The Circle

Name: The Circle
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller
Released: April 28, 2017
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 43
Cast: Emma Watson, John Boyega, Tom Hanks

2017

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Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 195 Ratings

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5.0	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 195 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

STX Entertainment | Release Date: April 28, 2017 | PG-13

Starring: Emma Watson, John Boyega, Tom Hanks

Summary: As she rises through the ranks of the world’s largest tech and social media company, The Circle, Mae (Emma Watson) is encouraged by company founder Eamon Bailey (Tom Hanks) to live her life with complete transparency. But no one is really safe when everyone is watching.

Director: James Ponsoldt

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 110 min

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Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle

Apr 27, 2017

The Circle is very much a plea for the preservation and sanctification of privacy, but it’s nicely constructed in that no one character expresses the film’s distinct point of view. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

May 3, 2017

The paranoia underlined, high-lighted and foot-noted by an over-reaching satire like “The Circle” seems more reasonable by the minute. Read full review

The Playlist Kimber Myers

Apr 28, 2017

The Circle is a movie that has all the appearances of working – a solid director, great cast and impressive pedigree – but constantly throws errors. It’s a frustrating viewing experience with little surprise or delight to be found. Read full review

Chris Nashawaty

Apr 28, 2017

It’s a movie that desperately wants to be timely and relevant, warning us about the Brave New World threats we all face when it comes to privacy, surveillance, and freedom. But it’s so cartoony and ham-fisted it sabotages its own argument. Read full review

Joshua Rothkopf

Apr 28, 2017

As the film advances its more adventurous ideas about privacy, it suddenly feels like a lecture written by a twelve-year-old. Worse, The Circle ends precisely when it’s getting interesting; you’ll wonder if the production simply ran out of money. Movies about the dangers of rampant interconnectivity are welcome in this day and age, but let’s please make them a little more courageous. Read full review

The Guardian Benjamin Lee

Apr 27, 2017

The Circle is all foreplay, playfully prodding without providing a satisfying payoff. Read full review

Peter Travers

Apr 28, 2017

It's a paranoid thriller without suspense, urgency or a single new thing to say. Read full review

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User Reviews

toopanca

May 4, 2017

An insightful look ahead to the near future. A great tech movie that is really a people story about the ultimate human tech - society. A warning against passivity; a call to participation. Very well acted and directed. Serious sci-fi at its best.

3 of 13 users found this helpful310

Nmilton

Jul 4, 2017

Loved it. Great. (I understand why the heritage slant might have had to been left out to streamline the script, but, personally, I would have left it in).

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Broyax

Aug 16, 2018

Dans la lignée de la série polémique Black Mirror mais avec infiniment plus de subtilité, The Circle dresse un état des lieux très édifiant de la dictature 2.0 (ou plutôt 3.0 ici) des réseaux sociaux et de la proéminence très invasive d'une multi-nationale tentaculaire du numérique, mélangeDans la lignée de la série polémique Black Mirror mais avec infiniment plus de subtilité, The Circle dresse un état des lieux très édifiant de la dictature 2.0 (ou plutôt 3.0 ici) des réseaux sociaux et de la proéminence très invasive d'une multi-nationale tentaculaire du numérique, mélange projété dans un futur proche des GAFA actuels (Gogole-Apeule-Fècesbouc-Amacon).

Toujours à la frontière de la vraisemblance, le film brosse sans ménagement le comportement grégaire des camés du réseau social, du besoin de reconnaissance perpétuel, de la vanité et de l'exhibitionnisme institutionnalisé, puis du contrôle sans cesse plus important d'une seule société sur la vie des individus ou plutôt des moutons qui font "bêêêh" tous ensemble (selon la doctrine largement établie du #vivre_ensemble bien entendu).

Emma Watson se révèle étonnamment convaincante et même si elle ne l'était pas, on lui pardonnerait presque, tant son joli minois est si mignon (je m'en irais presque liker et me répandre en lickettes sur sa page gogolbouc si j'étais un pauvre fanboy de base...). Tom Hanks pour sa part en patron cynique et faux cul se révèle bien sûr excellent mais on n'en attendait pas moins de lui, même en barbu.

