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Cube 2: Hypercube

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CUBE 2: HYPERCUBE. Surprisingly good follow up to the cult science fiction original

EDITORIAL team

1 December 2023

I thought that attempting to recreate a similar atmosphere would be a complete misunderstanding. When I got used to this idea, the surprise turned out to be the choice of the director. After all, Andrzej Sekuła, an excellent cinematographer of Quentin Tarantino’s films, is not experienced in the director’s chair.

Despite my fully justified concerns, Cube 2: Hypercube  turned out to be a decent, at times very good, film. The plot significantly does not deviate from that of Cube . Once again, we have a group of people, seemingly unrelated, wandering through identically looking rooms and desperately seeking a way out of the cube, thus solving its mystery. The film’s creators cleverly exploited the basic rule governing the creation of sequels, namely the multiplication of the most characteristic elements that contributed to the success of the original. It turned out that in this part, the cube was equipped with another (fourth) dimension (the so-called tesseract). Until now, this dimension has been only a theory, born in the minds of physicist-mathematicians claiming that the human mind cannot comprehend it. In Andrzej Sekuła ‘s Cube 2: Hypercube , a few more theories appeared, unconfirmed in practice. So we have parallel worlds or temporal distortions. I must reassure all laymen in this field because the explanations are presented in a quite accessible way. They do not bore but only introduce another element of mystery, enigma, and create a very specific atmosphere.

The director opted (as in the case of the first part) for unknown actors. They performed decently, although they did not surprise with anything special. Just good, ordinary craftsmanship. I missed a bit of madness and expression in their performance because, after all, the characters found themselves in a rather unusual and almost hopeless situation. I have no complaints about the cinematography (done by the director himself). Various camera angles, interesting editing, a uniform color (this time predominantly white) make the claustrophobic person may have trouble enduring the entire screening. Watching it gives the impression of being absorbed by the cube, causing slight discomfort. I must admit honestly that I did not feel this during the first part for understandable reasons. For obvious reasons, the set design of Cube 2: Hypercube was minimized but in no way is it a criticism.

The misguided idea was to introduce, out of the blue, a cube that began to kill. I suspect that it was supposed to dynamize the calm, monotonous action. The visual effects did not disappoint. They stood at a good, solid level. Like the cinematography, they strongly affected my senses. The ending is somewhat disappointing. When the first part left the ending open, here all the cards were laid out on the table. The mystery of the cube’s creation was explained. The magic was gone. On the one hand, dragging it on indefinitely would not have been a good idea, but on the other hand, the ending, in my opinion, was too banal. You could feel that soon there would be a next cube, and in fact it happened two years later as a Cube Zero.

Cube 2: Hypercube premiered in the United States in 2002. Perhaps it did not gain as many followers as Cube did, but I think a significant portion of the audience considered it a solid dose of engaging entertainment. It may not be a sensation and discovery, but it is not a disgrace and a failure for Andrzej Sekuła, who will certainly pleasantly surprise us in the future.

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Film review: cube² hypercube (2002).

Adrian Halen 03/26/2019 Film Reviews

Eight strangers awaken with no memory and find themselves in a puzzling cube shaped room where the laws of physics do not always apply .

8 strangers end up in a square cube with doorways on all 6 sides. If this concept sounds familiar then you probably remember the debut film “ Cube (1997) “. The Cube franchise would stack up to 3 films in total, this being the 2nd of the trilogy. I can’t say there won’t be more, but from viewing each of them I know that they all combine into giving us more answers about this crazy science fiction (and sometimes horror) franchise. This 2nd entry would be known as “Cube 2: Hypercube”. And before you call it out as just a cool sounding sequel name, there is a purpose to its title.

