Review of The Circle (2017) by Jon P — 10 Jul 2017

Based on a novel from the ever-inventive Dave Eggers, this challenging yet disjointed film forces viewers to consider the pros and cons of a social media dystopia.

Emma Watson (sporting a much-improved pseudo-American accent) leads a cast of familiar faces down a rabbiting rabbit hole of teen trouble cliches, awkward dialogue and inexplicable character motivations. The latter is by far the worst offender, but all of the above battle each other exhaustively throughout the duration of the movie, to such an extent that the fascinating premise at the film's core becomes clouded by cinematic noise.

Simply put, The Circle is at its best when it shuts the hell up and lets the conflicting ideals of its concept do the talking, and the minds of its viewers do the thinking. Its dystopian agenda is bitingly relevant, and deserves more attention than the tears of Watson's whining teen - whose character quite frankly doesn't work without a backstory that suggests brainwashing or espionage.