Circle - A 2015 Film About Survival of the Fittest Vs Ethics

'Circle' is a 2015 film psychological thriller film starring actor Carter Jenkins which is now available on Netflix. The movie was inspired by the 1957 film "12 Angry Men." The creators of this film have presented it in a way that is both easy to see and tough to watch.

Directed by Aaron Hann, Circle revolves around a group of people who wake up in a pitch-black room. They quickly realize that one of them gets killed whenever someone attempts to step out or leave. It later dawned upon the group that they can control which person gets to die. 

Circle ending: What happens at the end? [Spoiler Alert!]

Towards the end of the Netflix film, three people are left, Eric, a pregnant woman, and a little girl named Katie. Eric plots a vicious plan and convinces Katie that the pregnant woman should live because she's carrying a baby within her. He urges Katie that they both should volunteer to sacrifice their lives for the pregnant lady. 

Oblivious to Eric’s dual plan, Katie agrees to step out. The pregnant woman does not oppose this as she assumes that her life is being saved. The instance Katie steps out of her spot she instantly gets killed, as it does with whoever steps out of their designated spot. 

With Katie out of the way, Eric reveals his true intentions and casts his vote against the pregnant woman. However, Eric’s attempt to get the pregnant woman killed is prevented when the machine recognizes the pregnant woman’s child as another person. Hence, there are three people left. With that being said, this means there will be one more round of the game.

At this point, Eric eagerly casts his vote against the child. The unborn child cannot cast a vote since the act of closing one’s fist is how a vote is cast. In the next scene, audiences get to see that, Eric wakes up in the outside world and finds other people who have survived their own circles. However, to Eric’s dismay, a large proportion of them is pregnant women or children. UFOs are flying in the sky.

Circle ending explained

The Aliens’ plan

Circle’s ending confirms that the events of the film are a result of an alien invasion of Earth. Or was it? A few players also mention that they remember being abducted by extraterrestrial beings early in the film. Eric also sees UFOs in the sky after winning the game. However, the makers of Circle created an open ending for the film. It is open for interpretation — either the survivors are made to play another “game” of the Circle or the aliens did us a favor to get rid of immoral people.

Survival of the Fittest Vs Ethics

The Circle appears to be an experiment that rewards the fittest with a chance of survival which is based on Darwin's mention of 'Survival of the Fittest' given by Herbert Spencer. Interestingly, in the film the fitness of a person is defined by their wit rather than their physical strength. However, the idea of survival of the fittest often feels brutal and savage when it comes to ethics. In Circle, while many people prove Darwin's metaphor to be true, many others are seen attempting to stick to a moral code.