Review of Cube (1998) by Andy S — 29 Dec 2012

I first saw this film many years ago and I very much enjoyed it then. Over the years Iâ(TM)ve tried to track it down but sadly failed to snare it. So I was very happy to see it appear in the TV listings this week; needless to say; recording equipment was appropriately set. Hereâ(TM)s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

A collection of seemingly random people wake up inside a mysterious maze made of rooms in the shape of cubes. In each room are six doors, one on each wall, that lead to adjoining cubes. But some of the rooms are booby trapped and itâ(TM)s up to them to figure their own way out. The main characters; Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), a cop; Worth (David Hewlett), an office worker; Leaven (Nicole de Boer), a student; Holloway (Nicky Guadagni), a doctor and Kazan (Andrew Miller), who is mentally ill are all being affected by the cube in various ways. Who will figure it out before they all succumb to the psychological pressures posed by The Cube?

I love the ideas behind this film; a mystery combined with some sci-fi and more than a touch of horror is right up my street. Unfortunately the execution just fails to pay off sufficiently for me to call it brilliant. I think the dialogue comes over as a little dated and that does let it down somewhat. Also the twist at the end was a tad predictable. Even so, I canâ(TM)t help but like this film; I think it appeals to the mathematician in me (donâ(TM)t let that put you off by the way). Youâ(TM)ll know what I mean if youâ(TM)ve seen it. Over all; a decent enough film thatâ(TM)s maybe becoming slightly dated, but still has the edge over many a high budget blockbuster or two.

SteelMonsterâ(TM)s verdict: RECOMMENDED.

My score: 7.8/10.