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Sphere
Sphere
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Sphere

Sphere

1998
Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller
2h 14m
A new dimension in thrills in the deep-water, deep-suspense sci-fi adventure centered on a spacecraft that plunged into the Pacific -- 300 years ago. (Warner Bros.)

Directed by:

Barry Levinson

Screenwriter:

Kurt Wimmer, Michael Crichton, Paul Attanasio, Stephen Hauser

Starring:

Queen Latifah, Samuel L. Jackson, Sharon Stone, Peter Coyote, Dustin Hoffman, Huey Lewis, Liev Schreiber, James Pickens Jr., Marga Gómez, Michael Keys Hall, Bernard Hocke, Ralph Tabakin

Genres:

Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller, Horror

Country:

USA

Language:

English
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Sphere

1998
Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller
2h 14m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 34.69% from 3865 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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magbMagb
Rated 02 Feb 2007
30
6th
Sphere is to Solaris what Mission to Mars is to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Haha, yeah, that's right. I'm so proud of that comparison that I'm going to stop this review right here. Hah!
Rated 02 Feb 2007
ytadelYtadel
Rated 14 Aug 2007
2
14th
This SPHERE will have you ROLLING out of the theater unsatisfied!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
paxtonPaxton
Rated 10 Aug 2015
87
85th
I genuinely enjoy this. The cast is amazing, it was my favorite Crichton book, and Samuel L. Jackson gets to be scary in a good guy role. I realize this isn't life altering cinema but I'm kind of shocked only one of my kumpels has any love for this thing. Shout out to KasperL. I may not agree with you about Surrogates but you've done your job on this one!
Rated 10 Aug 2015
beedubBeeDub
Rated 30 Jul 2015
72
22nd
The book is good. This movie is not.
Rated 30 Jul 2015
starsirenStarSiren
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
2nd
Read the book.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
doctor7doctor7
Rated 14 Aug 2007
68
49th
The book was much better. Crucial parts are left out and the movie becomes less intriguing and interesting because of it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
kmcneilKMcNeil
Rated 10 Dec 2008
0
3rd
A big ball (sorry, "sphere") of nothing.
Rated 10 Dec 2008
jturnagejturnage
Rated 14 Aug 2007
55
54th
Don't call me Jerry
Rated 14 Aug 2007
frederikaFrederikA
Rated 12 Oct 2009
75
77th
Back when it came out, this was a bone fide sleeper hit with me. Sure it's somewhat jolted and the final act sort of wanders of into ... something. But as mainstream sci-fi it's pretty smart (as in: high-school level smart) in its science-centric plot, and i love the use of title card as a really simple but effective way of setting the scene.
Rated 12 Oct 2009
anselmi86Anselmi86
Rated 27 Jul 2009
66
45th
Actually somewhat underrated. It kinda falls apart once they go into the blame game of who went into the damn sphere. But the first half is taught, intelligently written and well-acted. The book is still 10 times better, though.
Rated 27 Jul 2009
kusanagiKusanagi
Rated 23 Apr 2009
85
86th
The giant squid in this movie still gives me the creeps.
Rated 23 Apr 2009
cruelclowncruelclown
Rated 08 Apr 2009
55
28th
The cast makes this movie shine, really captivating performances, but other than that the main idea is a big big big cliché in SciFi.
Rated 08 Apr 2009
tvfilm_hubTV+Film-Hub
Rated 30 Nov 2008
8
44th
Just didn't really have much to it.
Rated 30 Nov 2008
xakkmasterXakkMaster
Rated 29 Aug 2008
55
24th
One of my favorite books as a teenager - severely disappointed with the adaptation. It seems backwards to say that a visual adaptation takes away all the intensity and suspense, but I guess that speaks to the power of the written word and the human imagination.
Rated 29 Aug 2008
kojilessKojiless
Rated 14 Aug 2007
18
18th
I never knew a sphere could be so boring.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
kerrekKerrek
Rated 14 Aug 2007
64
40th
Muddles the point and premise of the book.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
gritGrit
Rated 19 May 2007
30
22nd
Some good moments, but nowhere near enough to keep the rest of the film above water.
Rated 19 May 2007
rayoutRayout
Rated 27 Nov 2023