Toujours est-il que le scénario s'égare ici et là avec le personnage de John Boyega, pas crédible pour un sou -ni lui ni son personnage- et aussi à l'aise qu'un éléphant dans un magasin de porcelaines. Déjà que dans le Star Warz Disneyfié, il était particulièrement pitoyable, alors ici... Le film s'égare également sur sa fin en trompe-l'oeil, mi-figue mi-raisin et un brin dérisoire comme s'il n'osait pas aller au bout de son propos.

The Circle demeure néanmoins une fort sympathique tentative d'ouvrir les oeillères à bien des égards, souvent juste, parfois perdue en cours de route mais tout-à-fait digne d'intérêt.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

shpostal

Apr 28, 2017

We've been warned about "Big Brother", the surrender of privacy and all the horrors one can imagine in a high tech world ever since Orwell's "1984", or with a religious theocracy thrown in for even more of a horrible scenario, Margaret Atwood's equally terrifying "The Handmaid's Tale".We've been warned about "Big Brother", the surrender of privacy and all the horrors one can imagine in a high tech world ever since Orwell's "1984", or with a religious theocracy thrown in for even more of a horrible scenario, Margaret Atwood's equally terrifying "The Handmaid's Tale". But still, the future intrigues us all, and because I do like Tom Hanks a lot, and like Emma Watson too, "The Circle" was disappointing in its delivery and lack of menace that would have made a cautionary tale a very frightening one, which it should be. The premise is sound - "The Circle" basically is using false excuses to develop and sell technology that would totally destroy every last ounce of privacy of anybody using a phone, computer or even out in public with miniature spy cam/computers hidden all over the place. Cynics like myself contend that day is probably already here in one form or another, and the global impact described in the movie is in our near future because we are addicted to social media and in the name of "socializing" have idiotically surrendered every last vestige of personal privacy or freedom. For others who still have a bit of faith in humanity to draw the line before that scenario happens, it's a cautionary story at best, and where tragic things happen because of this intrusive company, it falls flat. I am surprised that Hanks and Watson were agreeable to this movie given its weakness and watered down version of what could happen. Watson's performance is flat, Tom Hanks simply isn't menacing enough to scare anybody, and the supposed "fix" for the problem is shallow at best, and contradictory as pulling off such a feat without a spoiler alert would be virtually impossible once you see the movie and see how sophisticated the supposed "Circle" and its computer might are supposed to be. So while it's not terrible, and serves its purpose to remind all of us how our civil rights are being taken away with no thought about it, and the necessity to do what we can to protect ourselves. As a captivating movie however, it's a dud.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

JohnnySea

Apr 30, 2017

The acting was pretty good. The story was predictable. No suspense. But interestingly enough, two high school girls to my right, one empty seat between us, were texting the entire movie. They could not go 90 minutes without their phones. I doubt they made the connection that the movieThe acting was pretty good. The story was predictable. No suspense. But interestingly enough, two high school girls to my right, one empty seat between us, were texting the entire movie. They could not go 90 minutes without their phones. I doubt they made the connection that the movie was about them.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

benskylerhill

Apr 25, 2018

Goodness gracious, where do I begin? The Circle is the cinematic equivalent of toast with nothing on it. You've eaten toast a million times before in your life; there's nothing wrong with toast, you wouldn't mind eating another piece of toast, but when it's given to you with nothing on it,Goodness gracious, where do I begin? The Circle is the cinematic equivalent of toast with nothing on it. You've eaten toast a million times before in your life; there's nothing wrong with toast, you wouldn't mind eating another piece of toast, but when it's given to you with nothing on it, there is absolutely nothing to be enjoyed from the consumption of said toast.

The Circle is a film that is supposed to be some kind of warning about the dangers of advancing technology and the implications it can have regarding invasion of privacy. That concept has been done many, many times before and there's nothing wrong with doing it again. But holy cow is this movie just bland in every possible way.

