The Circle

At some point Hollywood will have to give up on movies about "the dangers of the latest technology." That's not to say they can't make movies about technology, but in general its best to aim for future tech than to comment on current technology. You ever see The Net with Sandra Bullock? Don't because it's awful and has no idea how the internet works. How about Hackers? Have you watched it within recent memory? Yeah I thought not. The big problem is twofold since studios and screenwriters:

1. Rarely have a complete understanding of the tech that they're commenting on.
2. Don't have anything interesting or timeless to say.

Sadly this trend continues with The Circle, a film about the dangers of social media...kinda.

Emma Watson plays Mae Holland, a young worker who is stuck in a crummy customer service job. That is until she's hired by The Circle, a powerful Google/Facebook hybrid with a great interest in her personal life and shared experience. Though hesitant at first, Mae is quickly swept up in The Circle's idea of transparency...even as it alienates her from her friends and family.

Sooooo I genuinely have no idea what point this movie is trying to make. At first it looks like it might be all about the evils of social media and a society that doesn't allow for privacy. But at the same time, any time Mae isolates herself her life takes a turn for the worst. Maybe it's about balance? I dunno. Whatever point it was trying to make, and maybe this is clearer in the source material, The Circle does not present it in a comprehensive way.

You can see the fringes of a quality film. I like examining the irony that the people mining and selling all of our data are notoriously secretive and protected from shaming on the very sites they created. Or you could look into how authentic connection in person and in action beats a superfluous pursuit of nameless viewers (i.e. social media isn't inherently bad but you had to use it responsibly). Both of these examine the tech and its influences without passing judgement on it.

The movie's protagonist, played admirably by Emma Watson, is the embodiment of the movie's conflicting values. At first her seemingly intrusive coworkers that want her to connect during rigidly scheduled group activities rather than crying in a kayak by herself look like objects of ridicue. But half a scene later they show up with people that can alert her to parent-related emergencies and help her keep in touch, thus allowing her to live a more fulfilled life with technology. Likewise she goes from barely interacting on the platform to literally suggesting that everyone should be forced by law to have an account. It's really strange.

It also doesn't help that most of our supposed villains are a who's who of likable actors including America's Dad Tom Hank, doing his best Steve Jobs presentation impression, and Patton Oswalt. That's not to say these guys can't play bad guys but when you put them all together it looks like a party I desperately want to be invited to, so consequences be damned let's see what they're selling.

And we haven't even scratched the surface of the subplot with Mae's cabin dwelling, unplugged demi-love interest whose story involves getting shamed about his antler based art because the "killing deer is murder" crowd are notoriously horrifying about shaming people into submission.

Ultimately The Circle fails because it doesn't commit to a style, plot, or idea. It could be a conspiracy thriller, but there's no mystery to unravel. It could be about the dangers of social media, but doesn't commit to making the platform a villain. At least if it made a choice it would be worth discussing. Sadly The Circle is not. Skip this one.