53
52nd
It actually starts out pretty strong, but then quickly loses momentum and sinks into mediocrity. The worst thing about the film is the constant repeating, explaining and reproducing current events verbatim. This is such terrible writing.... and it never stops it goes on throughout the entire film. But the big pro is that the pacing is very nice and there is no boredom apart from the dialogues.
Rated 27 Nov 2023
doyler29doyler29
Rated 24 Jul 2022
60
23rd
There's a lot of things wrong with this film, but the crux is this: You can see exactly where it's going a good hour before the film's characters catch up with you, and it's massively underwhelming when you get there. The film throws a bunch of silly Michael Crichtony distractions at you like a ton of technical details and big melodramatic character interactions, but none of that ends up amounting to anything.
Rated 24 Jul 2022
scribScrib
Rated 09 Jun 2022
70
54th
The initial premise combines two of the scariest unknowns in existence: space and the ocean. An investigation of a supposedly alien craft that's been buried at the bottom of the sea for hundreds of years. What follows is a series of twists and turns that keep you guessing, but unfortunately, don't really add up to all that much. The ending itself is rushed, a bit heavy-handed, and leaves a few questions. But I had a good time watching Sphere and have no regrets.
Rated 09 Jun 2022
sproostsproost
Rated 19 Jul 2021
75
79th
Gets pretty campy and ridiculous in the second half which makes it an understandable flop, but it's a shame because the first half is just about perfect. The right tincture of geekiness, humor, rapid dialog, notably slick direction and editing, great acting by all but especially Dustin Hoffman, who I thought to be an odd choice for sci-fi but I appreciated him. Texting the alien I thought was amazing and hilarious at the same time. Madly entertaining, I would watch it again.
Rated 19 Jul 2021
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 18 Jul 2021
50
23rd
I feel cheated. I read the book and was excited to see the giant squid. At first I thought they were doing the Jaws and hinting at it before inevitably showing it....but they just never showed it. They rushed the story towards the end as well. Not sure how much sense it made to people who haven't read the book.
Rated 18 Jul 2021
panzerwolfpanzerwolf
Rated 24 May 2021
55
25th
A strong cast, but it's way too long even for a setting that I really find creepy and which I love. Some good bits, but overall it's not enough to keep your interest up very effectively at all.
Rated 24 May 2021
solomonburrrSolomonBurrr
Rated 18 Nov 2020
62
34th
62.
Rated 18 Nov 2020
matthagenmatthagen
Rated 23 Oct 2020
49
39th
There are intriguing sci-fi ideas here, the performances are fine from an all-star cast, and there was a good section of the first and second act that had my undivided attention. The dialogue was generic and ham-fisted at times, and the third act was poorly executed and a huge disappointment. Despite some good mystery elements, overall the movie is just too safe, too familiar, with nothing new to add to the world.
Rated 23 Oct 2020
gabrielpGabriel_p
Rated 18 Jul 2020
65
33rd
Rating from faint memories. Seem to recall enjoying this
Rated 18 Jul 2020
coffeeaddictCoffeeAddict
Rated 01 Mar 2017
50
27th
Great special effects!
Rated 01 Mar 2017
kito1kito1
Rated 05 Feb 2017
40
10th
Not bad, but far from good. My biggest complaint is that it could've been more intelligent and sharp instead of playing it safe.
Rated 05 Feb 2017
letskillrobotsletskillrobots
Rated 01 Nov 2016
23
67th
I liked it please don't hurt me
Rated 01 Nov 2016
knwsvxgzmkNwsVXgzm
Rated 09 May 2016
4
15th
I'm a sucker for this stuff but I was drifting in and out towards the end. Had to have the subtitles on for Hoffman.
Rated 09 May 2016
hakkanarejohakkanarejo
Rated 02 Sep 2015
65
11th
Sphere is one of those movies I hate to review more than I hate to watch. On one hand, you have the numerous good aspects of the film (top notch cast, etc.). On the other hand, you have a plot that can't be passed off in the world of celluloid.
Rated 02 Sep 2015
bagarbjorneBagarbjorne
Rated 17 Dec 2014
55
22nd
It starts out kind of decent but it gradually gets worse.
Rated 17 Dec 2014
mrhappyMr.Happy
Rated 29 Nov 2014
69
23rd
