Magic Realism

Magic realism is, in literature, a more serious brand of fiction. Rather than having the reader escape to a fantasy world, magic realism immerses the reader in a world that almos seems completely realistic, but accepts some subtle type of magic. Characters in these types of stories live in a world much like our own, but their reality is altered in some capacity. "Axolotl" by Julio Cortazar is a short story that incorporates magic realism. In it, the narrator observes axolotls in a perfectly realistic setting, but talks about how he believes there could be sentient human minds trapped in the bodies of the axolotls. Then, in a sudden departure from reality, the narrator himself finds himself in the body of an axolotl,  watching as his own human form walk away from the tank. The transition from the reality to fantasy is nuanced, but is a pivotal point in the story. 

Alejandro González Iñárritu's 2014 film Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a good example of magic realism in popular media. This film is set in our world, but for Michael Riggan (Michael Keaton,) reality is warped. The film opens with a shot of Riggan levitating in his room, causing the viewer to immediately question whether or not what they are seeing is real. Throughout the film, Riggan talks to his conscience through an apparition in the form of Birdman, a superhero character that he used to be extremely famous for portraying based on Michael Keaton's own success as Batman. The entire movie is grounded in reality, except for when Riggan interactions with his conscience. By talking to, arguing with, and even flying around with the manifestation of his conscience, Riggan attempts to discover whether he truly wants to be a respected artist, or just give the people what they love.