What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Circle
James Ponsoldt · Film · 2017
If you loved The Circle, start with The Store (James Patterson, 2017) — a book on the same thread. Below: 3 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Circle across media.
If The Circle unsettled you, explore these stories that examine the terrifying intersection of unchecked corporate power and total surveillance.
Books on the same thread
The Store
James Patterson · Book · 2017
Shares a thread with The Circle: Techno-thriller.
Like The Circle, this thriller centers on the high stakes of exposing a corrupt organization from the inside, forcing you to confront the dangerous consequences of corporate whistleblowing.
The Future
Naomi Alderman · Book · 2025
Shares 2 threads with The Circle: Techno-thriller, Dystopian thriller.
This story mirrors the themes of The Circle by focusing on a social media mogul's reach, illustrating how predictive technology and corporate influence can erode individual autonomy.
Broadband Horizons
Marcelo Palacios · Book · 2024
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Corporate Corruption, Digital Identity.
Much like the trajectory in The Circle, this narrative tracks an individual fighting against a massive entity that seeks to commodify human consciousness and control the future.
Series on the same thread
Severance
Dan Erickson · Series · 2022
Explores: Identity Crisis, Existentialism, Memory Manipulation.
If the workplace paranoia in The Circle gripped you, this series offers a deeper dive into how corporate control can physically and mentally fracture an employee's sense of self.
Mr. Robot
Sam Esmail · Series · 2015
Shares a thread with The Circle: Techno-thriller.
This series captures the same anti-establishment frustration found in The Circle, following a protagonist who uses technical skills to dismantle the powerful systems that monitor and control society.
The Prisoner
Patrick McGoohan · Series · 1967
Shares a thread with The Circle: Surveillance State.
This classic series echoes the claustrophobic surveillance state depicted in The Circle, highlighting the psychological struggle of an individual resisting an entity that demands total transparency and conformity.
The Expanse
Mark Fergus · Series · 2015
Explores: Interplanetary Conflict, Corporate Conspiracy, Social Stratification.
The Circle explores how corporate secrets affect humanity, and this series scales that concept up to an interplanetary level, focusing on the dark conspiracies hidden by powerful megacorporations.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These short, cinematic stories delve into the same moral ambiguity and ethical dilemmas seen in The Circle, providing brief but intense glimpses into worlds shaped by speculative technology.
Search Engine
PJ Vogt · Podcast · 2026
Explores: curiosity, societal analysis, human interest.
If you enjoyed the societal critique within The Circle, this podcast offers a real-world investigative approach to understanding the complex, often opaque systems that define our modern lives.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Circle based on a true story?
The 2017 film The Circle is a fictional story directed by James Ponsoldt. It follows a young tech worker who joins a powerful internet corporation and faces a perilous situation regarding surveillance and privacy, rather than depicting real-world events or individuals.
What is the main conflict in The Circle?
The central conflict in The Circle involves a young employee who rises through the ranks of a powerful internet corporation. She soon discovers that her professional decisions and actions regarding surveillance and freedom will ultimately determine the future of humanity.
Does The Circle focus on surveillance themes?
Yes, surveillance is a core theme of The Circle. The plot centers on a young woman who takes a job at a powerful internet corporation and finds herself in a perilous situation concerning the balance between technological advancement, personal privacy, and human freedom.
What happens to the protagonist in The Circle?
In The Circle, the protagonist is a young tech worker who quickly rises in the ranks of a powerful internet corporation. She eventually realizes that the decisions she makes within this environment have significant consequences for privacy, freedom, and the future of humanity.