[RileyH]

Circle (2015)

Spoiler:

I think this film is a hit or miss for most people, and having seen this a few months ago and once again last night I love it just the same.

I do agree with some statements that do say too many villanious characters and a real lack in character development, but when that is happening to you you don't really want to be getting to know them as you will probably have to kill them in a few minutes. While most characters were assholes, there were a few people who are quite likeable such as the pornstar and the cancer survivor. It's also a good film if you like pyschological stuff, trying to guess who will die next (and there are quite a few shocking deaths).

Twists are good in the film, especially where we find out the married couple aren't real and at the end when we see Eric tie with the unborn child. I quite like the ending, with all the children and pregnant women from other ships having also won their game, but it could have done with a bit more plot depth and reasons for why it happened/who the aliens are etc. But I like that it makes you think afterwards.

7/10

[Babayaro.]

Circle

Ok, lets just get one thing straight - I lowkey LOVE this film. Maybe in an ironic kind of way, but I love it nonetheless.

Technically, it isn't very good, for a number of reasons. You have; poor and unrealistic dialogue (the Spanish woman saying "he's a HUMAN BeINg!!! ), unlikeable characters, and the reasoning behind their decisions never really made much sense. In fact, when first watching it, I really did not like it, since I had been looking forward to it for quite a while and was left feeling pretty dissatisfied.

BUT...but, but, but. When I watched it a few months ago, this time with my friend, I found it weirdly amazing. Idk if I was in a funny mood or whatever but everything about it was a hilarious, highly entertaining MESS. And now whenever I watch the film, I don't take it too seriously and just enjoy it for what it is. To give credit where credit is due, there are some good parts (ones in which the makers of the film intended), such as the actual concept, the constant guessing game that goes on throughout the entirety of it, and the twist at the end, where the young girl and pregnant woman die. Overall, Circle is an enjoyable, yet uneven film which requires the viewer to think what they would do if they found theirself in the character's predicament.

Shout-out to the mute guy (Sam Allardyce?), the cancer lady, the 'bad guy' with the long grey hair and the genius who survived.

Rating - 8/10

[Jamie89]

I'm watching Bone Tomahawk tonight (AND having another takeaway - don't judge me) but I'll post my review after you end the Circle era so I don't confuse things

[Babayaro.]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

I'm watching Bone Tomahawk tonight (AND having another takeaway - don't judge me) but I'll post my review after you end the Circle era so I don't confuse things

What is tonight's choice?

[Babayaro.]

I hate myself for watching Bone Tomahawk the other week as it's not that fresh in my mind to write an accurate review on, but at the same time it kinda is as it's too soon for me to watch it again

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Babayaro.

What is tonight's choice?

Indian tonight, thought I'd spice things up a bit

[Jamie89]

(even though I'm having one of the mildest things on the menu but anyway)

[RileyH]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

(even though I'm having one of the mildest things on the menu but anyway)

you should have gone for the spiciest

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by RileyHollyoaks

you should have gone for the spiciest

I can't, masala's about the hottest I can handle (and usually I just have korna). Although I have gone up to a 'medium' at Nando's so I'm gradually getting more hardcore.

[RileyH]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

I can't, masala's about the hottest I can handle (and usually I just have korna). Although I have gone up to a 'medium' at Nando's so I'm gradually getting more hardcore.

omg I love korma's tbh a masala is too hot for me

[Babayaro.]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

Indian tonight, thought I'd spice things up a bit

Get that spice, I guess!

[Jason.]

Oh I definitely agree about Circle having too many unlikable characters.

It's like each character was written to spout something shitty/bigoted just for the sake of getting picked off straight after. It was uncreative and predictable.

[Lostie!]

Circle: 8/10

So I don't really have a huge amount to say about this movie but I enjoyed it. I think it has a brilliant concept and it's so different from most other films out there. I do think the allegories were quite heavy handed at times but I appreciated what the film was trying to say.

The twist ending with Eric being a disgusting little rapscallion was unexpected which I applaud, but it left me unsatisfied that he survived. And there were other good twists with the fake couple, the sudden #0In4Out quad killing and the unborn baby surviving the mother's death. I also enjoyed theorising about who would live in the end.

As for the lack of explanation for what the aliens wanted, that didn't bother me. Actually, I felt it was pretty much explained when Eric suggested they were observing human nature and values, that seems likely and I don't see any way to get a more concrete answer without one of the aliens walking in and being like "Hey so yeah we did this because____" which obviously would have been absurd.

All in all, an enjoyable movie that I think offers a much appreciated different experience when so many movies nowadays can be so samey.

[Cal.]

