The Amazing Johnathan Documentary: NZIFF Review

The Amazing Johnathan Documentary: NZIFF Review

It's hard to consider what should be said about The Amazing Johnathan Documentary, given that most of the twists and turns of director Ben Berman's doco are best experienced unspoiled.

Suffice to say this meta-piece looks at what next for The Amazing Johnathan, a comedy magic act from the US aka Johnathan Szeles after he's diagnosed with a fatal heart condition and given one year to live.

Three years later, Szeles is still around and contemplating a return to the scene....

The Amazing Johnathan Documentary is a perplexing twisty doco that keeps one-upping itself when it comes to reveals.

At its heart, it's really about two men who are trying to find their way through something - Szeles for his own mortality and Berman for what kind of doco maker he wants to be.

But for the audience, it's also about finding their way through something because every time you think you may know what's coming, you're wrongfooted. Berman's crafted something that like a magic trick, has you wondering what's next and what the truth and the illusion ultimately is.

The meta touches work nicely, and the construction of this riddle is nicely crafted - but if you're expecting to emerge from The Amazing Johnathan Documentary with answers all neatly put in place, you may want to reassess your expectations.