This Netflix Sci-Fi Movie Combines An Alien Invasion With A Squid Game-Esque Premise

Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione's feature debut, 2015's "Circle" (now streaming on Netflix), often feels like a movie that wants to be more elaborate, ambitious, and smarter than it actually is, without the resources to back it up. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing when we're talking about a super low-budget ($250000) film made by two storytelling enthusiasts looking for the next step to break into filmmaking after delivering a web series ("The Vault") on YouTube. You have to be bold and swing for the fences because you may never get another opportunity like this.

And you feel that ambition and gusto in this one-location sci-fi thriller that sprinkles mystery, horror, and sharp social commentary into its tight 90-minute runtime (mostly) with ease. It's no surprise that the two directors named Sidney Lumet's lauded classic "12 Angry Men" as their main inspiration, since "Circle" is similarly driven by mounting suspense and an intense atmosphere.

Kicking off in medias res, the plot follows 50 strangers confined to a dark room, where one of them is executed every two minutes by a mysterious black dome positioned at the center of a circle that shoots lethal electric beams. After several deaths, the group realizes they can control who dies next by voting with a hand gesture, using the red arrows placed on the floor in concentric circles. However, each person only sees their own vote and never the others'. As they quickly find out they can't trick the dome and that every man is for himself, a lethal game of conspiracy and manipulation begins for the survival of the fittest — in the end, no matter what happens, only one of them will get out alive.

If the core of "Circle" brings to mind the games that "Squid Game" has popularized worldwide, you've got the right idea. However, there's a bigger picture here already hinted at in the headline: there are aliens, too. I won't spoil how they factor into the plot because the shock value of the final twist might make or break whether "Circle" hits the right spot for you. What I will say, though, is that the interactions between the strangers — fierce, hostile, and viciously cunning at times — are where the movie really shines.

Although we hardly get to know any character individually on a deeper level, they neatly represent some essential personality types. Some of them are by-the-book stereotypes (especially the incessantly vocal men in the group), while others quietly sink into the background, trying to ride whatever this is out in silence and avoid conflict. But that strategy can just as easily backfire as being the loudest, most cynical jerk with zero regard and consideration for others.

What "Circle" nails the most is giving us a thought-provoking, empathetic, and ultimately bleak social commentary on the nature of man when backed into a corner with a proverbial gun pushed into his temple. It's just a shame that the quality of the acting is quite inconsistent and uneven throughout, potentially due to the film's limited budget, with Julie Benz (from "Dexter" and "Rambo") perhaps the most famous and accomplished actor in the cast. Regardless, if you're into high-concept yet brainy thrillers with a unique spin, "Circle" should make your list alongside titles like "Exam," Vincenzo Natali's cult-classic masterpiece "Cube," and the 2019 Spanish Netflix hit "The Platform."