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:

Stranger | Trap | Maze | Room | Escape

Awards:

13 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Nicole de Boer	...	Leaven
Nicky Guadagni	...	Holloway
David Hewlett	...	Worth
Andrew Miller	...	Kazan
Julian Richings	...	Alderson
Wayne Robson	...	Rennes
Maurice Dean Wint	...	Quentin

Also Known As:

El cubo (Argentina) (Mexico) (Peru) (Venezuela) [es]
Cubo (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Куб (Russia) [ru]
Cube (Denmark) [da]
Cube (France) [fr]
Cube (Spain) [es]
Cube - Il cubo (Italy) [it]
Cube - kuutio (Finland) [fi]
Küp (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Kocka (Hungary) [hu]
O kyvos (Greece) (video title) [el]

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | 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:

Continuity: When Quentin drops Holloway, the "clothes rope" is still hanging from the door, under Quentin, and held by the others in the room. But after the cutaway, the rope has disappeared.

Quotes:

Quentin: Who do you think the establishment is? It's just guys like me. Their desks are bigger, but their jobs aren't. They don't conspire, they buy boats.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Distorted Reality

One of the most original sci-fi films of the last decade

If you were to think about what situation would terrify you the most, Cube would be the ultimate challenge. In a way, it is a predecessor to TV's "Survivor" in which the people each have a skill that can help them survive and possibly get them out. It all comes down to human emotions and confrontations that get in the way of progress. It's a talky film, but that's the point-- figuring situations and dealing with different personalities is inevitable to any group. The solving of problems becomes very complex, but the viewer doesn't have to worry...let the characters figure it out as we go along for the ride. While so many sci-fi films want to wow you with effects, this film does something more challenging--it makes you think. With its limited budget and digital effects in use even before Titanic glorified them, Cube still proves itself as one of the more original and intelligent sci-fi films of the last decade, with a cult status already going strong. It is truly a nail-biter.