It's like a weaker version of The Abyss (1989). Unlike that film though, it doesn't hit the spot when it comes to my sci-fi cravings. I would notrecommend it, it ain't bad, it's close to good, but just not there for me. Perhaps it's because I've seen this done better but it felt like a waste of time, if only slightly.
Rated 29 Nov 2014
m3tanm3tan
Rated 02 May 2014
10
6th
A star studded cast can't save this turkey from plummeting to the deepest depths of the Mariana Trench...
Rated 02 May 2014
bionicninjasBionicNinjas
Rated 22 Jan 2014
50
25th
So much wasted potential
Rated 22 Jan 2014
talibanTaliban
Rated 04 Nov 2013
80
76th
Everything is pretty awful except for one thing, Michael Crichton can write a novel.
Rated 04 Nov 2013
glm01glm01
Rated 09 Oct 2013
48
8th
48.000
Rated 09 Oct 2013
glenn_nygardGlenn Nygard
Rated 16 Aug 2013
20
8th
Sphere is not, in any traditional sense at least, a good film. And at some level, this makes what could have been a competent but bland sci-fi thriller into something a lot more unsettling and uncertain. You can almost believe the glaring plot holes and weak character development is deliberately put there to keep the audience off balance. Too bad the opening few scenes also show this same incompetence when they were desperately needed to show some contrast.
Rated 16 Aug 2013
coheedCoheed
Rated 02 Aug 2013
40
14th
It has its virtues. The idea in the center, once revealed, is something very interesting that could work in pulp nautical horror storytelling, but its precious in presentation. If there ever was a film that needed to be just under 90 minutes, or a brave director behind it, its this film, especially when its ending unfortunately reminds one of the bad aspects of the infamous Dreamcatcher (2003) adaptation,
Rated 02 Aug 2013
oaicoaic
Rated 25 Apr 2013
100
94th
Okay, me and my sister rented this when I was about 14 and loved it. The perfect age to enjoy a weird horror movie. It was burned onto my brain as basically one of the best movies of all time. I watch it again every ten years or so and still enjoy it. However, the entire world seems to think this movie was a horrible failure so I'm going to concede that nostalgia is playing a huge role in my opinion.
Rated 25 Apr 2013
ebelcEbelC
Rated 24 Feb 2013
40
18th
The great beginning made me think that this was probably an unjustified underrated masterpiece. After that I realized that most people opinion about this movie is absolutely deserved, and a great concept becames sadly a cheesy joke. Most of the points that separate my score from something like 0-15 are in the first 45 (aprox.) minutes.
Rated 24 Feb 2013
skitchimaSkitchima
Rated 21 Aug 2012
75
52nd
Bad movie, sure, but I can't help it. I love the book.
Rated 21 Aug 2012
oldgoatoldgoat
Rated 17 Aug 2012
42
11th
Good book, bad movie. Removing the plot for more action sequences in a book that is all plot and very little action was a good idea!
Rated 17 Aug 2012
waybosewaybose
Rated 14 Aug 2012
65
13th
Misses the point of the book.
Rated 14 Aug 2012
hotsakehotsake
Rated 13 Jul 2012
70
75th
This is one of those movie that came out at a time when everything had to be a thriller or action film. The book was a cerebral science fiction morality tale with thriller elements the movie however focuses more of the thriller aspects while almost losing the main point of the original story. I think that if this was made now it would've been much more similar to The Arrival (2016) or Annihilation (2018).
Rated 13 Jul 2012
axleblazeaxleblaze
Rated 13 Mar 2012
24
3rd
THE ENDING MAKES NOT FUCKING SENSE GAHHHHHHHH! Sorry...had to get that out of my system. This is not a very good movie.
Rated 13 Mar 2012
stagemadnessstagemadness
Rated 17 Jun 2011
40
6th
Quite the disservice to the book.
Rated 17 Jun 2011
gemteagemtea
Rated 18 Apr 2011
66
24th
One of my fav Crichton Books. Terrible film
Rated 18 Apr 2011
vespera23vespera23
Rated 22 Jan 2011
75
50th
I'm not someone who believes any movie should be compared to the novel it was based off of, period. These are to separate medium, and as such two orthogonal entities. Speaking to the film and the film alone, though the film is guilty of shoddy cinematography, poor editing, and "eh" acting jobs by much of the cast (Jackson and Hoffman being the exception), the film cultivates an atmosphere of haunting, psychological suspense that makes for an entertaining experience.
Rated 22 Jan 2011
kingjohnbbqKingjohnbbq
Rated 22 Dec 2010
82
41st
