I won't lie to you saying that I completely get this film and what's going on it it (I'm not even sure we're supposed to get it completely), but I will tell you this - I certainly enjoyed it.
The title is pretty self-explanatory. Dave's girlfriend comes back home to find out he's lost in a cardboard maze he built in the middle of their living room. Apparently the whole thing's way bigger on the inside. Dave's been inside for three days and can't get out. Friends come by to help, no one seems to believe Dave literally CAN'T get out of there, since the maze looks like a couple of boxes and paper leftovers taped together... and they get inside where weird stuff starts to happen.
Call it whatever you want and it's probably all that! This film is entertaining, abstract, surreal, surprising, bizarre, quirky, enigmatic, random, creative, experimental, funny, offbeat, thought-provoking, sarcastic, visually pleasing, playful, whimsical, hand-made...
I mean, it's a highly unusual mix, that makes watching it a really interesting experience. It feels like a commentary of 30s crisis, wasted youth and missed opportunities, artistic aspirations and all that, but it's also more. Every character is their own caricature. The film crew is especially spot-on, if you've ever had anything to do with the film industry you'd laugh out loud on some of their scenes.
If you want to escape from the cliché enter Dave's labyrinth! You can analyze it, or you can look at the diverse sets and curious production design, you can look for the parody moments and film references scattered around the scenes... You can also watch it with friends over a drink and laugh and point out all the WTF moments in there.
The film lasts a little more than an hour without the credits, so it will be over before it can bore you. Maybe :"Dave Made a Maze" won't stun you and puzzle you and get inside your head like Jim Henson's "Cube" (1969) or something by Terry Gilliam, but it's definitely worth checking out and has the potential of a cult following!
