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The Circle
The Circle
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The Circle

The Circle

2017
Drama, Sci-fi
1h 50m
When Mae is hired to work for the world's largest and most powerful tech and social media company, she sees it as an opportunity of a lifetime. As she rises through the ranks, she is encouraged by the company's founder, Bailey, to engage in a groundbreaking experiment that pushes the boundaries of privacy, ethics and ultimately her personal freedom. Her participation in the experiment, and every decision she makes begin to affect the lives and future of her friends, family and that of humanity. (imdb)

Directed by:

James Ponsoldt

Screenwriter:

James Ponsoldt, Dave Eggers

Starring:

Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Glenne Headly, Beck, Emma Watson, Patton Oswalt, Nate Corddry, John Boyega, Poorna Jagannathan, Karen Gillan, Ellar Coltrane, Mamoudou Athie

Genres:

Drama, Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller

Countries:

France, United Arab Emirates, USA

Language:

English
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The Circle

2017
Drama, Sci-fi
1h 50m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 20.15% from 705 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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filliganFilligan
Rated 07 May 2017
42
4th
[Long-suffering sigh coupled with fingers firmly pressed to forehead] There's no drama to this drama. Hanks plays the most complicated character but only because we don't know what he's truly thinking. Is he malevolent or blinded? We aren't shown, which is a child's idea of ambiguity. Boyega plays a Plot Device. Oswalt doesn't need to be there. Most egregiously, we don't truly get into Watson's head either -- the fucking protagonist. So the ending comes off idiotic and devoid of conflict.
Rated 07 May 2017
therealj_roTheRealJ-Ro
Rated 07 May 2017
25
6th
It's disappointing to say the least that a movie with Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, Bill Paxton and John Boyega is so stilted and unconvincingly-performed. The Circle plays out as a subdued, shallow cartoon; the company itself, a millennial's wet dream place of employment; the story, a "baby's first corruption" big brother tale that wants desperately for you to believe it's saying so much more than it actually is. Don't worry: the moralistic white girl trope swoops in and saves the day. This is lazy.
Rated 07 May 2017
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 15 May 2017
2
13th
Incomprehensible analysis of 21st century surveillance and social media that enters unintentional parody territory almost immediately after it starts.
Rated 15 May 2017
nothingsgoodNothingsGood
Rated 12 May 2017
30
21st
In a dystopian world where Google built a giant circle complex where the 49ers used to play football and Bill Paxton is still alive, only Harry Potter's poofy haired nerd friend and the black stormstrooper can save all of humanity from Patton Oswalt. Shout out to the guy from Boyhood playing the guy from Boyhood in a different movie.
Rated 12 May 2017
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 17 Jan 2018
44
14th
I find it hard to believe there could be a shallow and dull criticism of Silicon Valley, considering all that's wrong with it, but this film certainly manages that. Poorly defined characters and a weightless plot rob this of any momentum it might have been able to build.
Rated 17 Jan 2018
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 23 Dec 2017
20
3rd
Was Emma Watson playing a character with multiple personalities? I've never seen a character nonsensically change so often. The performances are almost all wooden but their dialogue seemed pretty bad so it's not all their fault. Really wants to be biting satire about Google and Apple which I am all for but ends up being just a turd.
Rated 23 Dec 2017
forehead1forehead1
Rated 04 Jun 2017
50
48th
Black Mirror-esque technophobia, raising many of the important issues likely to arise over future years with increases in processing power - but forgetting about plot. Half-baked ideas are lazily and sporadically peppered throughout, with the final scene the biggest culprit: Watson's character proclaiming they're going to utilise all the useful technology without impairing anybody's freedom... the final credits then rolling before she explains how on earth this will be achieved. What a cop out.