This movie wastes its talented cast with a screenplay that not only offers no inspired dialogue, but doesn't even set up any compelling story or conflict for us as viewers to care about. In the film, there really isn't anyone who fights against the fact that privacy is being eviscerated, and it's not really portrayed as being a good or a bad thing. Whatever message The Circle was going for gets muddled in the completely dull and tedious conversations between the characters that really don't advance the plot. In fact, there really is no plot because nobody in the movie is trying to accomplish anything.

Visually, the movie is appealing enough, but the choppy editing mutes whatever striking visuals that were present. This movie had so much potential, but it just didn't build a story and I finished the film wondering why I had just spent 110 minutes watching people use social media and talk about it in as wishy-washy of a way that could ever be conjured up by screenwriters. Nothing happens in this movie; you're just as well off going to the park and watching other people go about their ordinary days.

Story: 2
Acting: 4
Script: 2.5
Visuals/Sound: 4.5
Entertainment Value: 3

MY RATING: 3.2/10… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

FreddyLives99

Jun 22, 2017

“The Circle” is labeled as a thriller, and the trailers would also suggest that, but it’s as much of a thriller as “Saving Private Ryan” is a comedy. There are two scenes where characters find themselves in trouble, by their own stupidity, mind you, but they feel so out of place with the“The Circle” is labeled as a thriller, and the trailers would also suggest that, but it’s as much of a thriller as “Saving Private Ryan” is a comedy. There are two scenes where characters find themselves in trouble, by their own stupidity, mind you, but they feel so out of place with the tone of the rest of the film, which is light and happy. Let’s get into this non-thrilling plot. Mae, played by Emma Watson, is a new member of The Circle, a gigantic tech corporation. She does customer support, or something, and becomes part of a safe, overly-friendly community that likes to party and do improvisational comedy. Sound exciting yet? Mae quickly gets the attention of the head of the company, Bailey, played by Tom Hanks. Bailey makes Mae the face of The Circle after she hardly puts any effort into her job, and she couldn’t be happier. Bailey is the film’s antagonist, by the way, but none of his bad side is ever shown. He’s an inventor who has just created a wave of small, extra high tech cameras that are hard to detect and can survey the entire world. The idea of everyone being watched by cameras should tip you off right away that he’s a bad guy, but so many people are accepting of this idea, especially our main character. Most of Bailey’s scenes are of presentations, and the millions of audience members who show up for these presentations are all 100% on board with his ideas, when the average person watching this movie probably wouldn’t be… one hopes. These audiences are not made up of actual human beings, they are sheeple. When a presenter has an idea, they’re all for it, when a joke is made, they all laugh, when one starts a chant, they all join in. Whoever is leading the herd can change all their mindsets in an instant. There are too many presentations for one movie. Anyway, Mae has this friend who is not cool with being spied on, and tries to convince her that what The Circle is doing is wrong, but fails. The friend’s name is Mercer, and if you think you’ll forget that name, don’t worry, it’s repeated at least a hundred times throughout the film. People don’t like Mercer, and it’s for a very random reason, but the reason is also completely understandable, and I didn’t like him either. It’s clear the director wants you to feel sympathy for him, but that was impossible for me. John Boyega pops up a few times, and he’s set up to be a possible love interest for Emma Watson, but then he just isn’t, and is almost completely forgotten. Maybe the director was afraid to show an interracial relationship? Bill Paxton plays Mae’s father Vinnie, his last role ever, and he’s the reason why I stayed in my seat. I suffered through a lot of garbage just to see one of my childhood heroes in his final on-screen moments. Game over, man. Game over. “The Circle” is a light-hearted young adult drama posing as a sci-fi thriller. There should have been a sense of dread about living in an age of worldwide espionage where no one has privacy, but the director doesn’t know how to create tension, and this just becomes wasted potential. I could do so much more nitpicking. There are about as many random and unintentionally funny moments as “The Room”. This movie would work on a so-bad-it’s-good level if it wasn’t so long and dull. Though there is an impressive cast, don’t waste your time or money with “The Sheeple”.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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75	#75 Most Discussed Movie of 2017
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