People Can’t Stop Talking About Netflix’s New Show ‘The Circle’

We’re only a couple weeks into 2020, and there’s already one show that has everyone on the internet buzzing: Netflix’s The Circle. It was really just a matter of time before the streaming giant got into the reality TV game—and here we are.

In The Circle, which is hosted by Michelle Buteau, contestants all move into a single building, but each one is sequestered in their own apartment and they don’t physically interact with each other. Instead they communicate via a specially designed social media app where they create profiles that are then rated by the others. This means they can create any persona they want—and that they think will resonate with the others. The two with the highest ratings become “influencers” while the rest are at risk of being “blocked” by said influencers. But there are often twists and turns thrown in along the way. The winner takes home $100,000.

The Netflix press site describes the show this way: “In The Circle you never know who you’re playing against as contestants bond, flirt, and plot, all in an effort to earn clout exclusively through a unique social media platform. Everyone’s competing to gain influence and avoid getting voted out. But who’s for real and who’s a catfish? With $100K on the line, what would you do—and who would you be—to win?”

People online can’t stop talking about The Circle, even if they feel a little bit guilty for watching it. “Anybody else start watching The Circle on Netflix as a joke and wind up getting sucked in??” one person tweeted. Another wrote, “The Circle sounds like my dream reality show. I’m in complete isolation in a nice apartment, no one is allowed to contact me except through social media, and I get to scream at my TV all day?? Sign me up ASAP.”

See more reactions for yourself, below.