The Circle

The Circle is a social commentary on the push-pull between “transparency” and “privacy”, an ongoing battle in the current digital era. As a cautionary tale, the film warns us about the dangerous outcomes of having every aspect your life monitored and monopolized by high-profile tech companies like The Circle itself.

While the premise of the film sounds promising, it is bogged down by insipid writing. The stiff dialogue and flat delivery makes you question the conviction of the characters. It is also a misstep on the director’s part to center the story on Watson’s character when the inner workings of The Circle and the philosophies that underpin the entire operation seem much more interesting. The film expects us to sympathize with her without giving her any personality that is engaging off the page. You also never really get an idea of how her singular experience affects the world at large.

The antagonist, played by Hanks, is arguably the most intriguing characters out of the bunch. Even when you are aware that the film is criticizing his character’s ideology, his charisma on screen draws you in and makes you want to buy into his facade. Audiences are likely to find themselves wanting to know more about his side of the story. John Boyega’s character also plays a pivotal role in the events of the film but is erroneously underused.

The Circle attempts to address socially relevant ideas (privacy, social media, human rights, access to information...), but these ideas are a lot to juggle, all at once under two hours, resulting in a less than satisfying payoff that contributes little or nothing new to the conversation.

(Originally posted 23 May 2017 @projectunwrapped)