Cube (R)

“Cube” is concrete proof that Canadians should stick with Hockey. The 1997 science-fiction, horror hybrid(with neither being correct) appeared on a list of top scary movies you’ve never heard of, and should have been placed on the list of movies you should never watch.

Its “Twilight Zone” premise mirrors the classic episode “Five Characters in Search of an Exit” as the story opens with a group of strangers awakening in a futuristic cube-like maze, each wearing a jumpsuit with their name etched on it and having no memory or idea of how they got there.

Numerous doors connecting each room, some of which are booby trapped with harrowing pitfalls designed to destroy anyone that enters surround them. The group must work together to find a way out – if there is one.

What I did like is the use of unknown actors which make the story more realistic, though midway through their reason for being unknown actors will become clear as they shout and over do every line they utter.

The writing lacks any substance, and the effects are laughable. “You

gotta save yourselves from yourself.” One guy says to the group as he tries to find a way out. “No ones gonna com.” Another guy says, trying in vein to display the horror of the situation.

The introduction of the mathematical element as a way of moving safely throughout the cube gets confusing and tired.

Two of the characters clash from the onset, one being a hardened conservative cop the other being a flighty liberal conspiracy theorist. They debate if the cube is the work of aliens or the government. The final reveal is thoughtless and makes you realize you just wasted two hours plodding through slop to get there.

The problem is the group never seems to suffer the fate of the cool traps set throughout the cube. Its tough to have a horror movie that isn’t scary, and often that can be remedied by a high death count.