Who payed the critics

What makes it different from others?

Good idea lost in the noise

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is the Swedish version of "The Craft." Six high school girls suddenly get the calling and discover they have powers. One can move things, another has invisibility, another can control minds, etc. They are reluctantly mentored as they have a task, to save the world from demons and make it through high school.I really liked the Kate Bush swagger music as Anna-Karin (Helena Engström) an unpopular picked on chubby girl suddenly has an entourage of followers. The film is long and builds slowly. The special effects are minimal and unimpressive, but effective for this type of film. Leona Axelsen plays the goth chick. while Irma von Platen is the smart geek. One person in the group (Hanna Asp) doesn't want to be a witch which causes some internal conflict.Guide: F-word. Implied sex. No nudity.

A Swedish young-adult urban-fantasy-drama based on the first book of the 'Engelsfors' trilogy. If you are a Hollywood films follower, then you would find it a very familiar theme. Except it was not a loud and grand narration produced with the money grabbing agenda. But yes, earning back for what they have spent on it is a very important for any film and sadly it failed on that. Because of too much of dramatisation for a teen film. I liked it because the drama was not a big deal to me. A very refreshing film and nothing like too childish, so even the grown ups can give it a try and have a good time.Engelfors is a small fictional town in the Sweden and the story revolves around six teenage girls who are the chosen ones by the secret witch society to save the world. All the girls are entirely different and does not like each others. So joining the hands to counter the evil force that's posing a threat for their kind becomes hopeless. Until they understand their full capability and discover who's behind all the strange events. That brings the ultimate battle which is what everyone of us is waiting for, that decides the fate of those girls and to end the first installment.It was a slow presentation, that's where the problem lies to find the audience for it. Because youngsters won't like the films that lacks its pace, though it was based on them. It was not a visual extravaganza as we have seen in the American counterpart films. Yet the story was very ordinary with the characters close to the actual world except their supernatural abilities. So saving the world means not anything close to 'The Avengers' films, everything here is on a small scale, but properly arranged.The fate of the sequel was based on the result of this film. It got a mixed response, in that, mine is positive. The film came out from all the obstacles while it was in production, so by seeing it all I don't think they're going to make another film in the series. Surely I want it because I enjoyed it which I consider a very rare type, especially in this theme, unlike where the world cinema is obsessed with graphics and fancy stunt sequences for a similar concept."You were born selected. The Magic has always been within you."It is a very long film which is definitely a drawback for a todays film. Had all the opportunities to go deep into every character to expose their qualities and they did that, yet feels like they should have done more for this kind of runtime. Because in many parts it was a limping development.From all the above it does not look like a film to watch on the big screen. Maybe a television series would have been a fine idea, but still I'm happy for this because I always choose films over the television series. Mainly for the sound mixing, which are usually have the multiple track digital surrounds where in television, they're just stereo. But for this film, they were just okay as I said earlier, it wasn't a grand film.I have seen many Swedish films, but not enough to recognise the actors from the local market. I think all the main cast in this was mostly the fresh faces and they have done greatly. An awesome production and wonderful music tracks.I don't know how it is compared to the source material, but the mysteries behind the deaths were well illustrated. The twist did not surprise me, but surely unpredictable. There are many unexplained theories lies open that is going to be clarified in its follow-ups. But now I have to wait for it which I'm confident that's not going to happen, not anytime soon.I can't go for the book, because I'm not a reader. So it seems my journey ends here for the 'Engelsfors' trilogy. Better I'll pray for the Japanese or the American version to come. In my opinion, this film was underrated, because people are addicted to the commercial elements which seriously lacks in it. Other than that it deserves respectable status among other films associated with the magic. I'll definitely suggest it, but I don't know how many of you will feel the way as I did. Anyway, I still say go for it.8/10

This movie seems to presume that you have read the book(s) It follows the story really well but as always have to take shortcuts to fit in the time frame, even though it's allowed 2,5 hours. ...Of which the first 30 minutes is almost all about massaging you into Engelsfors, a small community in the modern world. The depicting of a teenagers life is rather good, even if it is cut short, it serves just as your massage in order to get to the point of magic. Some of these shortcuts feels to me that they would be totally incomprehensible if you haven't read the book, but I can be wrong.Nothing bad about the directing, it is good. And considering that all main actors are first- timers, they do a good job! To me it feels like well performed amateur theatre, but as a movie watcher I wish it had been better, I cannot get immersed in what's happening.And the worst: As always there seems to be no competent sound technician in Sweden! When watching the DVD version I find myself turning up the volume when someone speaks, and turning it down when there is sound effects. Even as a native Swedish speaker I have to strain myself to hear what they say. It shouldn't have to be this way, I really abhor it!As a plus I must add that the music is very beautiful, and as I inclined above it is no problem hearing it.All in all I think that this movie would do great if it was remade somewhat like "Let the right one in" -which by the way I think was equally good in both the Swedish and the US version.I do not hope for a part 2, I hope for a Hollywood version of the whole trilogy!