Rated 04 Jun 2017
josie19Josie19
Rated 09 Aug 2018
36
2nd
Are you kidding me?!?! Tom Hanks should be ashamed to star in trash like this. The story makes me think of something that a ten-year old would write. My descriptor for this film is "shitty."
Rated 09 Aug 2018
corbadCorbad
Rated 06 Jan 2018
40
6th
The commentary is theoretically timely, but made utterly ridiculous in delivery, as if the scriptwriters were excited fearmongers latching onto a headline without a shred of actual political or social understanding.
Rated 06 Jan 2018
ericamblerericambler
Rated 01 Jan 2018
30
4th
With a premise that plays like a terrible ripoff of BLACK MIRROR, THE CIRCLE quickly devolves into a real howler. It's ill-conceived on a variety of levels: poor direction, stilted acting, jumpy editing, ham-fisted messaging, and confusing characters whose motivations turn on a dime. The tricky script is made even more confounding by sloppy execution and bad casting, although I wouldn't mind seeing this warmly malevolent version of Tom Hanks in a better movie.
Rated 01 Jan 2018
amazedemonamazedemon
Rated 21 Jul 2017
53
7th
The Circle doesn't fail for its narcissistic characters and stilted performance (from Watson), but for its wasted promise. The film plays out like an episode of Black Mirror but with half as much style and a tenth the substance. It's commentary on privacy is ambivalent at best, and it plays out as a feminist fantasy on par with Fifty Shades of Grey. Boyega and Gillan play more interesting characters than Watson's, and are wasted as plot devices. The ending is lazy and unfulfilling.
Rated 21 Jul 2017
aaautinAAAutin
Rated 11 Jul 2017
31
15th
Anyone remember ANTITRUST? Yeah, that movie sucked too.
Rated 11 Jul 2017
christofchristof
Rated 08 Jul 2017
84
69th
Not bad at all...like an extended episode of Black Mirror, lacked the conviction of its dark punch in the third act, but nonetheless still worth a watch for the 'oooh that looks like the technology we'll be using in 5 years' moments.
Rated 08 Jul 2017
hisblobhisblob
Rated 04 Jul 2017
0
2nd
The book was pretty good, but the movie is an incompetent adaptation with poor acting and a changed ending
Rated 04 Jul 2017
stewballStewball
Rated 07 May 2017
70
54th
It's a well told tale of an Apple-like company, The Circle, and a Steve Jobs-like CEO, Bailey (Hanks), which becomes increasingly intrusive into people's privacy in the name of keeping us safe etc. Big Brother lives in Silicon Valley. This leads to making a superb point at the climax, but also ignores a blatant flaw. I was genuinely surprised by the climax and had no idea where it was going until then. One apparent plot-hole, I never really got a handle on how Mae's ally, Ty, was able to go und [Full review]
Rated 07 May 2017
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 12 Jul 2022
70
38th
Slick, shallow techno thriller was already hopelessly dated in 2017 and does nothing to develop its ideas about the pervasiveness of social media, functioning as neither a literal takedown or allegory. Ultimately a film that is pretty to look at, with solid lead work from Watson, and a quietly brilliant turn by Hanks as the slimy-smooth CEO; if that’s enough for you, you’ll have a pleasant time. Footnote: it’s sad to see Paxton and Headly looking so worn down in their final film roles.
Rated 12 Jul 2022
cienegacienega
Rated 05 Jun 2022
55
10th
Lackluster commentary on social media and surveillance capitalism.
Rated 05 Jun 2022
noisebloomnoisebloom
Rated 22 Mar 2020
21
2nd
The Circle promises a thrilling exploration into the dangers of personal data, but we never really get there. The film fails to understand that it has to actually produce consequences for its characters, as most of everything we see already happens in the present day and isn't particularly shocking. In a last ditch attempt to shock us, the movie produces a laughable deus ex machina. The Circle is very confused and misinformed, and I was disappointed that they forgot to put a movie in here.
Rated 22 Mar 2020
njjohn10njjohn10
Rated 31 Oct 2019
45
7th
So dumb and borderline hallucinatory in its disjointed editing that I can't hate it.
Rated 31 Oct 2019
tipartipar
Rated 18 Oct 2019
50
37th
