The Spanish-American thriller Red Lights shows the truths of paranormal activity and phenomena. The film is directed by Rodrigo Cortés and includes a star studded cast of Robert De Niro, Cillian Murphy, and Sigourney Weaver. Robert De Niro was the renowned psychic, Simon Silver, coming out of retirement after thirty years. Simon Silver was a slick con artist by manipulating millions of people, creating a loyal following and eluding critics for decades.

Sigourney Weaver plays Dr. Margaret Matheson, a skeptic psychologist and working alongside her assistant, a professor named Tom Buckley. The duo would travel, debunking cases of paranormal activities. Silver is seen in an airplane with his manager. The flight attendant asks if he needs assistance. Silver exits the plane, down the stairs slowly, tightly gripping the railing. He takes off his black sunglasses while his grey hair flutters in the wind. His icy, cold blue eyes are exposed. It’s made clear that Silver is blind.

Simon Silver in his younger years is seen on a talk show. He wore his signature black sunglasses, his leg crossed over his knee. In the 1970’s, Silver went into retirement over the suspicions surrounding him after a skeptic reporter confronted him at one of his shows. The reporter died of a heart attack.

The movie cuts to Silver on a live talk show. He has a very charming attitude. The host says she brought something for him and he guesses it correctly as a spoon immediately. She replied saying it was as if he had read her mind. He jokes and says he saw the spoon hanging out of her pocket for the past fifteen minutes and the audience thinks he's joking. They clap, people of all backgrounds from a biker with a red bandana to a woman with a lilac scarf in a wheelchair. Tom isn't buying it and reveals he wants a shot at exposing Simon Silver.
Dr. Matheson said there was one instance where she questioned everything she believed in on national television. Matheson’s son was in an accident and she still kept him on life machines. Silver said he saw a little boy next to her, telling her to let him go. In that instance, she questioned herself and the audience saw it. She warns Tom that Silver is dangerous and to stay away. Simon had the ability to make the doctor question her strong beliefs.
Tom goes to one of Silver’s shows and gets a box room above the audience but no one can see in the room unless they have extrasensory perception. Tom sets up his equipment to unearth any suspicious activity and turns on the machine by gently pressing it over with his pointer finger. A “click” is heard. Silver glares up at the box room as if he heard the click. The equipment and machines begin to spark all over the room, the glass window shatters onto the audience beneath while scream with fear. Silver’s aging, wrinkled face grins, the only thing seen as his black suit camouflages with the black stage.

Silver agrees to an investigation on his special abilities. One investigation was done decades earlier and he passed. Silver passes all of the tests but two of Tom’s students rewatch footage from the investigation, detecting a flaw. Silver’s test involves him and another subject in two different rooms. The man thinks of a number and Silver guesses it correctly. They zoom in on the men’s black watches, the second hand ticking. They discover that Silver’s watch and the man’s watch are timed precisely the same. The placement of the second hand is the code for which number is to be said. Silver’s watch is touch dial so he should feel his watch to understand the code, but opts not to. This reveals that Silver isn't blind because he can see his watch without having to feel the tick tock. He is a cunning mastermind. Tom is now fully aware that Silver is a fraud.

In the final scene, Tom goes to the hall where Silver’s show is held. The auditorium begins to quake, light fixtures spark and fall onto the thousands of people. Tom tosses a coin at Silver and he catches it, revealing to the crowd at the show that the SIlver isn't blind after all since he could see the coin coming. The crowd gasps in complete shock. Tom calls Silver a phony while he wreaks havoc as he leaves.

Simon Silver was the ultimate imposter. He created a loyal following that attended his shows and tuned into every television special he appeared on. People believed Silver had the power of healing them. His biggest advantage was successfully posing as blind. No one but the skeptics had ever questioned him. He never had extrasensory perception. His charm and intelligence but frightening disposition was captivating.