When we left off at the last film, we learned that the cube environment was the master mind of some dark unknown corporation for reasons also unknown. The first had rooms that offered high tech booby traps if one wasn’t cautious in entering. They changed lighting in each with a mix of red, blue, green, and such to differentiate. The cubes in “Cube 2” are all lit bright white. While one would assume that we are in for another 90 minutes of the same from the last film, they are only partially correct. This newly redesigned version is an advancement technology from the last, which simply ran on mathematical calculations. This version has rooms that appear and disappear almost instantaneous. This versions tweaks gravity and is based around the idea of a 4th dimension. Quantum physics majors would most likely embrace this scenario, but in simple form the foundation is that of a tesseract.

Now because I’m “not” a physics major, I felt best to rely on the wikipedia explanation of the “tesserac”

In geometry, the tesseract, also called an 8-cell or regular octachoron or cubic prism, is the four-dimensional analog of the cube; the tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of 6 square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of 8 cubical cells. The tesseract is one of the six convex regular 4-polytopes.

A generalization of the cube to dimensions greater than three is called a “hypercube”, “n-cube” or “measure polytope”. The tesseract is the four-dimensional hypercube, or 4-cube.

If that confuses you, it’s better to simplify the design of this cube as rooms that move between dimensions. Or as the lady puts it…”it’s all just a matter of time” (a hint for the 3rd act)

The captives differ in talents and backgrounds (much like the original Cube film) with each having a contributing skill important for solving the puzzle. We have detective Simon (Geraint Wyn Davies), the original designer of the doors engineer Jerry (Neil Crone), a general (who commits suicide), a blind girl Sasha (Grace Lynn Kung), a teacher with Alzheimer’s, Mrs. Paley (Barbara Gordon), psychotherapist Kate (Kari Matchett), a computer hacker game developer Max (Matthew Ferguson), and a party girl/lawyer Julia (Lindsey Connell).

“ Cube 2: Hypercube ” has the distinction of a bigger budget with a new director behind it, Andrzej Sekula. The construct has been upgraded as well with a series of rooms that have the ability to distort time and move within each other

As the captives progress both within the cube and the film’s timeline, they begin to encounter all sorts of quantum anomalies. Rooms are discovered to work at variable speeds, at inter dimensional realities, with past to present crossovers. The group encounters weird objects that grow based on movement into complex tesserac based shapes that are able to slice a person into particles. And then their is the puzzle of an enigma named Alex Trust who works for a highly controversial weapons corporation named Izon. The intellectual pieces of the occupants of this cube and their relation to the cube (and its technology) emerge from discussions, revelations and even a bit of covert associations. A number becomes a puzzle that directly reveals the cube’s purpose – 60659. It’s a perfect mind screw of a film that won’t let you go till you ride it to finale.

“Cube 2: Hypercube” equates to a few things. For one, it’s a brilliant idea by using a complex quantum theory to its deign, it suffers many times from bad CGI (boxy early 90’s kind of graphics), and its a great isolation model film. It’s single purpose appears to be to illustrate a complex story that evolves from a mysterious organization bent on testing bizarre theories and situations.

My guess is if you made it thru Cube 1 and 2, your not going to sleep until you’ve taken on part 3 as well. The films originally were not created to be a trilogy, but were evolved due the original’s popularity “into” a trilogy. “Cube 2” actually took 6 years before it arrived as a release, leaving some less than impressed while others were just happy to see the original story expanded on a bit. It should be pointed out that you still won’t get “every” answer, but that cube 3 takes a different perspective that will give you some resolution. The glory of the Cube series is that its so abstractly redundant (room to room to room), that your science fiction hunger can’t help but be peaked. Whether flawed or not, I still recommend the entire series, with Cube 2 being one of the pieces into the complex Cube matrix.

Spoiler notes:

It’s important to note a few things upon watching (or finishing for that matter). The cube is a tesseract that is closing in on itself as the occupants inside try and figure things out. We make some assumptions thru the details of each captive that they all had something to do with the cube, and are possibly all guilty in some respect. In any case, its an experiment, that also needs to eliminate the captives. The project is government-run and has been tested quite a few times (as we learn of the operatives). The function is based on quantum physics which bends time, space and perception. Quantum physics also deals with alternate universes and warping time. The film is created to be “somewhat ambiguous” so that the viewers have to discover details thru the watching of sequels. Izon is the weapons corporation that is funded by the government.

