Now You See Me
A great heist is all about teamwork, timing, and a little misdirection — and the Now You See Me films take that philosophy to show-stopping extremes. Blending slick capers with grand illusion, the franchise turns stage magic into a series of dizzying spectacles. In these movies, every trick is a setup, and nothing is quite what it seems.

The 2013 breakout hit introduced us to The Four Horsemen — Daniel (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt (Woody Harrelson), Henley (Isla Fisher), and Jack (Dave Franco) — a quartet of elite illusionists who pull off jaw-dropping robberies in front of live audiences. But they aren’t ordinary thieves: their stunts often carry a Robin Hood twist, with them redistributing ill-gotten gains to ordinary folk. Of course, these feats often leave both victims and spectators reeling.

Fantastic Beasts
Return to the Wizarding World with this magical prequel trilogy that expands the mythology that Harry Potter fans adore. In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), shy magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in 1920s New York with a suitcase full of curious creatures … and stumbles into a brewing conspiracy that pits wizards, No-Majs (non-magical beings), and dark forces against one another.

As the series unfolds, the stakes soar. The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) introduces the rise of the infamous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), whose clash with a young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) reshapes wizarding history. The saga reaches its emotional climax in The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), where Mads Mikkelsen, taking over Depp as Grindelwald, brings the conflict to a riveting close with his chilling performance.

With dazzling creatures, spell-binding special effects, and rich backstories that deepen the Hogwarts legacy, this is a binge-worthy journey into the Wizarding World’s untold past.

The Matrix
More than two decades since it launched, The Matrix franchise remains a mind-bending revolution, melding cyberpunk style, philosophy, and gravity-defying kung fu into an action phenomenon that revitalised cinema. It all began with the genre-defining The Matrix (1999), where hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) discovers, thanks to the enigmatic Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), that reality is an illusion — and he may be ‘the One’ destined to free humanity from machine rule.

The story expands in Reloaded and Revolutions (both 2003), pushing Neo deeper into the war for human survival and into unforgettable confrontations with the ever-evolving Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). Once divisive for their headier themes, these bold sequels have since earned renewed appreciation for their emotional depth and ambition.

Then comes the legacy sequel: The Matrix Resurrections (2021). Part love story, part meta-reinvention, it reunites audiences with Neo and Trinity in surprising, exhilarating ways. 

This is a franchise that rewards both first-time explorers and long-time fans ready to tumble down the rabbit hole again.

Mission: Impossible
Since 1996, Tom Cruise has been racing, leaping, and clinging to the sides of planes as IMF agent Ethan Hunt. What started as a stylish TV adaptation quickly evolved into one of cinema’s premier spy franchises. From Brian De Palma’s suspenseful first outing to Christopher McQuarrie’s globe-trotting thrill rides, the series reflects changing filmmaking styles while delivering jaw-dropping stunts — think Burj Khalifa climbs, HALO jumps, and cliffside motorcycle dives. Eight films in, it’s less ‘Mission: Impossible’ and more ‘Mission: Unforgettable’.

Text: Jedd Jong, Georgia Ho, Daniel Peters
Images: © LIONSGATE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED., © 2026 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., © 2026 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved., © 2026 Disney Enterprises, Inc.