I was expecting so much from that one. Also, I did not like the performance of Watson, Moretz is better actress.
Rated 18 Oct 2019
naurunauru
Rated 02 Sep 2019
38
28th
Terrible casting and acting. Seems like a decent script but poorly directed. Emma Watson was just plain bad in the lead role, and the supporting cast wasn't any better. Boyega and Hanks shouldn't be getting involved with this kind of shlock.
Rated 02 Sep 2019
philamentalphilamental
Rated 26 Dec 2018
30
4th
Gave up on this less than half way through. Wasn't my first choice to watch and after such a dull opening I wasn't going to waste my time any further
Rated 26 Dec 2018
auhasarderikauhasarderik
Rated 05 Dec 2018
4
11th
Guess why this has such a bad rep? A shame it wasn't conceived and thought out better.
Rated 05 Dec 2018
kgbelliveaukgbelliveau
Rated 22 Oct 2018
30
1st
One of the laziest films ever to be seen by me. It never quite decides where it wants to go. Does it want to be a thriller? It does not reach the level of other films. It does very little except build one dimensional characters and scenarios that are debating the ethics of privacy. It does not challenge anything in doing so. If it does anything it makes a mockery of its own potential by dumbing it down to a half hearted PG13 teenage surreveillance drama. A complete waste of cyberspace.
Rated 22 Oct 2018
okkervilOkkervil
Rated 23 Sep 2018
23
17th
The pacing is perpexingly lopsided and it feels like great chunks of plot are completely missing. The same can be said of the paper thin, half-constructed characters. Most irritating of all is having to watch Emma Watson think so hard about her acting and what emotion she is attempting to display in every frame of this movie. Some interesting concepts are tucked away in this mess, but it’s a charmless experience and is nowhere near as smart as it thinks it is.
Rated 23 Sep 2018
spaceflohspacefloh
Rated 02 Sep 2018
40
19th
eng; [the circle]; ein technologieunternehmen will menschen vernetzen und sprengt die grenzen der privatsphäre - wobei eine frau das leben all ihrer bekannten verändert.; (ein horrorfilm für techies, the borg - ein anfängerguide für zivilisationen);
Rated 02 Sep 2018
boriajboriaj
Rated 17 Jul 2018
75
58th
In a Black Mirror-esque near future, a powerful tech company that, as usual, just wants to make the world a better place (sigh), moves unopposed to control of all of the world's information. Apart for a few inconsistencies, it's a good movie.
Rated 17 Jul 2018
minorsageMinorsage
Rated 09 Jul 2018
40
18th
Interesting concept, but absolutely no suspense. It's a meandering cautionary tale.
Rated 09 Jul 2018
fuentissimoFuentissimo
Rated 28 May 2018
33
25th
Entertaining but disappointed and not enough of a pay off with the ending. Felt disjointed somehow, ironic given the subject matter.
Rated 28 May 2018
ernestinaErnestina
Rated 08 May 2018
52
56th
For a movie that's all about connection, the characters and their motivation sure felt disconnected. Pretty much everything that is worth discussing on the topics mentioned, is not included. Think of "The Circle" as the cutlery to your meal - it gives you resources to process the food for thought. Finally, I have to agree with the majority - it does have the "Black Mirror" vibe.
Rated 08 May 2018
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 28 Mar 2018
60
62nd
Strange this is getting trashed in reviews it really isn't that bad.
Rated 28 Mar 2018
rurusmasherRuruSmasher
Rated 04 Mar 2018
45
4th
The concept was interesting, the cast was great, but the execution was so bland and simply meh.
Rated 04 Mar 2018
mwgerbmwgerb
Rated 04 Mar 2018
33
18th
Ugh. Such an annoying knee-jerk technophobic reaction to modern technology with no real point or message to make. A number of good actors play bad characters, as well as a bad actor playing a bad character who is literally driven off a cliff by technology and an internet mob.
Rated 04 Mar 2018
synthonosynthono
Rated 05 Feb 2018
50
5th
It feels like a Black Mirror episode written by that AI program that named hamsters.
Rated 05 Feb 2018
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 01 Feb 2018
72
34th
Emma Watson is good here in the lead role. The supporting cast also does a good job in this film. There are a few slow spots but overall I would recommend this film.
Rated 01 Feb 2018
lumpnboylumpnboy
Rated 29 Jan 2018
40
35th