After several years of development hell "The Circle" has finally hit Swedish theaters. So, as soon as Moviezine posted their negative review people where starting to talk about how it was destined to suck because it was a Swedish film. Swedes can't make movies. Well, I know that is a load of ****. I have seen a load of great Swedish films in all genres. And guess what? This is one of them.The plot is kind of a mix between F**king Åmol (which I honestly never liked), Sailor Moon (which I love), Paralax (plesant childhood memories) with a dash of Harry Potter (great books, botched film series). Orginiality for it's own sake is overrated, look at Ruben Östlund who kind of original but really can't make films. For me, it all comes down how well crafted a film is. If it is done well, I don't really care. My principle for reviewing is that you should judge a film based on what is does, not what it did not do. So what did "The Circle" do? What did it right? What did it wrong. Let's start with the bad things. First things first the casting of a few characters. Asp and Vögeli where miscast I think. The film fell victim to the common trap of YA-films and cast two bland hunks that you could not tell apart. Marcus Vögeli as Erik did not work at all. He was not good in the part and felt to much like someone acting. Also, he and Vincent Grahl who played Gustaf looked to much alike and I got them confused at times. Hanna Asp as Ida felt very unnatural, but that could be how she was directed to behave. Anyway, it did not feel right. Also, the writing of the villain and the casting of said villain did not work. It was really obvious who was the bad guy. The red herring character got to few lines and to little screen time. It seemed the character was in the film to little to be a real suspect. Another part that bugged me was the exposition. In a film like this, the exposition is a real mine-ground. Exposition of this kind need to be presented in words and that can not happen through images alone, which works against film as a visual medium. Here, it came off somewhat mechanic and even chaotic at times. Adriana Lopez became nothing more than Miss Exposition, which is never good. Other than that, some parts of the story feel really flat and could have been taken out completely such as Linnea's gun. Some dialog did not tick right with me and there is that really obvious cameraman reflection. Then what did "The Circle" do right? Well, the casting of the other 6 "chosen ones", save Ida was great. Gustav Lindh is in the film for 5 minutes as Elias and he did a terrific job (got to love that he got Yu-Gi-Oh cards in his locker). Josefin Asplund as Rebecka was good, even if the character was underwritten and like Gustaf had to little time on screen. Helena Engström as Anna-Karin impressed me a lot. She got some hate for not looking "fat enough". Can you believe that. Anyway, those people will be silent when they see her performance. Leona Axelsen as Linnea and Miranda Frydman as Vanessa really sells it and Irma von Platen is a fantastic Minoo, even if she sometimes, I don't know... Sound strangely adult when she says her lines? The problems with the characters stems more from the script than the actors who are nearly flawless. I will be open with the fact that I do not like Sebastian Hiort af Ornäs as an actor at all. He was terrible in both Sebbe and Broken Hill Blues and came of as mentally challenged in the later. That works well for his character in this film on the other hand and he is simply better directed and allowed to behave like a real person. And that is what I like about this film, (most) of the characters seem like real teenagers. I can count on my left hand the number of Swedish films the last 15 years where the teenagers seemed like real teens. I enjoyed Christopher Wagelin's Nicke a lot. He was pitch perfect in the part. Per Svensson, Jimmy Lindström and Natalie Minnevik shows up in the film as well but are little more than extras really.The cinematography was superb. There is a lot of riffs on the cinematography from David Fincher's films. However, it seemed the crew had run out of visual imagination towards the end. The special effects worked very well most of the time. There are a few that looks rather ugly, but most of the stuff is handled really competent, which is to expect from Kaj Steveman. The film is very well directed by Akin who relies on images to present the characters rather than dialog. I wish more people would do that. I was going to give this film 7/10, but what the heck! It's a well shot, well acted and well directed film. I give it 8/10. Catch it at the cinema as soon as you can. I am looking forward to the continuation.