Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
One of the saddest parts of cord cutting is saying goodbye to the endless universe of trashy reality TV shows that makes up most of network television. David Blaine: What Is Magic? is not a perfect remedy for your loss, but does offer a taste of something you probably forgot you missed — street magic.
For whatever reason, in the mid 2000s street magic was all the rage, and David Blaine and Criss Angel stood as the kings of this hyper specific trend. Basically, Blaine and Angel would walk up to unsuspecting strangers and impress them with elaborate illusions. If you don’t remember this pop culture trend, you’re probably better off as a person, but you certainly missed something fun. As far as televised street magicians go, Blaine was always the cooler of the two. Blaine never labelled himself a mind freak, and he typically wore a shirt. This distinction is important because if you’re going to binge one street magician, you should make sure it’s the one you can tolerate.
David Blaine does not answer his special’s question. You don’t leave What Is Magic? with a better understanding of what magic is. However, you do get to watch the people of America freak out for 40 minutes while Blaine calmly performs illusion after illusion. There are even celebrities! Whether you’re John Mayer, Orlando Bloom, or a random postal worker, no one is immune to screaming in excitement over Blaine’s apathetically performed tricks.
Much like Blaine himself, the special isn’t showy. It’s a relaxed compilation of some of the magician’s greatest hits. What Is Magic? is not must-watch television nor will it give you a better sense of who Blaine is as a person or why magicians exist. However, it will leave you with a variety of questions. For example, after a dollar has been magicked, can you still spend it? How many street magicians have been sent to the hospital after eating gross street dollars? Does David Blaine ever get excited? Even a little? Yes, the tricks are fake, and sure, the audiences are being lied to, but watching magic is still fun. Much like Blaine himself, What Is Magic? has appeared unanticipated, but welcomed, on the streets of Netflix, and it’s worth a low-stakes afternoon binge.
