Cube
A group of strangers must turn mathematics, mistrust, and specialized skills into a way out of an impossible death maze.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- claustrophobic
- eerie
- tense
- late night horror viewing
- cult film night
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the inventive premise, minimalist visual design, and sustained tension while finding the dialogue and characterizations thin and the Cube's explanation unsatisfying.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The prisoners are identified primarily by professions and specialized skills while the Cube's makers remain obscure and impersonal.
The film repeatedly stages its characters in nearly identical cube-shaped rooms differentiated by bold colors and shifting trap configurations.
The group must combine mathematical, architectural, medical, policing, and escape skills while suspicion and authority disputes fracture their alliance.
The prisoners search for answers about who imprisoned them and why, but the Cube remains an impersonal, inscrutable mechanism.
Films like Cube, and why
The Platform
shared claustrophobic survival thriller structure, minimalist setting, and escalating psychological pressure
Exam
shared puzzle-box science fiction, institutional paranoia, and distrust among trapped strangers
Coherence
shared low-budget speculative horror, surreal confinement, and existential uncertainty
Movie Details
- Director
- Vincenzo Natali
- Release Date
- 1998-07-11
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (5398)
Cast
- Nicole De Boer
- Nicky Guadagni
- Maurice Dean Wint
- David Hewlett
- Andrew Miller
- Wayne Robson
- Julian Richings
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Cube about?
- A group of strangers must turn mathematics, mistrust, and specialized skills into a way out of an impossible death maze.
- What is Cube like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cube as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Cube violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Cube as graphic.
- What did critics think of Cube?
- Critics broadly admired the inventive premise, minimalist visual design, and sustained tension while finding the dialogue and characterizations thin and the Cube's explanation unsatisfying.
- Which films are like Cube?
- Films with a similar feel include The Platform, Exam, and Coherence.
- How long is Cube?
- Cube runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cube?
- In United States, Cube streams on Philo, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
