The Magician follows charismatic, yet volatile hitman Ray Shoesmith (Scott Ryan) around Melbourne while he is being filmed by a friend and neighbour. As he goes about his chilling business – threatening violence and in some cases making good on those threats – the camera continues to roll. Fuelled by offbeat conversation, dark humour and emotional crises, The Magician features a tour de force central performance from writer-director Scott Ryan. His character is a killer, a man who would as soon pull the trigger as not, but without smoothing out any of the rough edges Ryan makes you like him when what you should be feeling is utter loathing.
