Inside the Circle hits all the right beats as a tidy little rom-com. But what makes this indie so endearing is its quirky, unabashed honesty.
Rocio (Stefy Garcia) and Giancarlo (Omar Mora) are polar opposites when it comes to traditional marriage. As independent as she professes to be, Rocio is a lawyer bound by tradition: “Your guy proposes on his knees with a ring in hand, you get married in a church, you raise a family and live happily ever after.”
Giancarlo is a coder and a comic-book superhero enthusiast who develops a voice-based lie detector app. He believes love shouldn’t be tied down by human cultural and religious beliefs.
Initially contentious, their relationship begins to blossom as he romances Rocio with dinners and comedic, superhero escapades. But the closer they become, the more they realize how truly far apart they are in their belief systems.
To win her over, Giancarlo introduces Rocio to the “circle.” Outlined by a yellow rope or in some cases, even toilet paper, those who step inside the circle are bound to answer any question posed, truthfully and without reservation. The childish construct is quite revealing. And it’s here that we see the key differences that separate this star-crossed couple.
Broken into 10 chapters of life, underscored by witty, sometimes offbeat aphorisms, Inside the Circle is light-hearted and moves quickly. The film takes us through a roller-coaster of emotions and poses some thought-provoking questions about society’s role in framing love, marriage, and relationships.
Garcia and Mora dovetail nicely, bringing truth and passion to their roles. Justin Lee and Valeria Gonzalez provide the supporting roles needed to balance out the story.
Helmed by Javier Colón Ríos and penned by Omar Mora, the quirky little rom-com quickly became one of the most popular movies of 2021.
Inside the Circle is currently on VOD in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
