Bernard and the Genie

In an ancient location, a sorcerer corners a man and transforms him into a genie. The sorcerer traps the genie inside a lamp as punishment, intending the spell to last forever. The genie's fate sets up the premise that he can grant wishes when released.

In present-day London, art dealer Bernard Bottle secures a sale worth fifty million pounds for his firm. He vows to share half of the proceeds with the original owners of the paintings, but his boss Charles Pinkworth fires him for this personal principle. This sets Bernard on a path that intertwines with the lamp and the genie.

Back at his flat, Bernard discovers his girlfriend has slept with his best friend and she has cleared him out, leaving only an ornate lamp behind. The lamp's presence foreshadows the strange turn his life will take. This departure marks a turning point toward the lamp's awakening.

When Bernard attempts to clean the lamp, an explosion occurs and he is hospitalized. The lamp's power and the accident introduce the genie into his life. The hospital marks the first of many consequences that will follow.

Bernard returns to his flat and encounters Josephus, a man who claims to be a genie released after two millennia. Josephus reveals he can grant nearly any wish. The two form an unlikely friendship as Bernard introduces him to modern life.

Bernard realizes Josephus can grant wishes. He uses his first wish to have the genie speak English, realizing the potential of magic in daily life. The early wishes begin to reshape Bernard's world, including stopping a fight around them.

The duo explores modern life, with Bernard using wishes to furnish his flat and indulge in extraordinary purchases, including the Mona Lisa. The painting is subsequently reported missing from the Louvre, triggering a high-profile theft alert. Josephus's involvement begins to blur lines between magic and reality.

After an evening out, Bernard returns to find trouble in his flat and ends up in a fight that leads to the death of a police officer. A detective at the scene exposes Pinkworth's role, accusing Bernard of theft and pointing to the Mona Lisa as evidence. The situation rapidly spirals out of control and lands Bernard in custody.

In the police station, Bernard tries repeatedly to contact Josephus, hoping for help. At first, the genie cannot hear the phone or understand the device, and begins hanging up, which the police misinterpret as coded communication. Bernard remains jailed as Josephus remains distant.

Josephus and Bernard's bond leads to a wish that rewinds time to when Bernard was about to enter his flat. The reset lets him approach the situation with newfound confidence. The scene hints at consequences of tampering with time.

Back with Josephus by his side, Bernard faces his boss again for grand theft. This time, a Kylie Minogue poster decorates the wall, the Mona Lisa has been returned to the Louvre, and the police apologize, lifting the charges. The near-miss redefines his relationship with the genie and his life in London.

Bernard and Josephus discuss the origins and commercialization of Christmas. They begin granting wishes for children at a local mall and assist ordinary people, from a winning football pools result to bringing rare London snow. The acts demonstrate how a single genie can alter everyday life.

In a televised event, Pinkworth's fortune is donated to a charity, causing distress to the firm and altering the public perception of Bernard's actions. The genie helps orchestrate this outcome, leaving Pinkworth unsettled and the world briefly grateful. The fortune's donation marks a major moral shift in the narrative.

Josephus expresses his desire to return to his own time, and Bernard, in a tender moment, unintentionally wishes for him to go. The genie disappears, leaving Bernard alone with a hopeful sense that life will continue without magic. The goodbye signals the end of their partnership.

Bernard ends up at the shopping centre with a Christmas‑themed send-off, answering a Santa's question about what he wants for Christmas. As the film closes, the opening scene repeats with Josephus cornered by the sorcerer, who now bargains by revealing a thick-slice toaster.