The Circle (2015 film)

Plot

The film follows Rebecka, Minoo, Vanessa, Anna-Karin, Ida and Linnea, all of whom are first-year students at the same secondary school. The apparent suicide of Linnea's best friend Elias becomes the start for a series of strange events in the town, as the 6 girls discover they are witches chosen to save the world.

Cast

Josefin Asplund – Rebecka

Helena Engström – Anna-Karin Nieminen

Miranda Frydman – Vanessa

Irma von Platen – Minoo

Ruth Vega Fernandez – Adriana Lopez

Leona Axelsen – Linnéa

Sverrir Gudnason – Max

Hanna Asp – Ida

Gustav Lindh – Elias

Charlie Petersson – Willie

Christopher Wagelin – Nicke

Ann-Sofie Nurmi – Mia Nieminen

Dick Idman – Taisto Nieminen

Vincent Grahl – Gustav

Sebastian Hiort af Ornäs – Kevin

Matilda Esselius – Felicia

Hanna Frelin – Julia

Marcus Vögeli – Erik

Johanna Granström – Jannicke

Mina Azarian – Farnaz

Dennis Bristam – Robin

Peter Carlberg – Post

Per Svensson – Falk

Solí Myhrman – Evelina

Michael Jonsson – Jonte

Cecilia Milocco – Isabella

Natalie Minnevik – Matilda

Jimmy Lindström – Tommy Ekberg

Production

The film was shot in Södertälje, Lidingö and Vuollerim.

Soundtrack

The score of the film was produced and composed by Benny Andersson, with his son Ludvig Andersson providing additional music and serving as music supervisor. The film includes music by Anna von Hausswolff, Fever Ray, Daughter, Style of Eye and new music by The Hives. Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill is used promintently in the film and She Will by Savages from the album Silence Yourself is played over the closing credits. Benny Andersson secured the rights to use Running Up That Hill by promising Kate Bush's manager to repay the favour by performing as a pianist if she needed one. Originally Andersson wanted Karin Dreijer Andersson to compose the score.

Reception

After the Berlin Film Festival screening, Screen International wrote about The Circle that it was "emotionally literate" and that the characters had "an unexpected degree of depth". The Hollywood Reporter stated that the script did not develop the characters properly and that it felt like parts of a TV-series where everybody knew everything about the characters and that the actors where not allowed to do much with their characters. It was met with mostly positive reviews from Swedish critics.

Changes from the novel

Several characters from the book were cut from the film version, including Nicholaus, Mona Månstråle and Jari. Other characters such as Gustaf, Jonte, Tommy Ekberg, Matilda and the Chosen Ones' parents (save from Vanessa's and Anna-Karins), are drastically reduced in prominence.

In the film, Anna-Karin is in love with Kevin rather than Jari, who does not appear.

Anna-Karin, instead of Linnéa, is first captured by Max. Linnéa does not try to murder Max on her own after Minoo discovers the truth, and instead draws the gun in the final battle, where Max changes shape into Elias.

Most of Max's backstory is removed, such as his obsession with Minoo due to her physical resemblance to an ex-girlfriend he'd murdered.

In the book, the ritual was meant to produce a truth serum in order to find out who the demons' Blessed One is. In the film, it's to produce a poison that will break the Blessing.

There are no references to Elias having been engaged in self-harm.

In the film, only Linnéa finds out about Minoo's love for Max. In the book, all of the Chosen Ones knew.