I did not read the book, so I got to watch this without any notion of what was going to happen and with no expectations. I enjoyed it very much, the actors did marvelous, hearing Samuel l jackson rant about food is always good! Aside from that, (possible spoilers) You only ever know as much as the characters know, which isnt much. yes, there are many plotholes ive thought about, but a plothole is no reason to hate a movie, it just makes movies that dont have them that much better.
Rated 22 Dec 2010
kingofjewkingofjew
Rated 10 Nov 2010
76
68th
A faithful adaptation from the novel. Standard directing, good acting and some great suspense/atmosphere makes a decent thriller, or whatever genre this movie falls under. Still dont understand all the hate, its really not that bad!
Rated 10 Nov 2010
joeliusJoelius
Rated 05 Nov 2010
18
17th
No real substance to it, and many terrible actors.
Rated 05 Nov 2010
spaceflohspacefloh
Rated 02 Nov 2010
60
58th
ger; [Sphere - Die Macht aus dem All]; ein raumschiff stürzt in den pazifik und wird von der nasa untersucht - dort findet sich eine runde ausserirdische lebensform;
Rated 02 Nov 2010
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 20 Sep 2010
45
13th
A pretty strong cast (Huey Lewis!) is wasted as the script is a mess.
Rated 20 Sep 2010
djrossdjross
Rated 16 Sep 2010
35
19th
A ludicrous movie, but one with an old-fashioned adventure sensibility more than any real pretensions to science fiction. The absurdities of the plot and the ridiculous behaviour engaged in by some of the characters are to some extent mitigated by a reasonable amount of reasonably humourous dialogue and an above-average cast.
Rated 16 Sep 2010
bookhouseboybookhouseboy
Rated 05 Sep 2010
34
34th
#00s(e)#, story, Sharon S, (SL Jackson)
Rated 05 Sep 2010
balaambalaam
Rated 05 Aug 2010
15
6th
This might be good if some ever actually happened.
Rated 05 Aug 2010
ladymcdeathladymcdeath
Rated 08 Jul 2010
12
8th
Good for a laugh. That does not mean I am encouraging you to watch this film. Don't.
Rated 08 Jul 2010
domahdomah
Rated 19 Jun 2010
40
19th
Great book...movie not so much.
Rated 19 Jun 2010
thenerdTheNerd
Rated 31 May 2010
0
1st
Worst movie ever.
Rated 31 May 2010
adurraAdurra
Rated 20 Nov 2009
65
37th
Podia ser melhor
Rated 20 Nov 2009
davidblastDavidBlast
Rated 18 Nov 2009
80
80th
The build-up is brilliant and "Jerry" is a chilling alien entity. But at the end it's all a bit to abstract and "weird" to be really engaging. Still though, it's great for as long as you wonder: What happens when Jerry get's mad?
Rated 18 Nov 2009
chemical404chemical404
Rated 04 Sep 2009
37
20th
This film looks very good on paper: sci-fi film based on the novel by Crichton, starring many a-list actors, big budget... In reality it has lots of flaws. First of, pacing is terrible. Seems to me they fast forwarded most interesting parts, and kept the focus on that sphere thing, that didn't really make much sense. For sci-fi fans only.
Rated 04 Sep 2009
kruz01Kruz01
Rated 19 Aug 2009
50
22nd
Read the book instead.
Rated 19 Aug 2009
smacfarlsmacfarl
Rated 26 Jul 2009
75
22nd
Cast deserved more. Stupid alien horror movie. time travel twist. With this much money on the line we could have invest more in writers.
Rated 26 Jul 2009
danilolopesDanilolopes
Rated 23 Jun 2009
60
20th
10 years ago, i loved!
Rated 23 Jun 2009
beardmilkBeardMilk
Rated 14 Jun 2009
65
10th
I had originally ranked this at 80 based from my memory of having seen it 10+ years ago. I must have been remembering the book (which was excellent) much more than the film, because this was crap.
Rated 14 Jun 2009
fantacbobFantacBob
Rated 12 Jun 2009
52
26th
Man meets aliens sub-sea. Interesting variation of a well worn story.
Rated 12 Jun 2009
nandorizzinandorizzi
Rated 04 Jun 2009
30
19th
It is a long movie, boring, unlikely, with a stellar cast in a story without meaning that going anywhere.
Rated 04 Jun 2009
scurryscurry
Rated 01 Jun 2009
30
15th
Very bad.
Rated 01 Jun 2009
abunchofcatsABUNCHOFCATS
Rated 27 Apr 2009
71
33rd
Decent Sci-Fi/Horror film even though it doesn't compare to the book.
Rated 27 Apr 2009
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 02 Apr 2009
46
48th
Going Nowhere.
Rated 02 Apr 2009
moviesinhellmoviesinhell
Rated 22 Mar 2009
75
54th
