Cube

A group of strangers awaken in a mysterious square room, with hatches in each of the walls. Not knowing how or why they are there they begin to look for an exit, travelling through a series of identical, interconnected rooms. Soon however it becomes clear that some rooms contain lethal traps and as the group become more tired and desperate, tempers flare and their frustrations turn on each other. This remake of Vincenzo Natali’s claustrophobic sci-fi has a more industrial look and feel with subtle changes to the original story that provide a modern twist about the nature of society.

‘What makes the original [cube] design so intelligent is that production designer Yasna Stefanovik added asymmetry and chaos to the wall pattern. It’s a trap camouflage, so it makes sense. It’s good that the Japanese version followed the original, while also incorporating fractals into the design. It’s smart and interesting that this new cube is a little interactive and reacts to the character’s emotions. This interaction is also a testament to the fact that the cube is a kind of experiment in human behavioral research. This part is also an element that was not mentioned in our cube. Additionally, cinematographer Toyomichi Kurita has carefully designed the lighting as an expression in which the cube responds to the character’s emotions.’

Vincenzo Natali, director of the original Cube (1997).