Claustrophobic cult film from Canada

Rating: 8/10 (30 July 2019)

Cube is a mysterious science-fiction horror movie made with a meager budget of three hundred fifty thousand dollars that would turn out grossing nine million dollars and lead to two less interesting sequels. The claustrophobic movie revolves around six completely different strangers who wake up in a gigantic cube without knowing how or why they got there. Since they have no access to food or water or any way to communicate with the outside world, they need to find their way through the numerous chambers of the gigantic cube in order to find a way out. The different chambers are however rigged with deadly traps and tension, stress and fear soon arise between the six strangers.
There are numerous elements that made this low-budget movie a beloved cult film. First of all, the mysterious setting and its origins are truly intriguing. It's unclear who created the gigantic cube and to what purpose which invites viewers to look for clues and come to their own conclusions. Secondly, the story is filled with twists and turns and it remains unpredictable who is going to survive and how until the very last Scene that also leaves room for interpretation. Thirdly, the traps in the cube are deadly, diversified and unpredictable but the greatest dangers are the individuals themselves. This leads to the fourth and strongest element which are the seven characters introduced in the movie. We only briefly meet a nameless old man but the clever prison escapist, the paranoid free clinic doctor, the mathematics student with a difficult past, the socially awkward office worker, the seemingly autistic young man who has trouble communicating but incredible mathematical skills and the divorced police officer with anger management issues are the six characters bound by fate. The relationships between the different characters are fascinating to watch and evolve until the very end.
In the end, Cube works very well despite a low budget thanks to a creative story with numerous stunning ideas and intriguing characters. The sequels don't reproduce this level of quality because the stories are more predictable and the characters more exchangeable. Even though this movie mixes thriller, mystery and horror elements, it can also been as a stunningly realistic social science study.