thistlechaser: (Chi_ :o)
thistlechaser ([personal profile] thistlechaser) wrote2015-11-17 09:17 pm
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Movie: The Circle

I watch very few movies, because generally I multitask too much during them, so it takes days for me to get through them (I endlessly pause it or have to backtrack to see what I missed). I'm kind of a little burnt out on my game right now, so I've been watching more Netflix than usual. A movie caught my eye, so I checked it out.

GAH! It could not have been a better fit for me if it had been written for me personally!

The movie opens with 50 people in a dark space, each standing on a lighted circle. If they move off that light or touch each other, a loud warning sound blasts. If they stay off their light, they die.

Even if everyone does everything right, every two minutes, one of them is killed.

After a few deaths, they learn more and more about how the person is chosen to be killed. They vote on who dies. Every two minutes, they have to vote. It's a secret vote though (done with technology -- small twitches of their hands), so no one knows who the others are voting for. The next hour and change is all about how people act, what makes them turn on each other, how personalities come out, all sorts of plotting and planning.

It's not gory at all, there's not a single drop of blood. It's all the psychological end of things.

I wish they would have ended the movie a moment sooner -- I like open-ended things better. The ending as-is wasn't at all bad, it just could have been even better.

If you don't like dark movies, this is a big pass for you. But if you're interested in seeing how people act when in horrible situations, then The Circle might be a good fit for you.

[identity profile] changeling72.livejournal.com 2015-11-18 06:20 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds like a barrel of laughs.

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2015-11-18 06:25 am (UTC)(link)


Haha sorry, couldn't resist.

While not an any sized container of laughs, it was still entertaining so long as you don't mind dark movies.

[identity profile] jeane nevarez (from livejournal.com) 2015-11-18 01:23 pm (UTC)(link)
"Seeing how people act in horrible situations" and deciding who will die by vote- sounds like a cross between Saw (which I was horrified by- never never never want to see any of that again) and Survivor. But without the gore. Great!

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2015-11-18 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, it was exactly like Survivor, just with much more real consequences.

I've never seen any of the Saw movies. I generally don't like horror at all, especially when they're violent or have gore. (To me, The Circle was more like an interesting study on people than a horror movie. The deaths were quick and painless.)

[identity profile] jeane nevarez (from livejournal.com) 2015-11-18 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't either. Someone coerced me into watching it. He went on to see all the sequels, I refused.

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2015-11-18 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm glad you got out of seeing the rest. Hope the first one didn't stay with you too long.

[identity profile] ashmedai.livejournal.com 2015-11-18 02:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds like a movie I'd really like too. Thanks for the rec! :)

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2015-11-18 04:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Welcome! Let me know what you think of it, if you do see it. :)

[identity profile] ashmedai.livejournal.com 2015-11-18 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I'll do that. :)

[identity profile] teaandfailure.livejournal.com 2015-11-19 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
TOTALLY INTO IT, OMG.

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2015-11-19 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
I KNEW YOU WOULD BE! :D

[identity profile] fbhjr.livejournal.com 2015-11-20 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
Interesting concept...

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2015-11-20 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
Very, yes!

[identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com 2015-11-20 10:55 am (UTC)(link)
*hides eyes from spoiler post and all comments* Is this named anything else--maybe in different countries or different distributions? I can't find it.

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2015-11-20 03:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Not that I can see. It was released in 2015, directed by Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione if that helps you search.

Can't find it on Netflix or can't find it off-Netflix?

While checking IMDB, I saw an ad for it: Watch Now From $3.99 on Amazon Video (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0169Z08I8?ref_=imdbref_tt_wbr_aiv&tag=imdbtag_tt_wbr_aiv-20). So failing all else, you can watch it in non-HD (which should be perfectly fine) for $4. HD is $5.

I hope you're able to find it somewhere to see!

[identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com 2015-11-21 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, thank you! (It's called "Circle" without the "The" and that helped my IMDB'ing a little. :) ) Maybe I'll shell out some money for it sometime, it sounds like my kind of thing too!

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2015-11-21 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
Oh ack! Sorry! I have no idea why my brain put The in front of it.

Hope you enjoy it, if you do watch it. :)