Cube (1997)

6 complete strangers of widely varying personality characteristics are involuntarily placed in an endless maze containing deadly traps.

Director:

Vincenzo Natali

Writers:

André Bijelic (as Andre Bijelic), Vincenzo Natali

Stars:

Nicole de Boer, Maurice Dean Wint, David Hewlett

13 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Nicole de Boer	...	Leaven
Nicky Guadagni	...	Holloway
David Hewlett	...	Worth
Andrew Miller	...	Kazan
Julian Richings	...	Alderson
Wayne Robson	...	Rennes
Maurice Dean Wint	...	Quentin

Storyline

Six different people, each from a very different walk of life, awaken to find themselves inside a giant cube with thousands of possible rooms. Each has a skill that becomes clear when they must band together to get out: a cop, a math whiz, a building designer, a doctor, an escape master, and a disabled man. Each plays a part in their thrilling quest to find answers as to why they've been imprisoned.

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Plot Keywords:

maze | trap | escape | red light | labyrinth | 

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Taglines:

The only way out lies within your own mind.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong sci-fi violence/gore and language

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English German

Release Date:

11 July 1998 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

El cubo

Filming Locations:

Wallace Avenue Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 365,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$57,147, 13 September 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$501,818

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cube Libre, Odeon Films, Ontario Film Development Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Not only are the characters named after prisons but they reflect the prisons themselves. Example: Kazan (the mentally challenged character) in Russia was a prison for the mentally ill. Rennes (the "mentor") is a French jail that pioneered many of today's prison policies. Quentin (the detective) is known for its brutality. Holloway was a women's prison in England, and Alderson is a prison where isolation is a common punishment. Leavenworth runs to a rigid set of rules (Leaven's mathematics), and the new prison is corporately owned and built (Worth, hired as an architect).

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Goofs

At 1 hour 14 minutes in, the number 563 is prime, therefore its roots are not prime.

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Quotes

Kazan: This room is... green. I wanna go back to the blue room.

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Connections

Referenced in Re-Entering the Nightmare (2005)

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Soundtracks

Distorted Reality
(music samples)
by Mark Korven

User Reviews

One of the most original sci-fi films of the last decade

If you were to think about what situation would terrify you the most, Cube would be the ultimate challenge. In a way, it is a predecessor to TV's "Survivor" in which the people each have a skill that can help them survive and possibly get them out. It all comes down to human emotions and confrontations that get in the way of progress. It's a talky film, but that's the point-- figuring situations and dealing with different personalities is inevitable to any group. The solving of problems becomes very complex, but the viewer doesn't have to worry...let the characters figure it out as we go along for the ride. While so many sci-fi films want to wow you with effects, this film does something more challenging--it makes you think. With its limited budget and digital effects in use even before Titanic glorified them, Cube still proves itself as one of the more original and intelligent sci-fi films of the last decade, with a cult status already going strong. It is truly a nail-biter.