Circuit (2001)

20% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
54% of users liked it
(826 ratings)

A man hoping to move out of the closet falls into a trap of drug-fueled hedonism in this cautionary drama. John (Jonathan Wade Drahos) is a police officer from a small town who is forced to leave his career behind when it is discovered that he's gay. Hoping to find more tolerant surroundings, John… More A man hoping to move out of the closet falls into a trap of drug-fueled hedonism in this cautionary drama. John (Jonathan Wade Drahos) is a police officer from a small town who is forced to leave his career behind when it is discovered that he's gay. Hoping to find more tolerant surroundings, John moves to West Hollywood and rents an apartment with Nina (Kiersten Warren), an old friend from his high school days. One night, John attends a party where he meets Hector (Andre Khabazzi), an attractive hustler with whom he quickly strikes up a relationship. Hector is a regular on the L.A. party circuit, and John soon falls in with him, but the endless barrage of music, drugs, and anonymous sex proves more than John can handle, and he soon develops a dangerous dependence on amphetamines. William Katt, Nancy Allen, and Bruce Vilanch also appear in the supporting cast. Circuit had its premiere at the 2001 L.A. Outfest, a festival devoted to gay and lesbian-themed films. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 10 min.
Directed By: Dirk Shafer
Written By: Gregory Hinton, Dirk Shafer
Genres: Drama, Gay & Lesbian

In Theaters: Jul 13, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Dec 10, 2002
Studio: Swift Distribution

Critic Reviews

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
Like most movies about the pitfalls of bad behavior ... Circuit gets drawn into the party.
Christopher Muther, Boston Globe
Like Showgirls and Glitter, the most entertaining moments here are unintentional.
Loren King, Chicago Tribune
It's too soap opera-ish to carry the heavy weight of the morality play Shafer has fashioned.
Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News
A sudsy cautionary tale.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
A solid, more polished follow-up to Shafer's 1996 autobiographical mockumentary Man of the Year.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Succeeds as a well-made evocation of a subculture.
Tim Cogshell, Boxoffice Magazine
The film itself is about something very interesting and odd that would probably work better as a real documentary without the insinuation of mediocre acting or a fairly trite narrative.
John Hartl, Seattle Times
Kitschy, flashy, overlong soap opera.
Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly
Mostly, Shafer and co-writer Gregory Hinton lack a strong-minded viewpoint, or a sense of humor.
David Elliott, San Diego Union-Tribune
Director Dirk Shafer and co-writer Greg Hinton ride the dubious divide where gay porn reaches for serious drama.
David Ehrenstein, New Times
What's most memorable about Circuit is that it's shot on digital video, whose tiny camera enables Shafer to navigate spaces both large ... and small ... with considerable aplomb.
David Noh, Film Journal International
It's a thin notion, repetitively stretched out to feature length, awash in self-consciously flashy camera effects, droning house music and flat, flat dialogue.