Cube (1997)

Director:

Vincenzo Natali

Writers:

André Bijelic (written by) &
Vincenzo Natali (written by) ...

Release Date:

11 July 1998 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Fear... Paranoia... Suspicion... Desperation

Plot:

7 complete strangers of widely varying personality characteristics are involuntarily placed in an endless kafkaesque maze containing deadly traps.

Plot Keywords:

Kidnapping | Cult Favorite | Red Light | Death | Blood On Shirt

Awards:

13 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Nicole de Boer	...	Joan Leaven - The Math Student
Nicky Guadagni	...	Helen Holloway - The Doctor
David Hewlett	...	David Worth - The Architect
Andrew Miller	...	Kazan - The Autistic Man
Julian Richings	...	Alderson - The First Victim
Wayne Robson	...	Rennes - The Fugitive
Maurice Dean Wint	...	Quentin - The Cop

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sci-fi violence/gore and language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | German

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:B | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Brazil:14 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Wallace Avenue Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Cube Libre

Trivia:

Not only are the characters named after prisons but they reflect the prisons themselves. Example: Kazan (the mentally challenged character), in Russia is a disorganized prison. Rennes (the "mentor") was a jail that pioneered many of today's prison policies. Quentin (the detective) is known for its brutality. Holloway is a women's prison, and Alderson is a prison where isolation is a common punishment. Leavenworth runs to a rigid set of rules (Leaven's mathematics), and the new prison is corporately owned and built (Worth, hired as an architect).

Goofs:

Quentin beats Worth brutally with a boot, clearly ready to kill him or at least to knock him out. However, Worth stands up again with only one bruise under his right eye, a single scratch, and a stream of blood running from his ear. These are what Star Trek fans call "tasteful wounds," referring to Captain Kirk frequently receiving a thin slice of blood across the cheekbone, chest, or shoulder.

Quotes:

Worth: Hey! Listen to what I'm saying. We haven't been moving in circles, the rooms have.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in MediEvil II (2000) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Distorted Reality

Incredibly original

This film is one of the most original films I've ever seen. On top of that, it is absolutely riveting and engaging. It will have you thinking for hours afterward. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes intriguing movies. The acting is good. Other than the girl who plays the student, I've never seen any of the actors before, which makes the movie much harder to predict than most.

The air of mystery prevails throughout. The pace is perfect, which surprised me, given the limited amount the characters could actually do. And the ending doesn't sell out the rest of the movie, which films with this level of mystery often do.