Cube (1997)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Hip to Be Square

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Vincenzo Natali's Cube is a bizarre, frightening, and clever new low-budget movie with a "Twilight Zone"-ish premise; a random group of people wake up inside a gigantic cube with seemingly thousands of interconnecting rooms. Some of the people, such as a burglar and a math whiz, find that their skills help them move from room to room, but certain rooms are rigged with deadly traps. Can these folks find their way out alive? Unfortunately, not without shouting at each other every step of the way. This makes for a very tense, sometimes anxious experience, which often works in favor of the picture. This unforgettable experience became a deserved cult classic. Actor David Hewlett went to high school with the director. A sequel followed.