The Alternate ending: The alternate ending is important to the film as it adds more detail to the rather abrupt ending of the release. As noted in Wiki: “The longer alternate ending included in the special features on the DVD reveals the “owners” to be the government; in the shorter version it is unclear who they are, but it is assumed they are Izon. Kate is executed in both versions, but she is praised for being the first operative to make it out alive. In the alternate ending it is revealed to Kate that she was in the Hypercube for just six minutes and fifty-nine seconds. It was an experiment used for quantum teleportation.

See film review for Cube (1997)

See film review for “Cube Zero (2004)

Cube² Hypercube (2002)

Tags Andrzej Sekula Barbara Gordon Bruce Gray Cube Cube 2 hypercube Cube² Hypercube Geraint Wyn Davies Grace Lynn Kung Greer Kent Kari Matchett Lindsey Connell Matthew Ferguson Neil Crone

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Watched this film a second time awhile ago, just barely caught this review. In short, this film manages to impress with what it’s got. It’s the bare definition of cult classic, along with the original film.

I have all the CUBE movies, and have watched them all many times. However with this writing, it has been quite a while since I have seen them and with this ‘reminder’, I shall watch them again as soon as I am finished writing this. At any rate, I am absolutely enthralled with the movies, and though not love the for love in this, and the many other movies, am very well inclined to watch it over and over again, as now have with all the movies. So, now that I have raved and ranted about these movies, I bid you adieu.

I am not exactly sure how to moderate my comment. Though now that I have looked up the definition of that word so I would have the wherewithal to use the word, I now refrain from using that word perfunctorily.

I enjoyed all the films, not quite one is better than the others, but each one is both bad and good in different ways.

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Cube 2: Hypercube (Movie Review)

Colin's rating: ★ ★ ½ director: andrzej sekula | release date: 2002.

Like its predecessor, Cube 2: Hypercube  is a movie about a group of strangers trapped in a murderous cube-prison. However, this is a next-level, “hypercube” prison, capable of toying with space, time, and gravity. While these mind-bending elements are occasionally engaging, the filmmakers fail to bring them together in a consistently coherent and entertaining package.  

Much of the fun of the first movie was watching the characters problem-solve their way through the cube. They gradually collected pieces of the puzzle and then had to decipher them. This element is almost totally absent from “Cube 2.” Trying to solve the hypercube in which they’re trapped would be like trying to solve an infinitely large puzzle of a plain blue sky. The rooms rearrange in the blink of an eye. There are no complex codes to crack to determine location or trapped rooms. In the hypercube, every room can be trapped. Traps turn up, activate, and deactivate, apparently on a whim. There’s only one mystery number in the film and the characters discover its meaning completely by accident in the closing moments.

By trapping the characters in this god-like hypercube and, by virtue of that, taking out the problem-solving component, the film accidentally nukes all of its characters’ forward momentum. The characters aren’t working towards any goals other than surviving. The thing is, the situation they’re in appears 100% un-survivable, which makes everything they do feel hollow. Even dying has no real meaning because the film introduces the idea of alternate realities so multiple versions of each character are living and dying in the hypercube.      

Another misstep is the decision to double down hard on the digital effects. The intent is to show how much more advanced the hypercube is than the regular cube, but it doesn’t work. Whether it’s budget or talent, something is missing to support all of these new effects. This results in long sequences where characters tremble in fear at the sight of horribly animated threats like crystal pillars growing out of walls and floating cubes that turn into meat grinders. In this way, Cube 2  is a perfect example of the downside of asking special effects to bridge the gap between budget and ambition.

The film isn’t a winner, but it isn’t a total failure. We get a little bit more backstory on the sinister forces behind the cube without completely stepping on the mystery, which is appreciated. The film also has a great look – the industrial, mechanical style of the first film has been replaced by a bright, antiseptic atmosphere. Also, the film eventually spins the alternate realities subplot into an entertaining and grim survival technique employed by this round’s loose cannon character.

