Not for claustrophobics...

Rating: 4/10 (12 November 2017)

Three men and two women of varying backgrounds find themselves inexplicably trapped inside a linked series of color-coordinated, numerically-labeled, most often booby-trapped cubicles, but how did they get there and how do they get out? Canadian thriller of survival from director Vincenzo Natali and screenwriters Andre Bijelic, Vincenzo Natali and Graeme Manson might have made the perfect short; alas, at 90 minutes, there seems to be no escape from a strenuous situation which eventually becomes tedious. The violence is on the gruesome side, while the personal arguments that erupt between the characters are not very enlightening or engaging. Simplistically, this group represents a microcosm of humanity at large and how duress breaks down the human condition to its animalistic basics. On the loftier side, the scenario might be a representation of Heaven and Hell. However, as ambitious as something like this is for a suspense movie, it won't sustain most audiences to the finish line. It provides coldly-served food for thought without allowing for cinematic attributes like mystery or excitement--or a satisfying denouement. Followed by two sequels. ** from ****