Square the Circle (2023) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

Square the Circle unfolds as a visually inventive documentary portrait of Hipgnosis, the influential design studio that reshaped the visual culture of rock music. Founded in 1968, the studio begins with Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, associates of Pink Floyd whose first major commission is the cover for A Saucerful of Secrets. Their unusual path into album design establishes the film’s central world: a creative partnership immersed in experimentation, visual daring, and the evolving possibilities of 1960s counterculture.

As Hipgnosis develops a distinctive reputation, the documentary surveys the production of striking covers for artists including Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Wings, and 10cc, alongside further work for Pink Floyd. The emphasis remains on process rather than fame alone, exploring how unconventional photography and bold design ideas could turn a record sleeve into an icon. Each commission reveals a different creative problem, with the studio’s willingness to pursue unusual solutions giving the film its sense of playful momentum.

The partnership between Thorgerson and Powell forms the emotional core. Powell is interviewed extensively, offering insight into their shared artistic world, while contributions associated with Thorgerson add another perspective on the studio’s identity. Conversations with musicians and modern admirers—including Noel Gallagher—place the original work within its continuing cultural life. The presence of photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn also lends the documentary a deeply informed understanding of image-making, lighting, composition, and the relationship between photography and graphic design.

The tone is affectionate, perceptive, and celebratory rather than strictly chronological or businesslike. Square the Circle treats album artwork as a form of popular visual art, highlighting the collective energy behind images that became instantly recognizable. Its curiosity-driven portrait invites viewers to consider how experimentation, collaboration, and an refusal to follow familiar formulas can give everyday objects an enduring sense of mystery.