4. Circle

I feel like I’m alone in my love for Circle. I’ve seen plenty of people voice their negative opinions of it, but I thought it was great! When 50 people (one of which is the lovely Julie Benz) wake up standing in two concentric circles in a dark room, they quickly realize that one of them is killed off one-by-one every minute, and that they get to vote who gets killed next. The film feels like you’re watching a filmed version of a stage play, which can irritate some people, but I have an affinity for one-setting films (Frozen, Phone Booth, Devil, Cube, Buried, etc.). In what could have easily been a boring slog of a film, Circle engrosses you in the dialogue that takes place between all of its characters as they are slowly killed off one by one. Sure, there are a couple of obnoxious characters, but they get offed fairly quickly once their more sinister natures are revealed. The major issues I have with the film are that it’s fairly obvious that the pregnant woman and the little girl will make it to the end, and I wish that the final scene had given a bit more explanation as to what was going on, but those are minor gripes. Circle is a fascinating film that pulls you into the lives of a handful of strangers, and comes highly recommended from me.