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.