Thank you everybody for all your reviews.

Bone Tomahawk tonight!

[Jamie89]

I wrote my review for Bone Tomahawk after I watched it last night so I'll just post it whenever it opens but Oh. My. God!

[Babayaro.]

[Jason.]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

Oh. My. God!

The indian was too spicy?

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Jason.

The indian was too spicy?

The Indian was perfect, I've already sent my review on that to Just Eat.

[Amy Jade]

I bet I know which scene got the 'omg' reaction

[Jřsh]

Was I the one that suggested this? I remember bringing it up one year. I'll do an unofficial review on it soon.

[Cal.]

Thursday 5th October - Bone Tomahawk (2015)



In the Old West, a sheriff (Kurt Russell), his deputy (Richard Jenkins), a gunslinger (Matthew Fox),and a cowboy (Patrick Wilson) embark on a mission to rescue three people from a savage group of cave dwellers.

Please have your reviews in for Sunday 8th October at 7PM!

[RileyH]

not 2025

[Withano]

I'm gonna watch it nowish.

[Jamie89]

Bone Tomahawk

Jesus ****ing christ at that deputy guy's death!! Like what the actual **** (Just had to get that out the way first because oh my god that was one of the most horrific things I've ever seen!) So yeah I have some mixed feelings about this film because first of all it took me a while to realise why this would be considered a horror film. Apart from the opening scene it started off quite slow, albeit intriguing and enjoyable, but I was thinking for a while that the whole thing was going to be about their journey across the desert as it seemed to go on for a while and I wasn't really here for that. And don't get me wrong I was still enjoying it, it was well acted, well written, it held my interest etc, I think I just expected a bit more (although maybe I wouldn't have if this wasn't part of a halloween themed thing so I don't really hold that against it). BUT! Once they were captured it changed quite dramatically, and I don't know if it was just because I was caught off guard with it or had been lulled into a false sense of security given the pacing of it beforehand but I found the remainder of the film really quite punishing (in a good way <3). Like I said, the deputy's's death was absolutely horrific and once that happened I was constantly on the edge of my seat. I was willing the captives plan to poison the cannibals to work just like they were willing them to drink it, I was willing O'Dwyer along when he was struggling with his leg and started crawling through the sand </3, I was desperately hoping that Kurt Russell wouldn't have his scalp ripped off and be split vertically in two... it's a great film that can involve me emotionally as much as this one did and all because of one moment, but then it wasn't really because of that moment it was because of everything that had gone before and built to it, without me even realising it was building, the whole atmosphere it created before completely pulling the rug from under me. And I really shouldn't have been shocked by how gruesome it became because I mean the very first shot in the film is a graphic one of someone's throat being slit, but I was. Everything that preceded suddenly made a lot more sense because I really cared about these characters, a lot more than I usually do in horror films where for the most part I don't really care who dies, or I actually want people to die, but in this one I was praying for no more deaths! Only a great film can achieve all of that and do so well to leave the impression that this one did.

Kurt Russell was absolutely brilliant, I haven't seen a lot of his films but he's always stand-out whenever I've seen him and his presence added a great deal to the film. Jack from Lost was really good too (the scene with his horse dying </3) (also did anyone else not even recognise it was him at first because I didn't), the whole cast was great but those two stood out the most. Oh I was surprised that there wasn't more of David Arquette though, with him being quite a big name I thought they'd have used him at the end rather than just tell us that he died at some point, not that that mattered though. (And I could be wrong about him even being a big name I just assume he is because I'm a massive Scream fan and he was married to Monica from Friends).

Anyway it's a film that will stay with me, it really made me feel and involved me and I feel like I went on a journey with it and it's characters. It was intriguing and shocking and kinda unique, I can't really think of many (any?) films similar to it so to be that different and still achieve what it sets out too without any real established template there is a huge achievement.... I'm still not entirely sure if I'd call it a halloween film (but I nominated 'Death Becomes Her' so who am I to talk), and although I can see how all the middle bits had value after watching the film as a whole, the fact that I felt at times that I wasn't THAT interested in those parts I suppose has to go against it. Like I'd recommend this film to people but I'd have to tell them to stick with it. And really that's more to do with the fact that the film breaks genre conventions and veers away from what you'd expect, which I suppose is a good thing rather than it being a fault with the film ... so yeah mixed feelings like I said about all of that tbh.

But I want more films like this, films that aren't typical to their genre and explore mixing horror with other themes

8.5/10

[Babayaro.]

excellent review.

I'm going to give this a watch in the next few days, even though I watched it recently. But I feel like my review would be better/more accurate by doing this.