The Prestige is one of Christopher Nolan’s most unpredictable and well-written stories to date, but the film’s mᴀssive plot twist is still being debated online. The movie revolves around the bloody feud between two magicians in 19th century London, who find themselves in a psychological battle to perform a more impressive trick than the other. The ending of The Prestige brings the shocking revelation that while Angier has been using clones to make his version of “The Transporting Man” work, Alfred has been secretly living in tandem with his twin brother.

However, despite Nolan’s best attempts to make this plot twist work beyond a shadow of a doubt, there are still viewers who believe something more complex may be happening in The Prestige. This shouldn’t be surprising, considering that Nolan has a penchant for making movies where things don’t seem to be as simple as they look. There’s certainly no shortage of theories about Christopher Nolan’s movies, and The Prestige isn’t an exception to that. That being said, this project certainly seems to attract the most.

Borden’s Twin Brother May Have Actually Been His Clone In The Prestige

“Fallon” May Just Be A Clone Of Alfred Borden

One interesting theory from Reddit user justanawkwardguy suggests that Alfred Borden didn’t have a twin brother at all, but rather that he was using a clone much like Angier. This would explain why Fallon is forced to keep his true idenтιтy a secret, as there would be no record of him existing at all. This dark theory draws a clear parallel between the two characters, as they’re both using clones to succeed at impossible tasks, but in completely different ways.

While Angier kills his original self every night and only allows the clone to live, Alfred allows both clones to live half a life at all times. It’s an interesting commentary on the nature of self and idenтιтy that’s already present in Nolan’s screenplay, but this theory gives it a whole new dimension by connecting Alfred and Angier even more тιԍнтly. There are many theories about Nolan’s The Prestige, but this is certainly among the most interesting.

The Problems With Borden’s Twin Being A Clone In The Prestige

There Just Isn’t Enough Evidence To Believe The Theory

Unfortunately, it’s hard to accept this theory given how little evidence there is to support it. The whole concept hinges on the idea that Alfred’s notebook is unlocked by the word Tesla, which could suggest a shared history between the two characters, but when Angier arrives at Tesla’s lab, the machine doesn’t yet exist. Surely, if Alfred had used Tesla’s designs to create a clone of himself, the scientist would still have the machine (or at least the knowledge) to give to Angier.

The evidence is circumstantial, as there’s nothing in the screenplay to suggest that Fallon is a clone of Alfred. If anything, their inability to love the same woman proves how different they are. If the two men were actually the same, it would logically follow that they would fall in love with either Sarah or Olivia. The greatest part of The Prestige is that its difficult to predict plot twist is hiding in plain sight — just like the answers to the magic tricks that Alfred and Angier perform. Fallon being a clone would ruin the magic of that reveal.

The Prestige Is A Much Better Story If Christian Bale’s Characters Are Really Just Twins

Nolan’s Screenplay Is Much More Powerful This Way

The Prestige is a story about how far people are willing to go in order to achieve greatness. Alfred constantly talks about how he wants to be remembered as the man who accomplished the greatest magic trick of all time, and he’s willing to sacrifice half of his entire idenтιтy in order to make it work. He only sees his family half of the time, and they aren’t even aware of his brother’s existence. This all serves to prove how dedicated Alfred is to his work, and revealing Fallon to be a clone would destroy this thematic depth.

Additionally, the contrast between Alfred and Angier is one of the most interesting things about The Prestige. While Alfred sacrifices everything to make his trick work, Angier is willing to cheat the system and cut corners in order to do the same thing in a less moral way. This is ultimately his downfall, and it’s a vindictive moment for Alfred because he views Angier as a less talented magician who used a machine to achieve the same thing that he sacrificed his entire idenтιтy for.