Film Review: Cube (1997)

If you want to start a successful franchise based on a genre film, it helps to have an original idea, but it is even better if the idea is simple. One such feat was achieved by Vincenzo Natali, Canadian film maker with his 1997 film Cube, which is now regarded one of the more original works of science fiction cinema of its time.

Plot starts when the diverse group of people wakes up in what appears to be a prison. They have no idea where and how they got there, but it is also quite apparent that the prison is quite unusual – it doesn’t have any guards or windows. It is made out of cube-shaped rooms from where there are an exit, but like in labyrinth, they only lead to another rooms and, to make things worse, they also hide deadly booby traps. As hours pass the prisoners start to feel hunger, thirst and lack of oxygen, so they are forced to find some way to the outside world. It turns out that each of them possesses a skill that might prove very useful in current situation. As they travel to what might be an exit, they also realise that the biggest danger for them might not in traps, but their own characters and inability to avoid fighting between each other.

Cube was directorial debut for Vincenzo Natali, until that time known mainly as the production designer for Johnny Mnemonic. Natali had extremely low budget at his disposal, but he had put it to a very good use, partly due to his experience as production designer, but mostly because he had simple and original idea, inspired by his own short film Elevated (although the script was reportedly inspired by “Five Characters in Search of Exit”, classic episode of The Twilight Zone and Sartre’s famous play No Exit). Natali has shot almost entire film in a single set, with a single room being redecorated to look differently. His script deliberately left questions protagonists and the audience ask unanswered and instead concentrated on the issues of survival. Protagonists are also faced with unbearable claustrophobia, paranoia and loss of any values that might have under normal circumstances. An interesting thing about Cube is that protagonists are forced to rely on brains instead of the brawn in order to survive and that their knowledge of mathematics plays important part in the plot.

Natali, however, wasn’t that fortunate with casting. Number of characters is very small but that makes deficiencies in acting, mainly tendency to ham it up in inopportune moments, more visible. The only exception is the work of young Nicole De Boer, who plays role of mathematician Leaven. An actress strikes the perfect balance between displaying intelligence and vulnerability and it isn’t surprising that she would later have successful career, including the famous role of Ezri Dax in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Despite those flaws, Cube is very effective film which, despite less than impressive box office results, won rave reviews not only among critics of science fiction and horror genres, but also built a cult status. In 2001 a sequel under title Cube 2: Hypercube was released, followed by 2004 prequel Cube Zero. In 2021 an eponymous remake, directed by Yasuhiko Shimizu, was released in Japan.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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