The Circle
Knowing is good. Knowing everything is better.
2017 | 110m | English
Popularity: 4 (history)
| Director: | James Ponsoldt |
|---|---|
| Writer: | James Ponsoldt, Dave Eggers |
| Staring: |
| A young tech worker takes a job at a powerful Internet corporation, quickly rises up the company's ranks, and soon finds herself in a perilous situation concerning privacy, surveillance and freedom. She comes to learn that her decisions and actions will determine the future of humanity. | |
| Release Date: | Apr 27, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Director: | James Ponsoldt |
| Writer: | James Ponsoldt, Dave Eggers |
| Genres: | Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller |
| Keywords | technology, video surveillance, criminal, cyber thriller, technicians, tech company, techno thriller |
| Production Companies | Likely Story, Playtone, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation, Route One Entertainment, 1978 Films |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $40,651,864
Budget: $18,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 04, 2026 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Emma Watson | Mae Holland |
| Tom Hanks | Eamon Bailey |
| John Boyega | Ty Lafitte |
| Karen Gillan | Annie Allerton |
| Ellar Coltrane | Mercer Regalado |
| Patton Oswalt | Tom Stenton |
| Glenne Headly | Bonnie Holland |
| Bill Paxton | Vinnie Holland |
| Poorna Jagannathan | Dr. Jessica Villalobos |
| Nate Corddry | Dan |
| Mamoudou Athie | Jared |
| Amir Talai | Matt |
| Smith Cho | Gina |
| Ellen Wong | Renata |
| Judy Reyes | Olivia Santos |
| Elvy | Sabine |
| Roger Joseph Manning Jr. | Beck Bandmate |
| Joey Waronker | Beck Bandmate |
| Michael Shuman | Beck Bandmate |
| Katie Costick | Partier |
| Regina Saldivar | Partier |
| Steven Klein | Man from the Crowd |
| Hunter Burke | EMT |
| Eve Gordon | Senator Williamson |
| Amie McCarthy Winn | Marion Lefebvre |
| Lauren Baldwin | Gretchen Karapcek |
| Nicola Bertram | Fiona Highbridge |
| Julian von Nagel | Julian |
| Beck | Beck |
| Nick Peine | Person from the Crowd |
| Michael Dean Russell Jr | Laundry Worker |
| Jason Sheridan | Improv Actor |
| Drew Droege | Improv Actor |
| Jimmy Wong | Foreign Born Circler |
| Sandeep Parikh | Foreign Born Circler |
| Mele Ihara | Foreign Born Circler |
| Andrew Hwang | Foreign Born Circler |
| Lizzie Prestel | Advertising Circler |
| Alana Aimaq | Mercer Seeker |
| Daniel William Jordan | Mercer Seeker |
| Melanie Steinmann | Young Circler |
| Ken Narasaki | Older Circler |
| Frederick Koehler | Kevin |
| Jedediah Jenk | Guppy (uncredited) |
| Claudia O'Doherty | High Powered Circler (uncredited) |
| Ara Woland | Circler (uncredited) |
| Brandon Van Vliet | Circler (uncredited) |
| Alan Trujillo | Circler (uncredited) |
| Derek Sulek | Circler (uncredited) |
| Jasper Salon | Circler (uncredited) |
| Parker Russell | Circler (uncredited) |
| Samir Patel | Circler (uncredited) |
| Afsheen Olyaie | Circler (uncredited) |
| James O'Connor | Circler (uncredited) |
| Henry Nolin | Circler (uncredited) |
| Rob Morris | Circler (uncredited) |
| Dez Mabunga | Circler (uncredited) |
| Shandel Love | Circler (uncredited) |
| Abraham Lim | Circler (uncredited) |
| Punnavith Koy | Circler (uncredited) |
| Slim Khezri | Circler (uncredited) |
| Stephen Michael Joseph | Circler (uncredited) |
| Allyson Nicole Jones | Circler (uncredited) |
| Jenine Giusto | Circler (uncredited) |
| Lori Crow | Circler (uncredited) |
| Reverend John Atom | Circler (uncredited) |
| Steven Adkins | Circler (uncredited) |
| Matt Van Beck | Mae's Deskmate #1 (uncredited) |
| Jennifer Fernandez | Mae's Deskmate #2 (uncredited) |
| Kelli Barksdale | Young Woman (uncredited) |
| Patrick Russo | Pill Popping Circler (uncredited) |
| Troy Murray | Tech Employee (uncredited) |
| Johny Walsh | Tech Employee (uncredited) |
| Adam Aseem Tiwari | Foreign Born Circler |
| Nick Valensi | Beck Bandmate |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| M. Shane Cates | Grip |
| Jesse Garcia | Assistant Sound Editor |
| Kelli Barksdale | Stunts |
| Danny Wynands | Stunts |
| Jeff Ferrero | Gaffer |
| Colin Hudson | Steadicam Operator, Camera Operator |
| Gerald Sullivan | Production Design |
| Alex Scott-Gatty | Line Producer |
| Sebastian Schroder | Art Direction |
| Kathrine Gordon | Hair Department Head |
| Caroline Ross | Production Manager |
| Bart Barbuscia | Set Dresser |
| D. Chris Smith | Sound Effects Editor |
| Casey Genton | Sound Effects Editor |
| Sarah M. Pott | Art Direction |
| Elizabeth Cortez | Key Hair Stylist |
| Jane Galli | Makeup Department Head |
| Jeff Valeri | Production Supervisor |
| Jaudi Negri | Set Dresser |
| Bryan Stanis | Set Dresser |
| Randall L. Johnson | Boom Operator |
| Shiran Amir | VFX Editor |
| Todd Reynolds | VFX Editor |
| Tana Dubbe | Key Grip |
| Thomas C. Miller | Camera Operator |
| Valerie Zielonka | Costume Supervisor |
| Jeff Rubinstein | Location Scout |
| Edward Mazurek | Location Manager |
| Tiffany Anders | Music Supervisor |
| Daniela Kriston | Thanks |
| Luca Nemolato | Conceptual Design |
| Carl Stern | Compositors |
| Wade Allen | Stunt Coordinator |
| Frank Masi | Still Photographer |
| Harrison Nesbit | Casting Assistant |
