I've always been a devout fan of story-centered Horror films with smart and surprising plot twists and endings. To me, these films (for instance many titles by James Wan) embody the perfect combination of Horror and Psychological Thriller (most titles of the Saw anthology come to mind as a shining example). As a fan of such, I must pay proper respects to Cube, which just might be the title that had originally presented this particular sub-genre years before the first Saw reinvented it (even though it sadly fails to deliver an actual plot twist).
As the plot summary and trailers have most likely told you already - Cube begins, continues and ends with the struggle of six strangers who awake to a living nightmare in which they're trapped inside a giant maze rigged with traps. The way I see it, Cube relies on three main features. First, the film's main feature is deception, as everything we're made to think we know about each character on one hand and their devastatingly discomforting predicament on the other first comes into question and later, at times, shatters completely. This serves as a metonymic representation of the fact that nothing around is familiar, known of comprehendible, both in the maze and in the characters' lives as part of human society.
The second feature is discomfort, which has become a key characteristic of many modern Horror films that have crossed the classical boundaries of a haunting ghost or a hunting killer. From the start, the main antagonist is the setting (i.e. the maze), into which the characters have been forced and out of which they barely have a prayer of escaping. As stress, fatigue and of course hunger and dehydration are gradually added to the equation - the characters become paranoid and distrustful, sometimes for good reasons. The genius single location and lack of any flashbacks and past/future scenes only serve to enhance the sensation of discomfort: there's nowhere and no time to which the characters can escape, the nightmare is real and is the only thing that exists for them.
The third and less profound feature is the philosophical dimension added by the characters' different perceptions and attitudes regarding life's rules of conduct and terms of endeavor, so to say. As they discuss and relate their own individual explanation to their situation - questions of life, humanity and personality arise, making the viewer constantly think and ponder while following the characters' attempts at survival and escape. While this might have been considered a relief from the aforementioned sense of discomfort (since focusing on anything but the reality of the nightmarish predicament might give a false sense of hope) - it turns out it actually feeds the fear and despair, as each explanation is both realistic and authentic (to the extent you'd attribute logic and rationale to conspiracy theories and sci-fi scenarios) and more terrible than the other.
The acting is professional and excellent, the story is original and innovative and the plot is compelling and suspenseful, always keeping the viewer on edge. Even the minimalistic soundtrack is great, although too much resembling a Slasher theme in my opinion. The only let down for me had been, as I mentioned in the beginning, the blunt lack of an actual plot twist, or an actual ending. While the open ending could be considered another element of discomfort and lack of clarity - I firmly believe a smart plot twist would have made this film perfect.
And yet, made over two decades ago - Cube still sets a standard few Horror and Psychological Thriller titles manage to meet today. It isn't frightening of that scary (as it doesn't really rely on fear), but a true psychological Horror combining discomfort, torture, despair and pursuit which manage to exquisitely deliver every stressful and agonizing sensation to the viewing audience. While this is solely my personal opinion - I can't recommend this film enough, even to those who aren't particularly fond of Horror films.
As the plot summary and trailers have most likely told you already - Cube begins, continues and ends with the struggle of six strangers who awake to a living nightmare in which they're trapped inside a giant maze rigged with traps. The way I see it, Cube relies on three main features. First, the film's main feature is deception, as everything we're made to think we know about each character on one hand and their devastatingly discomforting predicament on the other first comes into question and later, at times, shatters completely. This serves as a metonymic representation of the fact that nothing around is familiar, known of comprehendible, both in the maze and in the characters' lives as part of human society.
The second feature is discomfort, which has become a key characteristic of many modern Horror films that have crossed the classical boundaries of a haunting ghost or a hunting killer. From the start, the main antagonist is the setting (i.e. the maze), into which the characters have been forced and out of which they barely have a prayer of escaping. As stress, fatigue and of course hunger and dehydration are gradually added to the equation - the characters become paranoid and distrustful, sometimes for good reasons. The genius single location and lack of any flashbacks and past/future scenes only serve to enhance the sensation of discomfort: there's nowhere and no time to which the characters can escape, the nightmare is real and is the only thing that exists for them.
The third and less profound feature is the philosophical dimension added by the characters' different perceptions and attitudes regarding life's rules of conduct and terms of endeavor, so to say. As they discuss and relate their own individual explanation to their situation - questions of life, humanity and personality arise, making the viewer constantly think and ponder while following the characters' attempts at survival and escape. While this might have been considered a relief from the aforementioned sense of discomfort (since focusing on anything but the reality of the nightmarish predicament might give a false sense of hope) - it turns out it actually feeds the fear and despair, as each explanation is both realistic and authentic (to the extent you'd attribute logic and rationale to conspiracy theories and sci-fi scenarios) and more terrible than the other.
The acting is professional and excellent, the story is original and innovative and the plot is compelling and suspenseful, always keeping the viewer on edge. Even the minimalistic soundtrack is great, although too much resembling a Slasher theme in my opinion. The only let down for me had been, as I mentioned in the beginning, the blunt lack of an actual plot twist, or an actual ending. While the open ending could be considered another element of discomfort and lack of clarity - I firmly believe a smart plot twist would have made this film perfect.
And yet, made over two decades ago - Cube still sets a standard few Horror and Psychological Thriller titles manage to meet today. It isn't frightening of that scary (as it doesn't really rely on fear), but a true psychological Horror combining discomfort, torture, despair and pursuit which manage to exquisitely deliver every stressful and agonizing sensation to the viewing audience. While this is solely my personal opinion - I can't recommend this film enough, even to those who aren't particularly fond of Horror films.