The Circle, based on the book by Dave Eggers

The Circle, based on the book by Dave Eggers

The Circle has not been too well received by the critics, if we consider its Metascore of only 43.

It means that most of the reviews have been negative and even the popular vote stands at only 5.3.

However, this viewer has enjoyed it.

The Circle is not in the same league with The Social Network, but it is a good entertainment nevertheless.

The actors Emma Watson, Tom Hanks and John Boyega offer remarkable performances in the leading and supporting roles.

In addition, the themes are poignant and the problems raised by the narrative could not be more relevant.

Privacy, social media and the internet dominate our professional and private lives today with mixed effects.

Studies have showed that for those who are happy in general, social media adds some wellbeing.

However, for the rest of men and women, Facebook and the rest only add to depression and other ills.

They are online to watch others travel, enjoy themselves, share with family and friends wonderful moments.

Mae is the main character in The Circle.

This young woman is hired in a company that could be modeled on one of the GAFAM giants, or more likely, it is a matrix with elements from all.

GAFAM would stand for the major tech giants:

Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft all have a huge influence on people’s lives and a combined worth of trillions of dollars.

The Circle, the company in the film, could be any one of the big five, with some creepy elements added in.

Mae Holland passes a difficult test that reminds one of what Google and the other Rat Pack use to employ the brightest.

The protagonist has to show that she has remembered the name of the woman who has greeted her at the reception.

Many other Character Strengths have to be on display, together with an exceptional IQ and EQ.

Very soon after getting this magnificent opportunity, aspects from The Circle start showing the downside.

Employees are expected to spend most of their time- in fact all- on the premises of the firm and even if it is not compulsory, it looks like it.

Then they need to merge their private social media profiles with the professional ones and engage with the multitude of groups, teams that The Circle uses to promote its services and profile.

One night, Mae escapes the headquarters that resemble a prison to take a canoe and get in the water.

Very soon, she gets into a serious danger and is saved at the last moment by the Coast Guard, just before drowning.

The complex message here is that she was saved only because two of the omnipresent Circle cameras have notified her presence.

Therefore, the issue here is that:

We have an option and need to choose between privacy and the more important need to be safe…

After this near death experience, Mae becomes prominent and involved in a project that sends online all of her life…

Except the moment when she is in the bathroom, Mae has everything uploaded on the internet, even the parents ‘life, making way for an embarrassing scene wherein they are seen by many millions in delicate, intimate scenes.

Furthermore, they promote and launch a new product with which they can find fugitives from justice.

When they want to use the same technology to find a normal human being, tragedy strikes and the new technology is derailed…

However, it is only for a few days.