The Prestige Ending (& All Twists) Explained

While The Prestige was well-received by fans and critics when it was released in 2006, its ending can be challenging to fully grasp. However, once the ending of The Prestige is explained it ties the sometimes-confusing movie together perfectly — and it exposes the core themes of the story in a way few films since have matched. The Prestige, based on a novel of the same name, follows two rival magicians in London named Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) who quickly descend into murky areas of morality in a bid to outdo each other’s escalating magic tricks. Director Christopher Nolan delivers his typically sharp intellect to the narrative of The Prestige, leaving a lot to unpack by the twist-filled ending.