Sphere

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Sphere

PG-13

Released Feb 13, 1998

2h 13m

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

13%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

38%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When psychologist Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman) wrote a report for the government on how to deal with extraterrestrial life forces, he didn't expect his recommendations to be used. Now that a secret government agency is investigating what may be an alien spaceship that has been discovered partially buried on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, Norman finds that the plan he outlined is being put into effect and that the team he named in his report has been assembled.

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Critics Consensus

Sphere features an A-level cast working with B-grade material, with a story seen previously in superior science-fiction films.

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Ultimately, the explanation we've been waiting for turns out to be just that: an explanation.

Jan 8, 2018

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: D

Sep 7, 2011

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

An empty shell.

Aug 5, 2008

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

An undersea, sci-fi, paranoid thriller which packs tension but cannot release the powerful payoff we have a right to expect.

Rated: B-

Jan 19, 2023

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Adding to the downfalls is the unavailable chemistry between the leads, Hoffman and Stone. No sparks seem to fly in this relationship and we don’t feel a kinship to either.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 18, 2023

Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

It pays to be incredibly suspicious of a movie where nearly all dramatic tension is drawn from characters standing around bleeping computer screens and commenting on how bad things look.

Rated: 1.5/5

Aug 7, 2020

Full Review

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Jelisije J

A very realistic down to earth movie that falls apart with a messy third act.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/11/25

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Rick M

One of the worst films ever made.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Audience Member

The film forgets what it wants to be after a while, so it feels like you’re watching two separate movies edited into being one. The ending was absolutely terrible. The special affects and music were pretty good though, and the performances weren’t horrendous so 2/5 stars seems fair.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/07/25

Full Review

THE NASHVILLE I

Sphere's actually a pretty good but digestable sci-fi ride. The plot's definitely unique and not derivative of other sci-fi flicks, with a great and balanced cast of personalities. The movie though does cut out a signficant amount of meat from the book, and viewers will likewise probably notice the movie feels noticeably inconclusive.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/25

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Eric R

Great psychological thriller set in a truly freaky place, under the ocean. The bad reviews are just a bunch of people who are too closed minded to realize what they were watching.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

Jeffery N

I saw this movie in the theater, and I've watched it a couple times a year every year since then. I love this movie. It's got everything you could want from a great movie. It's got a great story, great cast, the cinematography is top notch, it's brilliantly directed, and the score is amazing. I think it's only problem is that it doesn't try to reinvent the genre. This seems to be fine for mob movies, or horror films, but for science fiction people seem to expect that every film will change the genre forever. I thought this was a great film that gripped me from start to finish. I don't know what else you could expect from a film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/06/25

Full Review

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Barry Levinson

Director

Dustin Hoffman

Dr. Norman Goodman

Sharon Stone

Dr. Beth Halperin

Samuel L. Jackson

Dr. Harry Adams

Peter Coyote

Captain Harold C. Barnes

Liev Schreiber

Dr. Ted Fielding

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Synopsis

When psychologist Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman) wrote a report for the government on how to deal with extraterrestrial life forces, he didn't expect his recommendations to be used. Now that a secret government agency is investigating what may be an alien spaceship that has been discovered partially buried on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, Norman finds that the plan he outlined is being put into effect and that the team he named in his report has been assembled.

Director: Barry Levinson
Producer: Michael Crichton, Barry Levinson, Andrew Wald
Screenwriter: Michael Crichton, Kurt Wimmer, Stephen Hauser, Paul Attanasio
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Punch Productions, Constant c Productions, Baltimore Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Startling Images|Sci-Fi Action)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 13, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.0M
Runtime: 2h 13m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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