Cube

Spatially confined but intellectually expansive, this micro budget sci-fi movie is driven by conceptual ideas and narrative tension rather than breathless action and gratuitous explosions. Six apparently unconnected individuals wake up inside a three-dimensional maze of interlocking cubes. None of them knows how they got there, why they have been chosen, or whether they will get out alive. Building tension through skilful use of narrative rhythm and tonal shifts, Natali preserves the underlying enigma of who is behind this deadly conundrum. Is it some deranged scientist, a sinister government agency, or perhaps aliens from outer space? Instead of providing answers, the ingenious script focuses on the seldom altruistic behaviour of those trapped within the maze, revealing that their greatest enemy is not the lethal maze itself, but each other. The absorbing mathematical puzzles, understated allegory, nail-biting suspense and strategic gore more than compensate for some variable acting.