A tech company conspires to have a politician investigated for corruption so a new one can help pursue far more ambitious versions of the same sort of thing, while pretending it is all benevolent; an apparently naive but really cynical young woman joins the company and does the exact same thing to the company leaders, having them overthrown to pursue expanded versions of the same things. Not a thriller in any way, but marketed as one; a subtle satire interfered with, wrecked? Oddly, I hope so.
Rated 29 Jan 2018
braddad68braddad68
Rated 24 Jan 2018
88
36th
Not really sure why critics trashed this one. Decent drama based on current global companies and social media saturation. Though good performances by Emma Watson and Tom Hanks, it is notable for the one of the final roles for Bill Paxton and Glenne Headly. Both died suddenly in 2017, after the film's release. They played a married couple and parents of the central character. Paxton played a man suffering from MS. Though smaller roles, both delivered outstanding performances.
Rated 24 Jan 2018
yoohooyoohoo
Rated 09 Jan 2018
30
2nd
Eek. What a disaster of a movie.
Rated 09 Jan 2018
nickbmannickbman
Rated 07 Jan 2018
5
2nd
at least beck was in it
Rated 07 Jan 2018
ofterdingenOfterdingen
Rated 03 Jan 2018
15
1st
A ham-fisted disgrace. Emma Watson is beyond terrible. Hanks is actually quite good, but he shouldn't appear in something as bad as this.
Rated 03 Jan 2018
ikkegoemikkeikkegoemikke
Rated 22 Dec 2017
35
11th
More reviews here : http://movie-freak.be
Rated 22 Dec 2017
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 16 Dec 2017
23
6th
Absolute garbage. It plays like a series of darts throwing out ideas of what could become, but every idea is rushed and half thought out, and then it ends in almost hilariously rushed fashion. Really a shame considering some of the talents.
Rated 16 Dec 2017
jacoiiiJacoIII
Rated 10 Dec 2017
15
4th
Really, really uneven. The internal lives of all the characters are a complete mystery throughout the film. I have no idea what their desires or intentions are. There's no villain, there's no goal, there's no... anything. It honestly felt like nothing happened. All that, and it felt 45 minutes longer than it actually was.
Rated 10 Dec 2017
menialretconMenialRetcon
Rated 06 Dec 2017
44
1st
Sort of like a Black Mirror episode without any edge. John Boyega isn't used for much.
Rated 06 Dec 2017
gkfilmgkfilm
Rated 17 Nov 2017
70
77th
Entertainment 4/4 kept my attention the whole time, although a few obvious plot holes. Sustainability 2/3 an allegory about corporate rule and individual privacy. Spirit: 1/3 a yearning for community and friendship.
Rated 17 Nov 2017
indyatmnINDYATMN
Rated 30 Oct 2017
79
55th
Has the makings of a great film (it didn't surprise me to discover the story came from a novel), but makes the kind of choices that would likely turn off the kind of mainstream viewers attracted to the star power attached. The narrative probably does too good a job of being balanced & showing the positives of new technology & making it incredibly unclear as to how nefarious Hanks & Oswalt are & Watson loses a friend we never got to care about. The dangers might be too nuanced for mainstream film
Rated 30 Oct 2017
daphnlDaph_NL
Rated 24 Oct 2017
27
4th
Horrible. Especially when you have a cast like this. Watsons accent really distracted me. I am not American but I can hear she isn't either. And that is not good. Not to mention that the story really isn't there at all, that's how bad it is. 27/100.
Rated 24 Oct 2017
cowfrappecowfrappe
Rated 20 Oct 2017
39
7th
Clunky dialogue and nonsensical villains but also Tom Hanks is there.
Rated 20 Oct 2017
fmoraesfmoraes
Rated 05 Oct 2017
30
2nd
2017/10/03
Rated 05 Oct 2017
bktanbktan
Rated 14 Sep 2017
40
11th
Misguided, completely unresearched. Amature.
Rated 14 Sep 2017
barraocBarraoc
Rated 19 Aug 2017
50
19th
Okay, for what it is, but it's been done better elsewhere and with more of a clear message.
Rated 19 Aug 2017
trash_puppetTrash Puppet
Rated 09 Aug 2017
3
9th
Still not sure what they were trying to say with this.
Rated 09 Aug 2017
chmulcr0nchmul_cr0n
Rated 06 Aug 2017
19
1st