An inventive, suspenseful sci-fi thriller that plays better on video (rewinding helps in some of the trickier spots) than it did on the big screen. Suffice it to say that the pic represents a rare instance where the FX, while copious and sometimes spectacular, serve the story line (divided into "chapters") rather than overwhelm it. Said story bears an uncanny resemblance to _Event Horizon_, but boasts better dialogue, richer characters, and twistier concepts.
Rated 22 Mar 2009
hedphursthedphurst
Rated 31 Jan 2009
40
23rd
Loved the book. Not so much the movie.
Rated 31 Jan 2009
uniquenameUniqueName
Rated 30 Dec 2008
34
6th
Hahah what?
Rated 30 Dec 2008
janusjanus
Rated 14 Dec 2008
60
32nd
Lots of talent here but very hokey.
Rated 14 Dec 2008
keithtalentKeithTalent
Rated 27 Nov 2008
84
60th
Well-written, well-acted, suspenseful sci-fi.
Rated 27 Nov 2008
cultofsamecult_of_same
Rated 18 Nov 2008
15
14th
*Imagines movie turning off*
Rated 18 Nov 2008
garlonussGarlonuss
Rated 15 Oct 2008
81
63rd
If you like tension, surprises, and cerebral dialogue, this is a great movie.
Rated 15 Oct 2008
ashwilliamsAshWilliams
Rated 26 Sep 2008
45
2nd
Huge letdown. This is based on what is definitely Chrichton's most absorbing and profound story. It deserved the kind of attention and love that "Jurassic Park" received.
Rated 26 Sep 2008
polsterpolster
Rated 22 Jul 2008
73
32nd
This is a creepy ass movie... Right up there with Event Horizon in the movies that messed with my head.
Rated 22 Jul 2008
chinsterchinster
Rated 16 Jun 2008
78
37th
This started off well. Intriguing plot that kept the viewing wondering what is going on. I was left a bit cold in the end though. My kind of movie, not my kind of ending.
Rated 16 Jun 2008
hancockHancock
Rated 14 Jun 2008
50
17th
Not bad, not Good - Not really anything
Rated 14 Jun 2008
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 17 May 2008
84
86th
a facinating sci-fi flick that takes the plot into directions impossible to see coming, it is extremely unique and well executed.
Rated 17 May 2008
haydnhaydn
Rated 02 May 2008
72
23rd
Why oh why must they ruin another of Crichton's fantastic novels with a piss poor movie with expensive actors?!? I agree with Unne 100% on this one!
Rated 02 May 2008
miss_jesusmiss jesus
Rated 17 Apr 2008
47
31st
A lot better than I thought it would be in places, but mostly bad enough that I ended up thinking less of the novel.
Rated 17 Apr 2008
sl0wdjinsl0wdjin
Rated 21 Mar 2008
60
43rd
Not nearly as good as it could have been, considering the book and the quality of the actors.
Rated 21 Mar 2008
unneunne
Rated 18 Mar 2008
76
54th
Once again one of those movies you wish were more like the book.
Rated 18 Mar 2008
albofettAlbofett
Rated 10 Mar 2008
20
15th
Overated
Rated 10 Mar 2008
john_lockeJohn Locke
Rated 04 Mar 2008
76
16th
Michael Crichton is cursed. Jurassic Park shall forever remain his best adaptation.
Rated 04 Mar 2008
elsaponelsapon
Rated 23 Oct 2007
75
30th
Almost good terror scifi.
Rated 23 Oct 2007
marvinimarvini
Rated 17 Oct 2007
60
11th
Mind numbing bore.
Rated 17 Oct 2007
djdiscoDJDisco
Rated 17 Oct 2007
70
10th
Not a bad movie, but loses its way towards the end.
Rated 17 Oct 2007
tonydaltonydal
Rated 24 Sep 2007
30
6th
An awful lot of loose ends at the end...
Rated 24 Sep 2007
filliganFilligan
Rated 25 Aug 2007
52
7th
A lot of potential is squandered in this movie. Levinson is one of those hit-or-miss directors (usually he misses). The plot goes from interesting to needlessly and idiotically confusing, plus a lot of things are left unexplained. This is really nothing more than an average popcorn flick. Hoffman gives a nice performance, though.
Rated 25 Aug 2007
stflyst_fly
Rated 21 Aug 2007
5
12th
Not even a beaver shot of Sharon Stone could have saved this literal sinker.
Rated 21 Aug 2007
prisonerPrisoner
Rated 18 Aug 2007
32
4th
Forgettable sci-fi flick.
Rated 18 Aug 2007
yilbyilb
Rated 14 Aug 2007
20
7th
Plodding idiotic scenes with moronic dialogue finally give way to an excellent idea that should have powered Event Horizon. Dustin mumbles his way through another movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
irvinejumpirvinejump
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
17th
The book was lame, and so is the movie
Rated 14 Aug 2007
triletrile
Rated 14 Aug 2007
6
10th
THE WORST sf movie ever. Great acters but for what? Interesting story not fully developed, too much lose ends, really shitty thing about decoding a wrong name, so super intelligent e.t. goes mad cause they're calling him wrong. Load of bullshit!
Rated 14 Aug 2007

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