The Circle SLAMMED by critics: Emma Watson movie is a big flop - will it get a UK release?
THE CIRCLE, a new tech thriller starring Emma Watson, has been almost unanimously lambasted by critics.
Emma Watson stars in sci-fi thriller The Circle
The actress is riding high after the record-breaking success of Beauty and the Beast but it seems she hasn’t been granted a free pass.
On Rotten Tomatoes it has a mere 16% approval rating, with audiences giving it a D+ grade on an A+ to F scale, per CinemaScore.
The Guardian said in a two-star verdict: “As a thriller, there’s a crushing lack of suspense.
“Despite initial signs suggesting otherwise, The Circle is not the film we need right now.”
Star Wars regular John Boyega came in for criticism too, with the same reviewer saying: “Boyega’s role is so thankless and superfluous, one expects a twist to reveal that his character is actually a ghost.”
The New York Times lambasted “oodles and oodles of bad acting and bad dialogue”, saying: “Ms. Watson has to spend way too much time looking concerned while staring at various screens.
“Ellar Coltrane, who was so unaffectedly appealing as he grew up onscreen in Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, can’t find any footing in the role of Mae’s Mr. Integrity ex-boyfriend.”
Coltrane is also scolded by MIC in their own negative response. “Watson's practically Oscar-worthy compared to Ellar Coltrane… calling his work a performance is an insult to performers.”
Rolling Stone awarded it just one star, reasoning: “The Circle feels dull, dated and ripped from yesterday's headlines. It flatlines while you're watching it.”
IGN, at least, were a little more positive; giving a 6/10 score. However, they concluded that the film “isn’t as contemplative and memorable as it wants, or needs, to be.”
The Circle has already been a disaster at the US box office, earning just $9 million in its opening weekend.
A UK release has not been confirmed.