Cube – 8/10

What’s nice about the first film is we know nothing about the universe it’s set in. Yes we learn stuff as we go along, but it’s still a situation where we don’t know enough. This one fits the cosmic horror bill mainly due to the characters not having any control or ability to influence things. They don’t know the rules, though they do figure some of them out as they go. There’s other elements as well, but that requires spoiling the film, which I’m reluctant to do.

Cube‘s real strength is as a character piece. Throw a bunch of people together in an enclosed, high-stress environment, and watch them react and interact. They shift and change, have layers and secrets, and all these things make it an intriguing watch.

When characters are inevitably killed it’s gruesome and gory, but not too over the top. I get the feeling the main reason for the nastiness of the deaths is to sell the danger, and make those scenes where we know there’s a trap that much more tense.

16 years later, Cube is still a classic, and proves once again that flashy special effects can’t beat good writing and characterisation.

For links to the list of other cosmic horror films I’ve been watching, go here.