Even though Cube 2: Hypercube  misses the bar set by its cult-classic forerunner, it does deserve some credit. It could have dropped a new group of strangers into the cube from the first film and waited for that sweet, sweet DVD and basic cable money to roll in. Unfortunately, its big dreams ended up emphasizing part one’s weaknesses while subtracting much of what made it great. 

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Cube 2: Hypercube Reviews

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Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the fourth dimension, along comes this terrifying sequel to the 1997 geometrical nightmare "Cube." This time around, eight strangers find themselves trapped inside a series of cube-shaped rooms, but their only hope for escape requires tactics that defy the laws of physics.

Although it necessarily lacks the novelty value of its predecessor, Andrzej Sekula's sequel to Vincenzo Natali's paranoid sci-fi thriller CUBE (1998) is still nightmarishly mesmerizing. Imagine waking up trapped inside a sealed cube whose exits constantly change. That’s the brave new predicament facing psychiatrist Kate Filmore (Kari Matchett), who eventually encounters four other inmates: volatile felon Simon Grady (Geraint Wyn Davies), building contractor Jerry Whitehall (Neil Crone), blind student Sasha (Grace Lynn Kung) and Computer-game designer Max Reisler (Matthew Ferguson). Nothing is what it seems in this prison, and no one is exactly who he or she says. For example, the prisoners — "cubists" — encounter a suicidal businessman named Maguire (Bruce Gray) who turns out to be a military colonel; Colonel Maguire allows himself to be crushed by the shifting cube. They rescue a dotty old lady, Mrs. Paley (Barbara Gordon), who turns out to be a former executive of Izon Inc., the company that made the cube. They learn that Izon financed genius Alex Trust's efforts to defying the laws of physics and realize a theoretical construct, the hypercube. And one of the cube’s unwitting guinea pigs is actually Alex Trust, incognito. Izon attorney Julie (Lindsey Connell) joins the squabbling survivors, and the hypercube slices up Whitehall, whose company helped build this four-dimensional anomaly. The crazed Grady proves almost as deadly as the cube, murdering fellow prisoner Becky Young (Greer Kent) and others. Because the military has co-opted Trust’s brainchild, even Trust (whoever he or she is) may not survive. Although screenwriters Ernie Barabash, Lauren McLaughlin and Sean Hood are clearly worshippers at the shrine of Rod Serling, they fail to emulate the succinctness that characterized his classic work. But despite the over-extended script, Sekula and his cast manage to jangle viewers' nerves as the odd assortment of characters try to find their way out of no-exit situation.

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The Cube films came out of Canada in the late ‘90s and the overlooked horror films create a truly unique universe, but the movies vary in terms of their quality.

Vincenzo Natali has helped bring to life such surreal horror projects as Splice  and In the Tall Grass , but his first major contribution to the horror genre is the mind-bending movie, Cube. The film sets seven strangers into a very unconventional prison that results in death at every turn as these prisoners pursue an escape. It’s a very creative blend of science fiction, horror, and emotional drama as the mysteries of the film eat away at the characters and the audience.

Related: Saw Is A Cube Ripoff (& It’s Worse)

Cube’s structure is remarkably simple and it’s why the film was able to make such a strong impression. The dark, mysterious premise has been returned to in similar puzzle-based horror films, like Saw or Escape Room . All of the Cube movies bring something original to the table, but they’re not all exactly worthwhile horror experiences. To help figure out which of these claustrophobic films are the most deserving of attention, here’s a useful look at how they all hold up.

3. Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)

Cube 2: Hypercube really goes nuts with the trippy mathematics of the prison and how theoretical geometry can be a killing force. A Tesseract -like cube of energy tears people apart and the constantly shifting physics of the room crush and absorb individuals. Cube 2 also plays around with alternate realities shown in the different rooms of the Cube. While the first film executes intense traps that are more akin to Saw , these are like the ways that Doctor Strange would dispose of someone. They're all very quantum realm and science-like. The big drawback here is the film's over-reliance on CGI effects and although the deaths are ambitious, they look very silly in retrospect and it cheapens the intelligence of the series. Cube 2 also has a death count in the dozens because there are so many alternate versions of the core group, which is a clever way around the limited size of the cast, even if it is a bit gratuitous.

