The Circle

This is a short film from 2025 that depicts a small group meeting at what looks like a local village hall. This is a group for addiction, and they all have a story to share. The group is led by Jay, who clearly believes he is above the rest, having come through his own addiction. His common phrase is “Safe Space”, but this meeting feels anything but safe.

The lighting is very well done, and the audience will notice that there is a spotlight above each person which highlights their turn to speak. It also adds to the feeling of isolation that each character is feeling. It is also a clever use of lighting to show Jay is on one side with a dark backdrop and the three attending have a much lighter setting. The lighting plays a very important part in this film and really gives that uncomfortable feel as each person struggles to share their story.

I found Martin Green's performance a touch hammy at times, and a little more subtlety could have been used. Despite this, he was able to clearly show the character's condescending nature, which drew an invisible barrier between his character and the others. The character was well written, and the audience will really get to feel some emotion towards him even though this may be negative. This is the strength of the writing and, to some degree, Martin Green's performance.

The standout performance was from Victoria Lenham-Kelly, who really took control of many of the scenes. She depicts empathy really well towards the other characters. The best parts of the film came from Victoria Lenham-Kelly, and this is really helped by the writer, who gives this character the greatest depth. She develops a real chemistry with the other characters suffering from addiction and is the adversary to Jay, pulling no punches. The most important aspect of the performance is that she makes you believe her character is going through the struggle of addiction and wants to understand the others around her. At times she wants to help.

Nathan Wedge and Valerie Bundy have limited dialogue, but they use their physical acting skills to portray their characters' emotions and their feelings towards the other characters. They provide real contrast to the two dominant characters. This works extremely well, particularly towards the closing scene.

The director really knows how to set up a scene, particularly one that feels tense at times. Their use of the clock at the beginning and end makes the audience feel quite uncomfortable at times. The simple nature of the set draws the viewer to the actors' performances and avoids any distractions. As said previously, the director has used lighting to great effect throughout. The message of the film has really been handled very well by the writer and director.

This is an enjoyable film that tackles very important issues, particularly in the time it is set. It has been made to highlight addiction in its many forms and how and why those addictions come to be. This film could really resonate with the viewers and could easily be used as an educational tool. The audience won’t know where the film is taking them until the very end scene, which really helps to build the different layers of the story. This is a very important watch for 2025 and beyond.