Cube (1997 movie)

Cube is a 1997 Canadian science fiction horror film directed and co-written by Vincenzo Natali.

 Plot 
The film centers on seven strangers who wake up trapped in a massive, elaborate labyrinth made of thousands of cube-shaped rooms. Each room has six hatches leading to adjacent rooms, many of which contain deadly traps, such as acid sprays, razor wires, or motion-activated weapons.

The group—which includes a police officer, a math student, an escape artist, and an architect who unknowingly designed the Cube's outer shell—must work together to figure out the Cube's purpose and find an exit. They realize that the rooms move and that the only way to navigate the maze is by using mathematical formulas (involving prime numbers) hidden in the rooms' identification codes.

As the mystery deepens, the psychological tension among the captives rises, with the initial unity breaking down into conflict, paranoia, and violence. The film is known for its low-budget, high-concept style, surreal, industrial setting, and Kafkaesque themes of futility and bureaucratic horror.

 Production 
The film was produced on a very low budget (around $350,000 CAD) and was shot in only 21 days using a single 14-foot cube set in Toronto, Ontario, which was redressed and re-lit to create the illusion of thousands of different rooms.

 Reception 
Despite a poor initial box office performance in Canada, the film became a major international success, especially in France and Japan, earning over $9 million worldwide and gaining a significant cult following. Cube inspired a franchise, including a sequel, a prequel, and a Japanese remake in 2021.

 References 

Category:1997 horror movies
Category:1990s English-language movies
Category:Canadian horror thriller movies
Category:Science fiction movies
Category:1997 science fiction movies