2. Cube Zero (2004)

Cube Zero manages to course correct the series and it's the rare example of a sequel that is nearly as strong as the original. Instead of focusing on the victims that are stuck in the Cube, Cube Zero follows one of the technicians who are controlling the experiments within. Eventually, shaken by his own callousness, the technician ventures into the Cube himself to help a victim. Cube Zero features absolutely horrific gore and body horror (a guy literally melts to pieces after being exposed to gas), while also broaching crazier topics. It's smart in a way that Cube 2 isn't and it returns to practical effects for the most part. Coming out seven years after the first movie, it has the luxury of the best effects of the lot and many of these deaths actually look impressive for the time and still hold up. Until Cube Zero’s gonzo ending it actually cleverly adds to the original film’s ideas and connects back to the first movie in a way that feels earned (and also reminiscent of Saw ).

1. Cube (1997)

1997’s Cube is an amazing mix of a smart, simple premise (it's almost like a piece of theater) with absurd violence and torture. What makes Cube so engaging is that it truly creates a vast, mysterious killing field with its environment. Cube doesn't try to explain everything and if anything, it's ending is intentionally vague and open to interpretation, which gives the film even more strength. Many of the film’s kills are the result of the shifting physics of the Cube, but some are from cruel torture devices , all of which look incredible for a film from the '90s. What's so remarkable about Cube is that it's as much a gripping character study and meditation on humanity as it is a gruesome horror film. Cube is a weird, efficient film that refuses to be defined and it's a wonder that it even got made in the first place.

Next: Escape Room Ending, Minos & Sequel Tease Explained

• Cube (1998)

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Cube is a 1997 Canadian science fiction psychological horror extremely low budgeted independent film, directed and co-written by Vincenzo Natali. The film was a successful product of the Canadian Film Centre's First Feature Project. Plots are people stuck inside a giant seemingly endless and deadly cube maze. They must find out why they are there and how they can get out. After Cube achieved cult status, a sequel was produced, Cube 2: Hypercube, released in 2002. In 2004, a prequel, Cube Zero, was released. There are rumors of a remake called Cubed.

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The French movie poster. The tagline reads: "This time, time plays against you."

Cube 2: Hypercube (sometimes referred to simply as  Hypercube ) is a 2002 Canadian  psychological thriller / horror film  and the  sequel  to the psychological thriller / horror film   Cube . Released in 2002,  Cube 2: Hypercube  had a bigger budget than its predecessor, and a new director,  Andrzej Sekuła . The industrial-style rooms of the first film are replaced with high-tech, brightly lit chambers; instead of traps such as flamethrowers and extending spikes, the rooms have "evolved" and now are controlling illusion, time, space and reality.

• 1 Full Plot
• 2 Reception
• 3 Alternate ending

Full Plot [ ]

The films starts with a young woman named Becky (Greer Kent), showing to be trapped in the Cube. She enters another room, but unknown to her, the room has reversed gravity, as she is pulled up.

Some time later, a woman named Kate ( Kari Matchett ), detective Simon ( Geraint Wyn Davies ), a blind girl named Sasha ( Grace Lynn Kung ), engineer Jerry ( Neil Crone ), game developer Max ( Matthew Ferguson ), lawyer Julia (Lindsey Connell), and an elderly woman named Mrs. Paley (Barbara Gordon) find themselves trapped in brightly lit cubes, each with six panels on each side which are doors to other rooms. They come across Colonel Thomas Maguire ( Bruce Gray ), who says that they have to solve the code in order to leave the mysterious place. A wall begins to close in on the group. The group escapes while Thomas stays behind and handcuffs himself. They realize that the wall is non-physical and dangerous. Kate and Simon watch in horror as Thomas is disintegrated by the wall, the suitcase he was holding reduced to tatters. Later experiences around the cube reveal that gravity can operate in different directions in each room, while Mrs. Paley and Jerry realize that they may be in a  tesseract , or a hypercube. Kate begins to notice the numbers "60659" everywhere they go.

