Black Circle

Director - Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Night of the Wolf, La Exorcista)

Starring - Christina Lindberg (Pandemonic, Outrage), Felice Jankell (The Bunker Game, Follow), Ericas Midfjall (Jag Saknar Dig, Oppna Inte Ogonen)

Release Date - 2018

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Several weeks before I began my October horror binge I started working on my movie list. I wanted horror movies I had never seen before that I could watch and review. It was around this time that I received the blu release of Black Circle from my friends over at Synapse Films. This 2018 Swedish horror film really peaked my interest so I decided to work it into my schedule for the month. Sadly, after about 30 minutes into the film the disc I had stopped working. I was already invested in it so I snagged a copy from Amazon. While I couldn’t finish it during my October horror binge I was still able to actually finish it. I want to thank Synapse for sending this one over for review. I really enjoyed it! 

      The film follows two sisters who finds an old record from the 70s that was meant to provide self-help for the listener. However, the album creates doppelgangers of the listener and after each listen it becomes more and more powerful. Over time the doppelgangers replace the original and live out their lives. The two turn to the woman who created the album for help and to stop them from being replaced by their doubles. 

      Black Circle is one of those films that is predictable yet you find yourself enjoying it. The film has beautiful cinematography and extremely likable characters which carries the story further than it has any right to be. While I want to love the film I find myself picking apart the story and some of the slower scenes. It’s a fun first time watch but it isn’t without it’s own faults. I liked the acting in this one. The characters are very well written which gives the cast a lot to work with. Their interactions are very genuine and they interact very well with each other. While I would have enjoyed it a little more if some characters had personalities that would stick with the viewer. The story for this one is one of those films that tries to confuse the viewer with characters getting replaced by clones/doppelgangers/doubles. However, it’s not confusing if you actually pay attention and it works. I loved the self help album from the 70s creating doppelgangers. However, the film takes this solid story and stretches it a little too thin. Some of the scenes in the middle of the film does feel a bit dry. If some of these scenes were trimmed down the film’s pacing would improve drastically. Finally, the film is not as violent as I was expecting. There is a little blood and some minor effects but nothing that will stand out to the viewer especially if you are an avid genre fan. Overall, Black Circle is an enjoyable first time watch but there is some aspects that could be tweaked to improve it. Check it out now on blu from Synapse Films.