本片根据哈里·胡迪尼的故事改编而成。胡迪尼是一位享誉国际的脱逃艺术家，能不可思议地从绳索、脚镣及手铐中脱困，同时他也是以魔术方法戳穿所谓“通灵术”的反伪科学先驱。影片主要讲述了1926年他在英国期间的生活。盖·皮尔斯饰演的胡迪尼，爱上了凯瑟琳·泽塔-琼斯所饰演的苏格兰女人，后者与女儿一起见证了胡迪尼母亲去世对其所造成的多年的困扰，并为此做出了一系列努力。

Placid Lake has always been different. As an odd fish in a sea of mediocrity, his brilliant ideas are bound to get him into more trouble than success. So when he finds himself flying off the school roof and breaking every bone in his body on graduation night, Placid decides to make a bid for the elusive normal life. To his parents' horror, he gets a normal job.

1928年，35岁的梅瑞迪丝仍是单身，她的叔叔到一个偏远的灯塔担当灯塔看守人，她也一起前往。

Mel is transferred from a juvenile to an adult jail and is taken under the wing of Mark, Australia's most hated criminal, and Warren, a soon-to-be-paroled inmate. The parental love triangle that forms between them becomes their doom.