In modern-day cinema, it’s not uncommon for a movie to feature an array of powerful beings. Though most of these characters are usually found in superhero movies, the fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres are also home to superpowered beings, some of whom aremasters of illusion.
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In essence, the power of illusion allows the wielder to conjure a fabricated scenario or image and use it to trick or fool their victims. Oftentimes in cinema, these powers are used sparingly so as to not reveal they are illusions, but some movie characters take great pride in their abilities and opt to use them quite frequently.
5Zafrina - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, directed by Bill Condon, follows Bella Swan after her transformation fromhuman to vampire. Bella has also just given birth to Renesmee, a child with unusual powers. To ensure she doesn’t pose a threat to their way of life, the Cullens opt to hide her from the outside world, but sadly, she gets discovered. The Volturi forbids vampires from turning children into vampires, as doing so makes them immortal and impossible to train. The fact that Renesmee looks like an immortal child attracts the attention of the Volturi, thus placing Renesmee in grave danger.
To ensure no harm comes to Renesmee, the Cullens and Bella set out to acquire as many allies as they can. Zafrina, a member of the Amazon tribe, proves to be an incredibly valuable asset when she is recruited. She has mastered the art of visual projection and can use said power to make people see whatever she wishes them to.
4Pennywise - IT (2017)
Directed by Andres Muschietti and based onStephen King’s novelof the same name,ITdocuments the lives of seven children during their time living in Derry, an ordinarily quiet town that harbors a dark secret. The opening of the movie focuses on showcasing the relationship between Bill and Georgie Denbrough, two brothers as the eldest, Bill, creates a toy boat for the youngest, Georgie. Upon leaving the house to play with his new toy, however, Georgie gets taken into the sewers by a monstrous entity known as Pennywise.
Pennywise the Dancing Clownhas several ways to evoke fear in his victims, but he tends to rely on his power of illusion more than anything else. When using these powers, he can uncover his victim’s deepest and darkest fears and use projections of them to frighten those from whom the fears originate. Though Pennywise’s design is arguably his most unnerving feature, his power to manipulate the fears of his victims and portray them in illusions is one of his most terrifying abilities.
3Voldemort - Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, directed by David Yates, follows Harry Potter during his fifth year atHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. By now, fans of the series will know Harry rarely gets to experience a peaceful year as a student of the famed wizarding school, and his fifth year is no exception. At the climax ofHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Voldemort returned. Since then most claims of his revival have been dismissed, so only a select few actually believe he is back.
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Harry believes he and his classmates must prepare themselves if they wish to survive the Dark Lord’s attack, but doing so is easier said than done. One night, while sleeping, Harry dreams of Arthur Weasley getting attacked by a snake in the Ministry of Magic. He informs Dumbledore of what he saw, who then sets out to save Arthur before it’s too late. Later in the movie, Harry dreams of Sirius getting tortured in the same place. Hoping to rescue him on his own, he flies to the Ministry of Magic, only to learn that Voldemort planted the vision of Sirius in his head in order to lure Harry away from Hogwarts and force him tofind his prophecy. Sirius was never in any danger, but due to Voldemort’s power of illusion, Harry thought he was.
2Luke Skywalker - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Directed by Rian Johnson,Star Wars: The Last Jedifollows Rey on her journey to become a fully-fledged Jedi under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker. Unfortunately for her, Luke has cut himself off from the Force, leaving Rey to train by herself. Upon seeing her resolve, however, Luke tries to educate Rey as best he can, but his all-consuming fear of the Dark Side drives him further away from the light.
Rey eventually leaves Ahch-To due to Luke’s deceptive ways and his unwillingness to train her. She joins up with the Resistance on Crait, only to learn that the First Order has them cornered. Just as all hope seems lost, Luke wanders through the secret Rebel base and confronts Kylo Ren outside. The two engage in a lightsaber battle, but when Ren impales Luke with his blade, he realizes Luke isn’t really there and that he has beenprojecting an illusion of himselffrom Ahch-to.
1Mysterio - Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home, directed by Jon Watts, follows Peter Parker on his vacation to Europe. Hoping to take a break from being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, he decides to leave his suit at home, only to learn that his Aunt May secretly packedhis spider suitin his suitcase. Even so, Peter has no plan to wear the suit at any point during his trip, but this changes when Nick Fury visits him. According to Nick, four elemental entities have wandered into Earth. Once Peter learns this, he decides to help in any way he can.
Also helping Nick is Quentin Back, a man who claims his world was destroyed by the elementals. Together, both he and Spider-Man defeat the Fire Elemental, securing the world’s safety in the process. Believing Quentin to be a capable hero, Peter offers him Tony Stark’s glasses, only for Quentin to reveal to the audience that he is not who he claims to be. Taking the name “Mysterio,” Quentin pretended to be a superhero by creating illusions of monsters and defeating them. Not only do his illusions help him appear more likable, but they can also be used to defeat his enemies.
