Derren Brown Poses A Murderous Moral Question In The Push Trailer

What would it take for you to push a man from a great height down to his death? According to illusionist Derren Brown, it would take much less than you'd probably like to think.

Brown, an English illusionist and psychological trickster known for his work in social engineering and manipulation, is coming to the United States with his first special for American audiences later this month, and you can watch the surprisingly-intense trailer for the provocative experiment now.

As the trailer details, Derren Brown: The Push will follow a group of 70 actors all working together in an elaborate scenario to convince an unwitting bystander to commit a murder by pushing, an outlandish idea that creeps closer and closer to reality over the course of an increasingly-out-of-control evening. 

A version of The Push was previously released in Britain in 2016 under the title Pushed to the Edge, wherein — spoilers — Brown and his cadre of misfits did indeed manage to convince an unwitting participant to kill a man while unwittingly being filmed for TV. It ruled. 

In obtaining the rights to The Push, Netflix also acquired the rights to Derren Brown's other 2016 special, Believe, a show which follows Brown as he demonstrates the tricks of faith healing that con artists use to convince audiences into believing they've witnessed a miracle. 

Brown has been a successful illusionist for nearly 20 years in his native Britain, and his migration to American shores has been long overdue. Prior to hooking up with Netflix, he wrapped up his live U.S. debut with a successful off-Broadway stage show, Secret.

Derren Brown: The Push will fall into your living room on February 27. Don't hesitate to take the plunge.