As a teenager, James Randi did what most kids only dreamt of, he ran away to join a traveling circus - and he never looked back.  Dubbed “The Amazing Randi”, his feats of magic and escape, and acts of mentalism made him an international celebrity. At the same time, however, he saw those same powers being used by con men, faith healers, and psychics for thievery.  Knowing that it takes a thief to catch a thief, Randi dedicated his life to expose these charlatans.  Today, the wizened sage of 83, with a vaudevillian’s wit and the boundless energy of a teenager, continues his mission - which has only grown more intense.  

An Honest Liar will chronicle how a curious child rose to the ranks of showman and then advanced to renowned demystifier of paranormal claims.  We will hear firsthand about his celebrated debunking of the spoon-bending Uri Geller and his many visits to the Tonight Show where he exposed the faith-healing Peter Popoff.  The film will bring to life such schemes as “Project Alpha”, where two magicians posing as psychics fooled a scientific study on paranormal powers and the famous “Carlos Hoax” in which Randi unleashed a fake mystic upon the people of Australia.  

Interspersed with episodes from his past, the film will go behind-the-scenes while Randi prepares for another grand scale debunking.  With the precision of a seasoned magician, Randi will research, plan, and assemble an Ocean’s Eleven-type team for a carefully orchestrated exposure of a fraudulent religious organization.

Featuring such experts as Penn and Teller, Richard Dawkins, Bill Nye and Adam Savage, among others, An Honest Liar will explore skepticism, illusion, and the psychology behind belief. The result; an engaging, enlightening and comic experience that, like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, will leave you asking, “how did they do that?”