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Sphere

Sphere

Terror can fill any space.

1998134 minPG-13Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Director
Barry Levinson
Starring
Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Coyote

A spacecraft is discovered at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, presumed to be at least 300 years old and of alien origin. A crack team of scientists and experts is assembled and taken to the ocean floor to investigate. However, the ship is not as it seems and when a giant perfect sphere is discovered in the cargo bay, things begin to fall apart.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Sphere?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Sphere streaming on The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Sphere?

Sphere earns 8 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Before they were famous.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Sphere worth watching?

Sphere's Midcredits score is the 41st percentile of all films, from 172K ratings across 6 sources. 42% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

41st percentile

Better received than 41% of films

60th percentile among Mystery44th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)41st
Approval (how many liked it)41st

59 /100

41st percentile of all films

62nd percentile among Mystery44th percentile among 1990s

Critics 35 · Audience 61

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.1 — solid but not unanimous.

42% liked it

41st percentile of all films

59th percentile among Mystery43rd percentile among 1990s
42% rated it 7–1058% rated it 1–6

Critics 12% · Audience 38%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 3 noms overall

96th percentile

172K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Mystery95th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 82% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$80M
Opening weekend$14M
Domestic gross$37M
Worldwide gross$37M

Returned 0.5× its budget — 89th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A high-concept sci-fi thriller with a strong cast and atmospheric underwater setting that fails to deliver on its intriguing premise.

Fans praised

  • absorbing psychological mystery with cerebral sci-fi themes
  • strong ensemble performances, especially Jackson's edgy turn
  • claustrophobic underwater atmosphere and haunting Goldenthal score

Detractors panned

  • plot falls apart in the second half, becoming confusing and unsatisfying
  • lacks the tension and dread of better sci-fi horrors like Event Horizon
  • illogical character behavior and a rushed, anticlimactic ending

What stands out

ActingDivisive68

strong cast but occasionally miscast (Stone) or sleepwalking (Hoffman)

AtmosphereDivisive65

strong claustrophobic and paranoid mood in the deep-sea habitat

Effects and spectacleDivisive55

some impressive CGI but giant squid never fully shown

TensionDivisive45

effective in first act but dissipates into confusion and shouting

CharactersDivisive42

flat, unlikable archetypes with artificial past relationship drama

Plot and storyDivisive38

promising first half devolves into confused, unresolved mess

Pacing32

overlong runtime with sluggish middle and rush-to-finish ending

Ending22

cop-out mind-wipe resolution widely derided as unsatisfying

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 10 points higher than users.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 15 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 9 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Sphere like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadContemplative
Heaviest: late
Dry humor
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its premise straight, treating the mystery and danger with earnest seriousness even as the plot becomes increasingly chaotic.
The rideThe film sustains a mounting tension that peaks in the final confrontations and the decision to erase memories.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically as the scientists arrive, explore, and gradually discover the sphere's power.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's exploration of unconscious fear manifesting as reality leaves an unsettling, open-ended argument about human nature and power.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA team of scientists investigates an alien artifact at the bottom of the ocean, but the central mystery is what the sphere actually is and how it works, not a whodunit.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTruthIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% (this title) · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 4% of filmsPower · 2% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film is chiefly about the unknowable nature of the sphere and the characters' struggle to understand what is real, while also warning of the danger of unchecked power over reality.
StanceThe film warns that the pursuit of ultimate knowledge can unleash destructive forces, particularly when it taps into the unconscious mind.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUnderwaterScience fiction
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Elliot Goldenthal
SettingAn underwater habitat and the mysterious spaceship on the ocean floor

Content guide

Is Sphere okay for kids?

PG-13

Sphere is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action including some startling images” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (53/100), sexual content at minimal (15/100), language at moderate (45/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (22/100) and frightening material at intense (61/100). Overall it is heavier than 60% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 19 other countries
  • UK12
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil12
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary16
  • LU16
  • Netherlands12
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • SK15
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 37% of all filmsHeavier than 60% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 58%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 19%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 59%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 20%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 77%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Sphere have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Sphere?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Dustin Hoffman
as Norman
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sharon Stone
as Beth
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Samuel L. Jackson
as Harry
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Peter Coyote
as Barnes
Liev Schreiber
as Ted
Queen Latifah
as Fletcher
newcomer then · star now
Marga Gómez
as Jane Edmunds
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Huey Lewis
as Helicopter Pilot
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Bernard Hocke
as Seaman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
James Pickens Jr.
as O.S.S.A. Instructor

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Sphere?

Movies like Sphere include 12 Monkeys (1995), Skybound (2017) and One Point O (2004). Of the 12 closest matches, half are stories about aliens, and several are survival thrillers.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its subject: truth. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Sphere?

257 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: first contact. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.