DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Magic Night remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you’re into pre-war fluff and the kind of romance that makes you roll your eyes at the screen, you’ll probably find something to love in Magic Night. It’s got that specific, slightly stuffy charm that makes you feel like you’re watching a broadcast from another planet. But if you need pacing, or characters that act like real human beings instead of operetta figurines, stay far away.
The whole thing feels like a time capsule. It reminds me a bit of the mood in The Rat, though it lacks that certain grit. There's this constant sense that everyone is waiting for the next musical cue to tell them how to feel.
Clive Currie and the rest of the cast are fine, I guess. They’re very, very stiff. It’s like they were directed to never, ever move their spines. Every time a character enters a room, it’s a whole production. It’s exhausting.
You can tell they wanted this to be sweepingly emotional. But it feels a bit like reading a greeting card from 1932. It’s sweet, sure. But it’s also remarkably thin.
The silence in the middle act is the loudest thing in the movie. You’re just sitting there, waiting for someone to drop a tray or start crying, and nothing happens. It’s just... people standing in hats.
It’s not as interesting as Stamboul, which at least had some visual curiosity. This is just standard stuff. If you’re a completionist for this era, go for it. Otherwise, you’ve seen this story a thousand times. And probably better. 🥀
