Vicious Circle

Vicious Circle is a 2008 drama film written and directed by Paul Boyd and starring Paul Rodriguez Jr., Emily Rios, and Trevor Wright. Plot Set on the streets of modern-day Venice Beach, Vicious Circle is a tragic punk rock Latino love story; a raw, edgy, teenage Romeo and Juliet with a murder mystery twist. We first see 18-year-old RJ (skateboard star, Paul Rodriguez Jr.) running through the streets of LA with a blood stained shirt and a gun in his backpack, leaving us to wonder, "What happened?" An artist and skater with a heart of gold, R.J. dreams of moving to New York City to pursue his dream of creating comic books. His hand-made sketchbook demonstrates his unique talent and acts as a portal between fantasy and reality. A strong influence of the game of chess from RJ's incarcerated father permeates his art and life; RJ lives by the rules of the game and knows the repercussions of one bad move. Soon, RJ meets Angel (Emily Rios), a rebellious singer in a local teenage punk band. Their unexpected story of true love causes the tides to turn in both lives, and RJ reveals a secret that could cost the life of his new love. Cast Paul Rodriguez Jr. as R.J. Emily Rios as Angel Trevor Wright as Fin Robert Zepeda as Smiler Sanchez Richard Edson as John Idalis DeLeón as Helena Perrey Reeves as Sgt. Berger Cody McMains as Alfred Clifton Powell as Freddy Paul Rodriguez Sr. as Professor Angelyna Martinez as CeCe Sanchez Drew Osborne as Young Fin Mike Diaz as Sgt. Gomez Magdaleno "Guic One" Robles Jr as friend of Smiler