The group realizes that they are connected to Izon, a weapons industry. Mrs. Paley then opens a panel to reveal her and Simon being killed. Jerry thinks that it is a parallel universe, while Max and Julia think it is an optical illusion. Later, while the group is sleeping, Simon realizes that he is in the tesseract to look for Becky, a missing Izon worker. Meanwhile, Sasha, who has acute hearing, hears a noise and awakens everyone. The group finds a floating square in the middle of the room which initially grows into several shifting variations of a tesseract, before expanding into a lethal and rapidly spinning frame.

The group flees into another room, but Jerry is caught and dies after being pulled into the tesseract and disintegrated when the blades shred him all the way down to the atomic level. Kate remains to save Sasha, who is still trapped in the room, narrowly avoiding death as they group in one of the corners of the room where the tesseract can't reach, and eventually it disappears after not detecting any noticeable movement, yet Sasha and Kate are separated from the group. Simon starts to suspect that Mrs. Paley is an undercover spy, so he gags and ties her up, but crystal beams start protruding from the walls. Simon tries to save Mrs. Paley, but when he sees that there isn't enough time (and when the clinging Mrs. Paley refuses to release him) he stabs her with his knife. Max and Julia, disturbed that Simon killed Mrs. Paley, leave him. Julia tells Max she must be dreaming, and then kisses him, because she says she would never kiss him in the real world. They suddenly start to have sex, but unbeknownst to them, they are in a speeding-time room, and they age prematurely until they turn into desiccated corpses floating in the air, still in mid-coitus. Simon, alone and hungry, goes insane. He encounters a parallel Jerry and the missing Becky, killing both of them.

Meanwhile, Kate finds grisly alternate realities in other rooms. Sasha tells Kate that time and space are distorted at where they are; the tesseract will implode and reality is collapsing. She then reveals that she is Alex Trusk, a computer hacker who is responsible for the creation of the tesseract. She also reveals that when she discovered that Izon was actually putting people inside the tesseract, she tried to stop their operation, but was pursued so she "fled into the only place they wouldn't follow." Kate, however, still believes that there is a way out. Kate finds Simon and hits him in the eye after he grabs her. Simon then appears behind Alex, old and blind in one eye, proving Alex's time theory. Alex claims that they "are all dead", which causes Simon to snap her neck, believing that if they are all dead, it won't matter if he kills her now.

Kate finds that the tesseract is shrinking, and kills Simon with the knife. She looks at the numerous watch duplicates of Jerry's and realizes that "60659" is the time that the tesseract will implode (6:06:59) and that she is there to take back Alex's necklace which was filled with confidential information on Izon. The hypercube starts wearing away, and Kate opens a panel in the bottom, revealing a black void. At 6:06:59, she jumps in just when the Hypercube implodes. Kate wakes up in the hands of Izon authorities in an unknown factory. She gives them the necklace and is then shot and killed by one of the Izon operatives. Izon authorities then report that "Phase 2 is terminated".

Reception [ ]

Cube 2: Hypercube  currently holds a rating of 56% "rotten" on  Rotten Tomatoes . Reviews have been mixed, with Sci-Fi Movie Page and Film Threat giving positive ratings for the movie while sites such as  Filmcritic.com ,  JoBlo.com , and DVD Verdict panned the film. EfilmCritic.com wrote that "while the acting isn’t quite top-shelf, the cast is still serviceable enough to carry the increasing claustrophobia and confusion that sets in, and they’re all quite likable in their own B movie way".  Bloody Disgusting  also rated the film, writing "With pacing that's snail-like slow at times mixed with the horrid FX and lack of unique kill scenes, the film falls way short of my expectations, especially after waiting six years! But if you are a big fan of the first Cube, and expect a little less, you will enjoy Cube 2: Hypercube."

