It was the late 90s and I had heard about this little indie science fiction horror movie about some people stuck inside a maze. When I watched it, I was amazed at the execution of such a simple concept and how it was both satisfying and unsettling.

The basic premise is 5 people trapped inside some sort of massive Rubik’s Cube from hell. They can move from room to room, but some rooms have horrific traps. Certain characters have training or traits that help to move them through the cube rooms without getting shredded, disintegrated, or dissolved in one of the trap rooms.

What’s fascinating is the psychological pressure of going on the journey of being locked in the foreign place with a bunch of strangers and imminent death around every corner. So many questions come up, like:

• Why these people?
• Who made the Cube?
• Where is it located?
• Are aliens involved?

Even with many of the bigger questions going unanswered, the enjoyment comes from the discovery process and the characters using their skills to solve puzzles enough to think they are making progress.

I also liked the character interactions and even though there wasn’t a lot of gore, it was pretty intense. My only real complaint is that the acting talent is somewhat lacking. It’s not what I consider to be bad acting. It is not that the actors never took any lessons and had no natural talent. It’s more of a lack of expressing compelling emotion.

Overall, this is a fun flick that is mysterious and keeps the intensity throughout.

Rating:

Currently available to stream on Netflix