performing at a dinner party at my parents’ apartment, and a guest asking, “What’s that smoke coming through the hole?”
The tiny hole in the envelope I had set on fire, you dolt, was where I had snuck out the $20 bill that I had pretended to be burning. Thanks, jerk. I admit to shedding some tears over that heathen inadvertently messing up my expert magic show.
In the years since, I have remained fascinated by the art and have been spellbound by shows from Criss Angel, Penn and Teller, David Copperfield, the brilliant sidewalk magician David Blaine, and more.
I live in Los Angeles, where there is a secret treasure called the Magic Castle. It’s an invite-only joint where some of the best magicians in the world gather to practice their craft, mix with their brethren, and show off their brilliance to those lucky enough to be let in to their creaky doors. I’ve been fortunate enough on a couple of occasions to be one of those people, and while I love magic TV specials and theater shows, there’s something entirely different about being in their “small rooms.”
Some of the magicians are so good that they can make things disappear right before your very eyes—as you sit three feet away. Even as someone who has dabbled in the craft, I am often left speechless.
#ThrowbackThursday Here is an aerial view of the Castle from 1969.✨#magiccastlehollywood #hollywoodhistory pic.twitter.com/cMLV4RjlmR
— The Magic Castle (@MagicCastle_AMA) January 17, 2025
I know how a lot of tricks are done, but there’s a new show on Netflix that absolutely left my jaw on the floor, and it’s called “Magic Lover.” It stars comedian/magician Justin Willman, who wasn’t on my radar but has obviously been working on his act for a very long time, because it’s polished and it's mind-blowing.
🚨 ALL NEW EVERYTHING 🚨
— Justin Willman (@Justin_Willman) June 10, 2025
New magic. New comedy. New core memories.
One for the Ages Tour 2025.
Presale drops TOMORROW at 10am. Code: SUSAN
Tag your favorite humans. Let’s make some magic.https://t.co/R65qY4IXQ8 pic.twitter.com/wpzIhjVaBL
Willman has a philosophical approach to his work: he understands that there are magic lovers and magic skeptics.
I think when people hear magic, they come into the theater with an idea about how they feel about the art form as a whole. There’s the people who love magic, who already know that they like magic — I love those people….
I’m not trying to turn the skeptics into magic lovers necessarily, but I want them to know that this show is also for them. I like to do a trick where [the audience] thinks they know how I do it, and then let them know you’re right. And then let them know — actually, you’re wrong. It’s kind of like a little bit of a mini-roller-coaster.
Here’s one of his minor little ruses, and it's good, but trust me, his bigger tricks will leave you wondering what reality is:
How to explain inflation to a 6 year old.
— Justin Willman (@Justin_Willman) June 24, 2025
🎤 Justin Willman: Magic Lover now streaming on Netflix pic.twitter.com/J6rU7Ln2Iy
Meanwhile, his zip code prowess will make you wonder why it was so hard for most of us just to learn the multiplication tables. He apparently has memorized every single one of the 41,704 codes in the nation, and can splurge out yours in a microsecond.
His final trick in the special left me at a loss for words. I have exactly zero idea how he pulled off multiple stunners at once. If you know, don't tell me, because I prefer to be one of those left amazed rather than cynical. It was just plain good stuff.
If you’re looking for a clean, family-friendly show that will leave your mouth agape, this is it in my mind.
