Cube is an inventive, low budget Canadian science fiction film which hasn’t been widely released in most countries. I was unable to see the film in the theatre but instead viewed it on DVD.

The movie begins with a great suspenseful start. We see a mysterious looking, bald man in a cube shaped room,who pulls a lever which opens into another room. The man looks around and then-wham he’s hit by thousands of little beams of blades which slice him into just as many pieces. This is a pretty satisfying sequence as the man’s death is just as bigger shock to us as it is to him. After this wonderful start the opening credits roll and the movie’s premise is then on display.

The premise of the movie, pits six strangers who one day wake up and find themselves stuck in a cube like room. The strangers quickly realise that there are entrances (activated by levers) to many other cube like rooms. Escape, will not be that easy though as many of the rooms are loaded with high tech security devices which will dispatch one with ease. After the initial bout of shock the group eventually talk and find out that they all offer different skills which will help them escape from "the cube". Holloway (Nicky Guadagni) is a Doctor, Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint) is a policeman, Leaven (Nicole De Boer) is a young student whose a wizz at math, Rennes (Wayne Robson) is an escaped convict whose escaped from six prisons, Worth(David Hewiett) is seemingly a nihilist but he may know more than he seems to and Kazan (Andrew Miller) is an autistic man who has a special skill which will help out the crew. The reason for them being placed in the cube is not known but some of the characters have their ideas.

After the spectacular opening sequence, Cube seems like it’s going to be an average film. It seems this way as it begins with it’s characters behaving in overly melodramatic ways. The film also appears, that despite it’s intriguing, orginal and some may say absurd premise it is going to be a predictable and routine film. Eventually, the film finds the right tone and begins to act not only as a gripping sci-fi adventure but an intriguing film which offers some social commentary, unexpected twists and some barbs at human nature.

Cube’s obvious failing is the mediocre acting. Two characters in particular are way over-the-top to begin with and just plain average for the rest of the film. The two poor ones are Maurice Dean Wint whose cop character is seriously over played in an amateurish fashion and Nicky Guadagni whose interpretation of the doctor character is equally over done. The four others are acceptable but hardly brilliant or worthy of praise.

For a low budget science fiction film this is pretty impressive visually. Cube sports a terrific set design. The cube itself looks superb and believable as do the special effects shots and the exterior of the cube. Aside from the well written script the movie’s set design and visual look are it’s finest qualities.

Surprisingly enough the intrigue created by the film’s original premise, the well written script and the superlative set design are qualities which overshadow the average performances from the cast. After a while I found myself forgetting about the not-so-flash quality of the acting and became completely immersed in the film’s twisting and suspenseful story-line.

The film makes the point that we are all "tools" in a dysfunctional and self-destructive society. The cube itself represents "society" and the characters (who are all from different walks of life) represent us: the tools of a self destructive society. This metaphor exclaims the film’s social commentary aspect and the ironical and satiric ending further enforces it. Though some may consider this pretentious hogwash, I personally buy into the film’s message as there is more than a kernel of truth to it. It is at the very least an aspect which is largely missing from most mainstream sci-fi’s or thrillers and it makes for a thought provoking, unpredictable and welcome change.

Cube is a sleeper hit: a film not widely released and not highly praised in reviews of it. Some will walk away, shaking their heads at the movie’s denouement whilst others will applaud it and the rest of the film. Whether your shaking or nodding ,I guarantee you’ll remember this independently made science fiction film for quite some time.

3.5 STARS