20 Secret Movie Sub-Plots You Didn't Notice

Once you're able to tear yourself away from Jim Carrey's terrifying performance in The Cable Guy, you'll be able to notice a clever little subplot starring the film's director, Ben Stiller. 

Seen only in television broadcasts, Stiller plays Sam Sweet, a man on trial for murdering his twin brother, Stan. It seems to be a throwaway gag - a silly little cameo from a comedy legend in his own film - but there's more to it than meets the eye.

For one thing, there's the clever and darkly amusing way it satirises the trial of O.J. Simpson, which had only just drawn to a controversial close, and for another it speaks to The Cable Guy's themes of media sensationalism and society's obsession with true crime. 

You can see this making a film in its own right, really, one that would probably be better than the in-movie version of the trail starring prolific character actor Eric Roberts. It's a subplot that feels silly and easy to toss aside, but actually contains multitudes.