Circle (2015) - Human Nature Placed Under a Half-Baked Microscope

Human beings are inherently different from one another. This is something we have come to champion about the melting pot society in which many of us live. Most would contend that these differences make us stronger, that there is undeniable beauty in the individuality that we all possess, and that it is something to be cherished and upheld at all times.

For others, the differences that exist between people serve as a clear division, an identifier of those who are virtuous and worthy of respect and those who are not.

The lo-fi science fiction thriller Circle sets its sights on a great many of the differences between us that serve as hot-button issues and controversial debates in the modern political climate. It attempts to examine the nature of that which divides us as a species. Everything from race to religion is discussed in some form or fashion over the course of the film's 87-minutes.

It does this through an ingenious concept that is akin to the type of trippy, diabolical plots you would find on The Twilight Zone. The story centers around a group of fifty seemingly random people that have been congregated in a large circle in a darkened room. They each stand atop a red spot on the floor and have a red arrow pointed in their direction. After intervals of a couple minutes, one of them is killed by a lazer shock from a mysterious device at the center of the circle. They come to realize that they have the ability to decide who is eliminated through a group vote. Thus sets into motion a deadly game of quantifying the value of each person's life based on their life choices and personal beliefs.

Circle's screenplay is thematically quite ambitious, but the ultimate reach of its narrative thoroughly exceeds its grasp. It attempts to tackle a bevy of topics through the dynamics and interactions of its diverse characters, but it does so in a reductive way that relies on stereotypes to represent different sections of society. It's all very predictable and not especially clever. There's the racist cop. The Hispanic criminal. The meatheaded capitalist conservative. And so on. All of the boxes are checked, and the filmmakers make sure to touch upon as many of the societal squabbles that exist regarding each character type as possible within such a brief run time. However, their examination of humans and their proclivity to be judgmental and tribal is about as heavy-handed as they come.

It's certainly an interesting idea for a film, but there is just not enough creative energy to make the intrigue last past the first act or so. Circle loses steam fairly consistently for most of the movie, and despite a few unexpected twists and turns, is unable to sustain its admittedly compelling premise across a feature length film. Its final conclusion lacks any sort of ambiguity, creativity, or depth, which left a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth once the credits started rolling. A few more screenplay drafts would have definitely done this film some good. As it stands, it's half-baked.

C-

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