Originally released in Britain as The Circle, The Vicious Circle was based on the BBC TV series The Brass Candlestick. John Mills plays a respected doctor who comes home one evening to find the body of a murdered actress of his acquaintance. The police are summoned, and the murder weapon is found in the trunk of Mills' car. Realizing that the authorities will be useless in a case like this, Mills turns amateur sleuth to find out who's behind the frameup. The Vicious Circle eschews the cliffhanging elements of the TV version for a straightforward, step-by-step approach, with John Mills gradually catching on to the truth.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide