A smart, fun sci-fi gem, meriting repeat viewings.

Rating: 10/10 (19 February 2000)

(MILD SPOILERS)
It's Kafka gone high-tech, with a post-/Hellraiser/ sensibility to remind us that it means business. Symbolically, it's easy to see that, in some way, the film is portraying us, the world, the technocracy that humans have unwittingly created for themselves. The entire film takes place inside an artificial environment, out of control and functioning with mathematical precision. No other film in the 1990's - the decade which saw science fiction become respectable - gives us such a simple yet colourful snapshot of contemporary technocratic life and fears. Budget-wise it's in the same league as _The Blair Witch Project_ (i.e. under $2 million), made on a shoestring, with donated special effects and a home grown cast, snagging a Sundance award, and grossing relatively scads of money. There aren't any explosions in it, or bullets; the pathos works, it's respectful of blood, and it looks pretty. It feels like a sci-fi version of those "Canadian Heritage" shorts in between tv commercials. "...and first built in 1997, it's been running ever since. The C.U.B.E.: A part of our heritage". Enjoy the attractive characters, the surprises, and imagine your own chances inside the Cube.