Written by Logan J. Fowler and Justin Matchick
Release Date: April 28th, 2017
Starring: Emma Watson, John Boyega, Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Patton Oswalt, Karen Gillan
Director: James Ponsoldt (Smashed, The Spectacular Now)
Pre-Trailer Thoughts: I had only seen a trailer for The Circle on a recent theater outing. It’s cool to see some up and comers in the Hollywood game (Watson and Boyega) and a bankable star in Hanks go toe-to-toe in a technological thriller. -LJF
Pre-Trailer Thoughts: In an age where we seem to give away most of our life’s information to a phone company, a thriller about the dangers of cyber-surveillance definitely piques my interest. The “conspiracy thriller” is a genre that seems to have died off in recent years, so its nice to see a movie try and take a stab at it again. Perhaps even more interesting is Tom Hanks in what looks to be something of an antagonistic role, something he has rarely, if ever, played before. – JTM
Rate the Trailer: 4 out of 5. The Circle looks interesting, and it has a plot that so echoes the real world that it could really capitalize on fear. With a great cast to boot, it has all the makings of a solid flick. Hopefully it can live up to an awesome trailer. -LJF
Rate the Trailer: 4 out of 5. There’s something definitely unnerving about that trailer, not only with the way it unravels just how much The Circle company is able to find out about its employees but also in how much of The Circle closely resembles the way many Silicon Valley companies are handling they way they are able to wiretap into our personal lives. Hanks looks to be in top form once again as a Steve Jobs-esque character who seems to genuinely believe his encroachment on people’s privacy is a benefit to the world. Throughout the trailer I got very strong Black Mirror vibes, and liked how the look and feel of the scenes got darker and darker as we moved from the sunny sights when Emma Watson’s character first joins the company to a foreboding darkness as she unravels more and more. – JTM
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided? Rent. The Circle looks like a good flick, but there’s no need to check it out in theaters, as I’m just anticipating Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 the following week. It’ll be a solid rental for sure, though. -LJF
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided? Rent. Hanks is the sort of actor who is worth seeing in any role, so one of his first antagonistic performances would definitely be worth a checking out. With the next few weeks a jumble of theater-worthy new releases, I think I’ll wind up checking The Circle when it comes to On Demand and streaming services. – JTM
