Cube (1997): Trap in a box
1997 • Vincenzo Natali • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Directed by Vincenzo Natali, Cube follows a group of strangers who awaken to find themselves inside a maze of cubic rooms, many of which contain lethal traps. With no explanation as to why they are there, they must work together to navigate the structure, relying on their different skills to survive and find a way out.
Despite its very low budget and limited set, this independent Canadian science-fiction film achieves a great deal. Virtually everything takes place in a single 14-by-14-foot cube. Only one cube was built, with changes induced by lighting and different colours used to differentiate the rooms. This was limiting for the filmmaker, so different lenses were also used to make the cubes feel unique. The result is claustrophobic, with rising tension induced by deadly mechanisms that are constantly threatening to kill the characters.
With its surreal and Kafkaesque setting, Cube is the quintessential escape room movie, working as both a high-concept puzzle and a study of human behaviour under pressure. Technically and narratively, it’s a very minimalist film that makes the most of its concept.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: Strangers wake up inside a maze of interlocking, trap-filled rooms with no memory of how they got there. They must work together to escape before paranoia and deadly mechanisms tear them apart.
- Actors: Nicole de Boer, Maurice Dean Wint, David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, Nicky Guadagni, Wayne Robson.
- Director: Vincenzo Natali
- Year: 1997
- Cinematographer: Derek Rogers
- Origin: Canadian Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Genre: Sci-Fi / Horror
