13 Brilliant Plot Twists That Couldn't Quite Save Terrible Movies
10. Sphere - The Sphere Manifests Their Subconscious Thoughts
The Twist: After being tasked with investigating an alien craft found underwater, a team of scientists discover a perfect floating sphere in its cargo hold. They soon find their own habitat assaulted by impossibly giant sea creatures, coupled with messages on their computer from an entity that goes by “Jerry.”
Realizing they all entered the sphere at some point, they reason that the Sphere is manifesting their deepest fears. Furthermore, they discover that Jerry is actually Harry (Samuel L. Jackson) who is unknowingly communicating with them while he sleeps.
Why It Almost Saved The Movie: The movie struggles with an identity crisis, not sure if it wants to be scary or philosophical, often failing to be either. This is especially noticeable amidst its science-fiction trappings, which feel both familiar and overused.
The twist of the sphere’s powers offers huge potential considering its psychological relation to the characters. Unfortunately, this potential is barely scratched, and the boring characters instead focus more on the generic action the sphere provides than its emotional repercussions. Ultimately, the twist reads like a missed opportunity for the film as a whole.