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:

Fear... Paranoia... Suspicion... Desperation

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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:

28 April 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

Cube

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

Director Vincenzo Natali went to high school with actor David Hewlett. Moreover, Hewlett recommended that Natali cast Andrew Miller as Kazan. Hewlett had previously worked with Miller in a play.

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Goofs

When Quentin drops Holloway, the "clothes rope" is still hanging from the door, under Quentin, and held by the others in the room. But after the cutaway, the rope has disappeared.

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Quotes

[They are staring, wide-eyed, at each other as they begin to understand the coding]
Leaven: How do you map a point that keeps moving?
Worth: [He thinks for a few moments, then:] Permutations.
[They stare at each other again, realizing they've made a breakthrough]

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Connections

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

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Soundtracks

David Torn
(Q-up Arts)

User Reviews

Unique but ultimately unsatisfying.

"Cube" is certainly a unique movie. The brilliant, absolutely irresistible premise grabs you instantly, and the production design keeps you impressed. The first hour of this picture was thoroughly engrossing and full of surprises; I would even call it "astonishing" if the actors didn't deliver some obviously forced, unnaturally "profound" speeches, and if the director didn't try to create dramatic moments by taking the easy way out - having the characters argue with each other all the time; if they acted as a team and tried to overlook their differences, THAT would have been the REALLY original approach. Still, the movie was fast-paced and fully engrossing.

And then, about 20 minutes before the end, it begins to collapse! The mathematical calculations become IMPOSSIBLE to decipher and follow. A major character changes his behavior completely. And the ending is a real disappointment. Some people have said it's "surprising"; I think it's a total cop-out. It doesn't provide any explanations, and it doesn't provide any clues for us to try to figure it out on our own. I watched the last five minutes three times. They leave you with an intense "THAT'S IT?" feeling.

Overall, this movie is definitely worth seeing, and the acting isn't nearly as bad as most people say, but be prepared for a HIGHLY unsatisfying ending. 6/10.