Netflix Gems: Circle

Year: 2015

Director(s): Aaron Haan

                   Mario Miscione

Fifty people wake up in a room to find themselves arranged in two concentric circles around a strange black dome. Their reasons for being there are unclear, but as the dome begins to kill people using what appears to be electrocution, it becomes clear that only a few of them will survive.

Eventually, those in the circle realise each of them is capable of casting a ‘vote’ through means of an arrow only visible to them. With this vote, they get to decide who will die next.

Circle bears similarities to other sci-fi films like Coherence and Primer in that it is relatively low on special effects but high on ideas. There are ethical dilemmas aplenty as the group breaks down into different factions with different priorities: some want to protect the most ‘innocent’ in the group, a child and a pregnant woman, while others are concerned with their own self-preservation.

As the stakes are heightened, people’s prejudices also boil to the surface and increasingly arbitrary reasons are suggested for killing people off; racism, homophobia, and classism all get a look in here.

Indeed, it is this unravelling of the darker aspects of human nature that makes Circle such a compelling watch. Although the acting is sometimes a little iffy and the ending perhaps a little too clear cut, the film is definitely recommended for those who like their sci-fi dark and thought-provoking.

Netflix Gems: Creep

In this new series of posts, I take a look at some of the lesser-known but otherwise quite wonderful films to be found on Netflix. First up, Creep:

Year: 2014

Director(s): Patrick Brice

If you thought the found footage sub-genre was on its last legs, you’d be right. That doesn’t mean it can’t still generate some surprisingly good films, though. Horror comedy Creep is one such example.

Patrick Brice’s directorial debut sees cash-strapped videographer Aaron (also played by Brice) hired to do some filming via Craigslist. His employer is an eccentric and apparently wealthy individual called Josef who invites him up to his mountainside cabin. When Aaron gets there, Josef explains that he has cancer and has only a few months to live. He asks Aaron to help him make a video for his unborn son who he won’t be able to see grow up. As Aaron follows and films Josef around the cabin and the surrounding woods, though, it becomes clear that Josef has been less than truthful about his reasons for hiring him.

Unlike many of its contemporaries, Creep has a reason to be a found-footage film: the conceit that Aaron is a videographer hired to do a job provides an excuse for the camera to stay rolling even through some of the film’s more bizarre and suspenseful moments. The decision to shoot Creep in this style also seems to be the result of an aesthetic rather than a financial consideration. Throughout the film, Brice exploits the subgenre's potential for raw creepiness with a number of chill-inducing moments: one in particular will have you reluctant to keep a camera by your bed long after the film is over.

As already mentioned, Creep is a horror comedy, a combination that is difficult to pull off. Within the film, however, neither element overwhelms the other: both the funny moments and the unnerving ones accentuate each other and mingle with disturbing effect.

The two central characters are also wonderfully played by Brice and Duplass. Brice is convincing as the guy unwittingly drawn into a very bad situation and Duplass brings his comedy credentials to bear to create a role where he alternates between the eccentric and the menacing.

The film may not be a masterpiece by any stretch. It does show, however, how an effective horror film can be created on a very minimalistic basis. If you’re looking for something suspenseful and interesting to watch this evening but are otherwise stuck for ideas, then Creep is well worth your time.

Four Great Late Night Movies on Netflix

You’ve got Netflix, right? If you haven’t what are you doing with your evenings? Going out, meeting new people, breathing the sweet diesel fumes of nature?

For those of us with more important things to do (like sitting inside with the blinds closed, drinking cheap wine, and eating a whole block of cheddar cheese) here’s a list of ‘late night movies’ for you to check out; the kind with sex, monsters, and important social commentary.

The Guest (Dir: Adam Wingard, 2014)

A family is visited by a mysterious man claiming to be a friend of their dead soldier son. Very bad things then begin to happen.

This is about as much as can be said about the plot without revealing spoilers. Dan Stevens (formerly of Downton Abbey) plays Adam, the mysterious stranger and titular guest. Did I mention Stevens was in Downton Abbey? Don’t let this put you off. As Adam, Stevens is easily one of the best parts of the film: equal parts charm, menace, and muscle, it’s difficult not be beguiled by him.

In addition, Maika Monroe (from It Follows) makes for a solid heroine while the film’s soundtrack is worthy of an entire article of its own: pounding, synth-heavy, instrumentals and haunting goth rock combine to give the film a very unique and dreamlike atmosphere.

Adam’s backstory is a little shaky, but this is one of the few negatives in an otherwise compelling thriller.

Obvious Child (Dir: Gillian Robespierre, 2014)

For stand-up comedian Donna (Jenny Slate) nothing seems to be going right. Her boyfriend’s just broken up with her, she’s lost her job, and now she’s pregnant after a one night stand. Comedy and unwanted pregnancy are not new bedfellows (see Juno) but rather than deciding to go to term as Ellen Page’s titular character does, Donna decides to go for the other option and get an abortion. 

In a world where most of the people vying to be next president of the United States have such a detached view of the issue it’s nice to see a film that approaches it through a very human perspective. 

Jenny Slate is likeable as Donna while Gaby Hoffman and Gabe Liedman both provide strong support as her friends.

A witty script keeps the film ticking along nicely and tracks familiar rom-com territory without falling into cliché. If you want something that’s both funny and has real substance be sure to give it a look in.

Spring Breakers (Dir: Harmony Korine, 2012)

Four college students want to go to Florida for spring break, but they don’t have the money. What would you do in their situation? Exactly…steal your professor’s car, rob a fast food restaurant, and use the money to make the trip. When the girls reach Florida they engage in rampant booze and drug-fuelled hedonism and become entangled with gangster rapper/drug dealer ‘Alien’ (James Franco.) 

Written off by some during its initial release as an exploitative beer and boobs-fest, Spring Breakers is, in fact, a genuinely interesting film that casts a stark light on a culture where the pursuit of pleasure is placed above all other values.

James Franco is fantastically memorable as ‘Alien’: his ‘look at my shit’ speech in which he shows off his horde of weaponry, his array of aftershave, and claims to have Scarface on repeat on his TV, is worth anyone’s time alone.

Throw in some beautiful cinematography courtesy of Benoit Debie (Enter the Void, Irreversible) and possibly the greatest use of a Brittney Spears song in a film sequence ever and you have a film you can really lose yourself in. 

The Babadook (Dir: Jennifer Kent, 2014)

Ever thought that insomnia might be your thing but haven’t yet had the courage to try it? Don’t worry, this film will help.

Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut tells the story of Amelia (Essie Davis), a woman who’s been forced to raise her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman) alone since her husband died in a car crash while driving her to the hospital to give birth. As Samuel’s seventh birthday and the anniversary of the accident approaches, Samuel’s behaviour grows increasingly erratic. He becomes obsessed with a storybook monster called the Babadook, something which Amelia at first disregards as childish fantasy. Until she sees evidence of the Babadook’s presence herself that is.

With its bleak suburban setting, Kent finds the perfect locale for a film about the dark forces festering in the corners of everyday life. The Babadook itself makes for a very scary monster indeed and one that is made all the more terrifying by what it represents.

Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman are convincing as the imperilled mother and son in a film that’s sure to become a classic of the horror genre in years to come.

And remember before watching: you can’t get rid of the Babadook.