The Crooked Circle: A dusty, weird little mystery

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are in the mood for something that feels like a forgotten stage play filmed on a weekend. If you hate movies where people just wander around dark hallways looking surprised, skip it. If you love 1930s spooky-house vibes and don't care about plot holes the size of a truck, welcome home. 👻

The Crooked Circle is one of those movies that exists in a weird limbo. It’s not quite a comedy, not quite a thriller, and definitely not a masterpiece. It just… exists.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Crooked Circle (1932) through its definitive frames.

The whole premise involves a bunch of people trying to track down these occultist dudes who hang out in hoods. Why? Because they like to scare people, I guess? The logic is a bit thin, but nobody seems to care, so why should I.

The vibe is everything here

There is this one moment where a character walks into a room, and the lighting is so dramatic it’s almost funny. The shadows are doing all the heavy lifting. It reminds me of the pacing in Sharp Shooters where you just have to lean into the absurdity.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Crooked Circle (1932) through its definitive frames.

I found myself watching the background extras more than the main actors. You can tell they are just waiting for the craft services table to open. One guy in the back of the scene is clearly holding his breath, trying not to laugh.

• The hooded costumes look like they were made from leftover curtains.
• The secret doors open with a sound that is definitely just a floorboard creaking.
• Nobody ever actually locks a door in this movie.

It’s not as polished as Across to Singapore, that’s for sure. But there is something strangely cozy about how messy it is. It’s like watching a friend try to tell a ghost story after they’ve had two beers.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Crooked Circle (1932) through its definitive frames.

There’s a scene where they are all huddled together, and the blocking is just chaotic. It feels like they were all trying to fit into the frame at once. You can almost hear the director yelling, "Just stand over there, anywhere!"

Is it great? No. Does it have heart? Maybe just a little. It’s the kind of film you watch when you’re tired of modern stuff that tries to explain every single mystery away. Sometimes, you just want to see a guy in a robe hiding behind a fake wall.

I don't know, maybe I'm being too nice. But it beat staring at a wall for an hour. 🎞️