Buck Howard (John Malkovich), a mentalist extraordinaire, used to spend his days in the limelight. But nowadays, it's clear to everyone but Buck that his act has lost it's luster. Yet, Buck is convinced his comeback is imminent. With the help of his new personal assistant, a recent law school drop-out and would-be writer Troy (Colin Hanks) and a fiery publicist (Emily Blunt), Buck surprisingly lands back in the American consciousness, taking Troy along for the ride of his life.