Alternate ending [ ]

The longer alternate ending included in the special features on the DVD reveals the "owners" to be the government; in the shorter version it is unclear who they are, but it is assumed they are Izon. Kate is executed in both versions, but she is praised for being the first operative to make it out alive. In the alternate ending it is revealed to Kate that she was in the Hypercube for just six minutes and fifty-nine seconds. It was an experiment used for quantum teleportation.

• On September 27, 2019, a very popular YouTuber called Pyrocynical published a video onto YouTube in where he critiques the movie and the first movie in the series. He was more fond of the latter.
• 3 Quentin McNiel

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Cube²: Hypercube

Alexa top questions.

• How long is Cube²: Hypercube? 1 hour and 34 minutes
• When was Cube²: Hypercube released? April 15, 2003
• What is the IMDb rating of Cube²: Hypercube? 5.5 out of 10
• Who stars in Cube²: Hypercube? Kari Matchett , Geraint Wyn Davies , and Grace Lynn Kung
• Who wrote Cube²: Hypercube? Ernie Barbarash , Sean Hood , and Lauren McLaughlin
• Who directed Cube²: Hypercube? Andrzej Sekula
• Who was the composer for Cube²: Hypercube? Norman Orenstein
• Who was the producer of Cube²: Hypercube? Ernie Barbarash
• Who was the executive producer of Cube²: Hypercube? Betty Orr , Mehra Meh , Michael Paseornek , and Peter Block
• Who was the cinematographer for Cube²: Hypercube? Andrzej Sekula
• Who was the editor of Cube²: Hypercube? Mark Sanders
• Who are the characters in Cube²: Hypercube? Kate Filmore, Simon Grady, Sasha, Max Reisler, Jerry Whitehall, Mrs. Paley, Becky Young, and Colonel Thomas H. Maguire
• What is the plot of Cube²: Hypercube? Eight strangers awaken with no memory, in a puzzling cube-shaped room where the laws of physics do not always apply.
• How much did Cube²: Hypercube earn at the worldwide box office? $3.56 million
• What is Cube²: Hypercube rated? R
• What genre is Cube²: Hypercube? Horror, Mystery, and Sci-Fi
• How many awards has Cube²: Hypercube won? 1 award
• How many awards has Cube²: Hypercube been nominated for? 2 nominations

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Cube Review

01 Jan 1998

Alderson (Ritchings), a nervous, bald man in prison clothes walks through a strange square-shaped room, and is surprised by a descending razor-wire grille that turns him into a man-shaped tower of cubes that fall apart in disgusting fashion.

Before its credits, Cube has shown us the only set we're going to see and established that hideous abuses can befall its human characters. It's an eye-opening kick-start and clues the audience in to who is really behind the vast trap machine in which the cast are struggling. We later learn that every one of the subjects has a predestined part to play in the drama of escape, and poor Alderson's role was to make a dramatic point for us.

Early on, as the characters argue about whether their situation has been engineered by the military-industrial complex ("Only the government could build something this ugly"), space aliens or "Some rich sicko" the canniest of them advises "Take a good, long look-see... because I've got a feeling it's looking at us." Those unseen watchers, who never show up on screen, are — of course — the audience; and the elusive point of the exercise is to provide us with an hour and a half of puzzlement and entertainment as we watch human rats battle a fiendish maze.

Director-writer Vincenzo Natali warmed up by making Elevated, a short film about three people trapped in a lift. Cube expands the scale with four extra characters and a single set that can be cannily relit to stand in for an assortment of the estimated 17,576 rooms within the master cube.

