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Cube (1997) mini-review
A movie review for those who don’t want to read much
It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here on Medium, and there are many reasons for that. So I am just trying to sneak in this little movie review of what I consider a solid movie: Cube.
If you want to read a somewhat more in-depth review, check it out here. However, here’s a basic summary of what I like about the movie:
The characters, who are basically all strangers, are trapped in a series of weird rooms where any problem can’t be solved without collaboration — and they’ve been getting progressively worse. This logic would seem to rule out simple wits. But super-smarts aren’t the only method we can use to break out of such a cage, right?
Many of the best films rely on our imagination. Maybe that’s why, for many, Cube might be something of a tricky film to place if you can’t imagine yourself in their situation. Perhaps, with the same set-up, it would be better placed in a comedy or a less horror-based melodrama (though neither of those seems exactly appropriate, with the twists, upsets, and explicitness of “Cube” really driving home the severity of their group situation).
But, regardless, there’s something about the idea of a well-crafted film that could be considered as containing one of those mind-bendingly deep secrets hidden inside.
While it’s impossible to fully pin down that inner meaning, Cube is worth seeing for the visual, audio, and visceral experience alone. Is the claustrophobia the most powerful part? Not at all. Is the sheer strangeness the most bizarre? Not by a long shot. It’s all of those things plus the social dynamics that make Cube something special.