So, first she's naive, then she's wary, then she resets and is naive again...no, scratch that, then she's suddenly the crass oppositve version of herself, a total surveillance nazi and bumbling idiot only to have her previous arc repeated. What? It's amazing how James Ponsoldt seems to be able to get the worst and most awkward performances from really good actors, who can't seem to be able to bring his cringeworthingly bad, hyper-expositional dialoge to life. Not Tom Hanks, obviously.
Rated 06 Aug 2017
kaan_kavusanKaan Kavusan
Rated 04 Aug 2017
35
8th
Ne söylüyor, neyi hedefliyor, ütopyayla distopyayı karman çorman ediyor. Sepeti bir atıyor ekmek çekiyor, bi atıyor süt çekiyor, bi atıyor gazete çekiyor, bir atıyor ne çektiği belli değil boş çekiyor. :)
Rated 04 Aug 2017
dobbydobby
Rated 26 Jul 2017
56
21st
Working off a compelling premise, The Circle doesn't take long to unsheathe that it's wanting, and the sentimental conclusion does disappoint. Gillan is coruscating, serving to further demonstrate her versatility since her departure from Doctor Who. A pity the same cannot be said for Watson who channels an anxiety-ridden Glaphyra. It is a pity that the sheer screen-time prostrated to her vapid performance eclipses the chemistry between Hanks and Oswalt, not to mention Finn (sorry, Boyega).
Rated 26 Jul 2017
groovysoulsGroovy_Souls
Rated 24 Jul 2017
35
15th
Given I had read the book (which wasn't all that impressive on its own), I figured the film could only be even less entertaining. And I was right. Though it has redeeming qualities, such as the ever consistent Tom Hanks, The Circle sports a rushed plot without much of a conflict, a stoic cast, and annoying direction and visuals. It's about as impressive as any young adult novel adaptation, just a little more starstudded
Rated 24 Jul 2017
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 23 Jul 2017
30
5th
As fake as a social media profile. As far it goes about public and private affairs and hip companies (Google, Facebook, Apple), the film's discussion is not wider than an internet search. Every speech seems like a TED talk -- expositive situations shaped like well-intentioned corporate talk. Every character decision seems phony -- it starts out as coming of age drama, unfolds to tech thriller literally in the next shot (Boyega and Emma in a cave lol). Too much telling for not enough cinema.
Rated 23 Jul 2017
zwykzwyk
Rated 21 Jul 2017
25
2nd
The movie is full of great intentions - it intends to talk about surveillance, the lack of privacy that technology might bring etc. The movie tries to be socially relevant and insightful. But the execution is just horrible. Horrendous acting - some moments the acting was so bad that I wished that was just a joke, it wasn't. Surely one of the worst screenplays of the year.
Rated 21 Jul 2017
pluggedinPluggedIN
Rated 21 May 2017
50
50th
The Circle is a cautionary science-fiction story that's looking more factual by the day. Based on a 2013 book by Dave Eggers, the flick feels incredibly relevant, even prescient, in an age where our televisions could be listening to us, Facebook Live has streamed some pretty horrendous acts and every online move we make is being monitored and monetized. Sure, the story may be fiction. But the technology we see, and how it's used and abused, feels like it's ripped straight from the day's online h
Rated 21 May 2017
guillaumeGuillaume
Rated 19 May 2017
70
37th
Unlike most reviews,I think it captures the food for thought from the (ok'ish)book pretty neatly,be it with the exception of Mae:the instability&insecurity of an intelligent girl that finally finds a sense of belonging&as such reasons away the absurdity of The Cirle's shallow sense of socializing&irreversibly intrusive ways of "accountability".I see why Watson wasn't 1st choice;she's not fit for the role.The fact that the company's inherently evil also negates much of the duplicity from the book
Rated 19 May 2017
darrenDarren
Rated 13 May 2017
0
0th
No NDN's would be on board with this. Dave Eggers really wants to be Delillo doesn't he?
Rated 13 May 2017
seethruskinSeethruskin
Rated 11 May 2017
0
1st
It's pretty rare these days I watch something I would consider to be a Worst Ever but this is definitely one. Just a misfire on every account. Actors were either terrible (Mercer) or terribly wasted (basically every star in this but Watson). Also the message this movie is trying to portray is heavily muddled. It switches back and forth between positions multiple times.
Rated 11 May 2017

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