Bubble

R

2005

1 hr. 13 min.

Drama

List

72%

106 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Middle-aged Martha (Debbie Doebereiner) and 20-something Kyle (Dustin James Ashley) are casual work friends at a Midwestern doll factory. Their comfortable camaraderie is jolted by the arrival of Rose (Misty Dawn Wilkins), a pretty single mother who begins dating Kyle. After Martha is hired to babysit Rose's daughter, she witnesses a blow-up between Rose and her ex-boyfriend Jake (K. Smith). When Rose is found dead the following morning, Martha, Kyle and Jake suddenly become murder suspects.

Read More

Read Less

Critics Consensus

This rigorously stripped down, seemingly mundane little film still manages to be engrossing and creepy.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Member

Lazy film, a lifeless amateur work thats incredibly pointless. Incredibly forgettable my mom could do better. The budget while 1.5 million looks like it was made for just under 500 dollars. There is nothing here it doesnt make you think feel or anything. Its a empty 1 hour and 10 minute chore. And if you say something like its art or it reflects real life. Then please.... Watch Cache for some interesting slow burning unresolved picture. Skip this one please

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

camille l

Bubble est un nouveau tour de force de Steven Soderbergh qui parvient à faire d'un scénario en apparence bateau (une fille arrive en fille, il y a un meurtre, le coupable est arrêté) écrit par la scénariste d'un de ses grands films (Full Frontal) un film passionnant, car il prend son temps pour exposer l'atmosphère déprimante de cette petite ville d'Ohio. Subrepticement, les personnages (interprétés par des acteurs non-professionnels) prennent plus d'importance que prévu et rendent la conclusion d'autant plus forte. La musique de Robert Pollard enveloppe tout cela parfaitement. Mark Cuban a encore eu le nez creux.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

at just 73 minutes this should have flown by...it didn't.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I Give It For The Originallity In Casting Complete Unknowns, Adlibing Through A Semi-Structured Premise..That Shows You How Good Soderburg Is At Getting Things Just Right...But The Story, Well, As I've Watched The Deleted Scenes, It Misses A Key Pivotal Ending Point (Cut From The Movie) & Leaves You Otherwise Guessing As To Why It All Happened...If ImHad Just Seen The Movie, Without That, On Its Own Merits...Id Be A Little Frustrated At The Open Ended Finale. That Said, I Still Found This A Weird, Macabe Tale Resting Within That (Bubble) Small Town America.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Impeccable performances from all 3, and some serious directing. A surprising treat.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ladies and gentlemen...Steven Soderbergh...out to prove he can still be weird after helming that big budget business. In that way, he succeeds here. The pacing is deliberately slow as nuts. Thankfully, this is not just done for weird's sake, but to get across the mundane nature of the characters' work and lives. Casting is key. These are not actors you will recognize. The performances are captivating, though. (Particularly the one by Debbie Doebereiner.) The fact that these are not familiar faces adds greatly to the realism of the flick. If you haven't read a synopsis for this thing, keep it that way. The story is simple. The less you know, the more effectively it will play. In the end, Bubble isn't any more enlightening or interesting than an episode of "Dateline," or any number of shows on A&E. But... That's not too bad.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Steven Soderbergh

Director

Laurie Lee

Kyle's Mother

Dustin James Ashley

Kyle

Omar Cowan

Martha's Father

Misty Dawn Wilkins

Rose

Debbie Doebereiner

Martha

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

82%

70%

Keane

34%

33%

The Good German

35%

81%

Imaginary Heroes

60%

43%

Winter Solstice

68%

64%

The Door in the Floor

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Catalina Sandina Morena Joins Soderbergh’s Che Films

RTIndie: "Little Miss Sunshine," "Half Nelson" Lead Indie Spirit Award Noms

Magnolia Digs Into the Crayon Box

View more photos

Amy Taubin

Film Comment Magazine

Is there another contemporary filmmaker whose work swings as unpredictably between the seductive and the alienating as does Steven Soderbergh's?

Jul 6, 2010

Full Review

Noel Murray

AV Club

Bubble is best considered as a failed-but-occasionally-nifty experiment.

Rated: B-

Nov 27, 2006

Full Review

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

The local atmosphere, filmed on the Ohio-West Virginia border, is rigorously authentic and so is the cast, none of whose members have acted before.

Rated: B+

Oct 14, 2006

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

There's something refreshing about this film.

Rated: 2.5/4.0

Sep 4, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Non-actors added an interesting element to the film and it worked well as a mildly pleasant viewing experience until the story turned from everyday humdrum into a murder mystery.

Nov 7, 2019

Full Review

Paul Chambers

CNNRadio

Finally got around to seeing this film and was impressed with Soderbergh's experimental style. This guy continues to be one of best directors around today. Paul Chambers, CNN.

Rated: B-

May 1, 2010

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Middle-aged Martha (Debbie Doebereiner) and 20-something Kyle (Dustin James Ashley) are casual work friends at a Midwestern doll factory. Their comfortable camaraderie is jolted by the arrival of Rose (Misty Dawn Wilkins), a pretty single mother who begins dating Kyle. After Martha is hired to babysit Rose's daughter, she witnesses a blow-up between Rose and her ex-boyfriend Jake (K. Smith). When Rose is found dead the following morning, Martha, Kyle and Jake suddenly become murder suspects.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Executive Producer: Mark Cuban, Jason Kliot, Todd Wagner
Screenwriter: Coleman Hough
Production Co: Section Eight Ltd., HDNet, Magnolia Pictures, 2929 Productions
Rating: R (Some Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jan 27, 2006
Release Date (DVD): Jan 31, 2006
Box Office (Gross USA): $145.4K