| Diane Friedman | Location Scout |
| Ellen Segal | Music Editor |
| Edgardo Simone | Orchestrator |
| Lenna Karacostas | Art Department Assistant |
| Stephen Morton | Compositors |
| Ricardo Elliott II | Compositors |
| Tommy Maddox-Upshaw | Additional Photography |
| Leeba Zakharov | Casting Associate |
| Todd Voght | Set Costumer |
| Patrick J. Barry | VFX Editor |
| Steven Trebus | Post Production Assistant |
| Tyler Westen | Score Engineer |
| Barry L. Caldwell | Script Supervisor |
| Susan Kurtz | Dialogue Editor |
| Chris O'Hara | Second Assistant Director |
| Chris Bustard | Casting |
| John Voght | Set Costumer |
| Lara Khachooni | First Assistant Editor |
| Adam Zucker | Post Production Assistant |
| Peter Moody | Location Scout |
| Steve Gehrke | Script Supervisor |
| Wednesday Standley | Production Coordinator |
| Robert Nagle | Stunt Driver |
| James Ponsoldt | Screenplay, Director |
| Dave Eggers | Screenplay, Novel |
| Matthew Libatique | Director of Photography |
| Danny Elfman | Original Music Composer |
| Franklin Peterson | Editor |
| Avy Kaufman | Casting |
| Emma Potter | Costume Design |
| J.M. Logan | Post Production Supervisor |
| Nicolas Harvard | First Assistant Director |
| Lars Slind | Set Dresser |
| Lisa Pinero | Sound Mixer |
| David Jobe | Foley |
| Teague Chrystie | VFX Artist |
| Chad Dashnaw | Stunts |
| Scott Trimble | Location Manager |
| Dean Bailey | Stunt Driver |
| Alice Rietveld | Stunt Double |
| Clay Cullen | Stunts |
| Lisa Lassek | Editor |
| Rosemary Brandenburg | Set Decoration |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Steven Shareshian | Executive Producer |
| Russell Levine | Executive Producer |
| Stefanie Azpiazu | Executive Producer |
| Evan Hayes | Executive Producer |
| Sally Wilcox | Executive Producer |
| Sophia Dilley | Co-Producer |
| Anthony Bregman | Producer |
| Gary Goetzman | Producer |
| Laurie MacDonald | Executive Producer |
| Walter F. Parkes | Producer |
| Tom Hanks | Producer |
| Peter Cron | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 55 | 116 | 30 |
| 2024 | 5 | 152 | 198 | 116 |
| 2024 | 6 | 85 | 170 | 38 |
| 2024 | 7 | 31 | 55 | 17 |
| 2024 | 8 | 29 | 53 | 18 |
| 2024 | 9 | 24 | 67 | 14 |
| 2024 | 10 | 28 | 54 | 17 |
| 2024 | 11 | 22 | 41 | 16 |
| 2024 | 12 | 20 | 27 | 14 |
| 2025 | 1 | 23 | 42 | 16 |
| 2025 | 2 | 15 | 21 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2025 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 514 | 568 |
**Despite a message film, an average!** A book based film. Pretty much set in the present world scenario. The world where the internet, the social media is controlling people. If any revolution must take place, that's none other place than the virtual world. So a young woman who worked hard to ge ... t a job in a leading tech company, starts her life anew. At one end, aged and seriously ill parents, and the other end, making an unexpected leap in the workplace lead her to be a celebrity overnight. But it's only going to change her life forever, but how is to know, one must watch the film. It was an Emma Watson's film. Tom Hanks was is an important role, but Watson led the show. Nice theme, but predictable storyline. I indeed guessed the end, which spoiled my watch. Slightly an awareness film too. Not all the technology can make life better, but sometimes opposite. Particularly, the film highlighted the privacy issue, how important it is for everyone. And at a same time, transparency too can bring a major change in society. But it all depends on the people and their professions. Surely not to be missed, despite you enjoy it or dislike it. **6/10**
There are some shows that have a character for exposition. Velma in Scooby Doo comes to mind, and it is their job to summarize the plot points that the viewer has missed. This is a movie filled with Velmas. Everyone gives a little exposition, everyone has a lecture. And no one seems real because ... of it. The characters, good or bad, all sound scripted and monotoned. It hurts to watch it.
The Circle had a solid premise with relevant themes about privacy, surveillance, and corporate power, but it never fully delivered on its potential. The plot starts strong, setting up an intriguing world and characters, but the pacing feels off. It spends too much time in the setup and then rushes t ... hrough key developments, making the shift into the main conflict feel unbalanced. The directing is straightforward but lacks tension, which makes scenes that should be gripping feel flat. Visually, the cinematography is clean and polished, reflecting the sleek, tech-driven setting, but it doesn’t do much beyond that to enhance the storytelling. The acting is decent, with Emma Watson delivering a capable performance, though at times she feels a bit restrained. Tom Hanks is solid as always, but his character isn't given much depth. The script is where the movie really struggles. It introduces big ideas but never explores them in a meaningful way, instead leaning into melodrama without the payoff. The score is functional but forgettable, failing to add any real weight to the narrative. Overall, it’s a movie with a lot of potential that ends up feeling more like a missed opportunity than a thought-provoking thriller.