The Circle review – Emma Watson and Tom Hanks face off in empty techno-thriller

The Harry Potter alumna missteps after the $1bn success of Beauty and the Beast with a Dave Eggers adaptation that swaps initial intrigue with vapidity

There's something quite perfectly pitched about the release of The Circle. First, in a landscape overflowing with headlines proclaiming that "this is the BLANK we need right now", an adaptation of Dave Eggers' cautionary tale about the dangers of a life consumed by an over-reliance on one's digital footprint remains ever prescient. Second, it's anchored by Emma Watson, coming off the back of the phenomenal success of Beauty and the Beast, and she's joined by John Boyega, his first role since his charming breakout turn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Finally, it's arriving on the edge of the summer season, aiming to engage our brains before they get pummeled into submission by a parade of shiny effects-driven epics with little interest in raising questions other than: wasn't that explosion, like, totally sick?

Related: Emma Watson: feminist to the core or carefully polished brand? | the Observer profile