The plot is simple: seven people wake up within a vast maze that resembles (more closely than it at first seems) a giant Rubik's Cube. Each room is a cube within a cube, with six doors opening to other rooms, but a percentage of the rooms are equipped with deadly booby traps which soon claim the life of renowned prison-escapee Rennes (Robson). Each of the surviving group has a talent: cop Quentin (Wint) is obsessive about making it to freedom, student Leaven (DeBoer) is a maths prodigy; loser Worth (Hewlett) was unknowingly part of the design team who assembled the cube; conspiracy theorist Holloway (Guadagni) is a doctor with the right mindset to expect this sort of thing ("Nobody's ever going to call me "paranoid' again"); and autistic Kazan (Miller) is a savant who can out-calculate Leaven when the stakes rise.

As they try to solve problems, alternating between co-operation and conflict, they gradually make their way towards the perhaps-mythical exit, and learn about their own resources and failings along the way. Cube was one of two 1998 science fiction movies named after three-dimensional shapes, and cost roughly nothing next to Barry Levinson's inflated Michael Crichton movie Sphere, which falls into all the traps that the off-Hollywood effort knows to avoid: Natale sidesteps the big let-down that comes when the purpose of the artefact is laboriously explained in Sphere by simply not explaining who was behind the whole thing, and trusting us to concentrate on the character drama and the mind-puzzle at the heart of the script. It was also one of two 1998 independents to apply itself to mathematics as a well-spring of mystery and imagination, making for a stimulating double-bill with Darren Aronofsky's Pi.

The cast are the sort of faces who show up in Canadian-shot (South Park fans will notice a high "aboot" rate in the dialogue) trash TV like The Outer Limits, Forever Knight and The Hunger, and sometimes aren't quite up to scenes that call for subtlety as well as hysteria. But the non-star ensemble ensures a level of surprise about who of these characters — all named after various prisons — will make it through, with a couple of last-minute, against-the-cliche sacrifices. There's a clever arc as the very qualities — take-charge indomitability, quickness to action, determination to survive — that mark Quentin (the only black character) out as a hero at the beginning then turn him into the psychopathic menace who has to be ditched and bested so that the others can make it to freedom.

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'If' movie review: Ryan Reynolds' imaginary friend fantasy might go over your kids' heads

Even with likable youngsters, a vast array of cartoonish characters, various pratfalls and shenanigans, and Ryan Reynolds in non- Deadpool mode, the family comedy “IF” isn’t really a "kids movie" – at least not in a conventional sense.

There’s a refreshing whiff of whimsy and playful originality to writer/director John Krasinski’s bighearted fantasy (★★½ out of four; rated PG; in theaters Friday), which centers on a young girl who discovers a secret world of imaginary friends (aka IFs). What it can’t find is the common thread of universal appeal. Yeah, children are geared to like any movie with a cheery unicorn, superhero dog, flaming marshmallow with melting eye and assorted furry monsters. But “IF” features heady themes of parental loss and reconnecting with one’s youth, plus boasts a showstopping dance set to Tina Turner , and that all leans fairly adult. Mash those together and the result is akin to a live-action Pixar movie without the nuanced execution.

Twelve-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming) doesn’t really think of herself as a kid anymore. Her mom died of a terminal illness, and now her dad (Krasinski) is going into the hospital for surgery to fix his “broken heart,” so she’s staying with her grandma (Fiona Shaw) in New York City.

When poking around her new environment, Bea learns she has the ability to see imaginary friends. And she’s not the only one: Bea meets charmingly crusty upstairs neighbor Cal (Reynolds) as well as his IF pals, like spritely Blossom (voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and overly sensitive purple furry monster named Blue (Steve Carell). They run a sort of matchmaking agency to connect forgotten IFs whose kids have outgrown them with new children in need of their companionship, and Bea volunteers to help out.

'Welcome to Wrexham': Ryan Reynolds talks triumph, joy and loss of new season

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Bea is introduced to an IF retirement community located under a Coney Island carousel with a bevy of oddball personalities in the very kid-friendly middle section of the movie. “IF” low-key has the most starry supporting cast of any movie this summer because of all the A-listers voicing imaginary friends, an impressive list that includes Emily Blunt and Sam Rockwell as the aforementioned unicorn and superdog, Matt Damon as a helpful sunflower, George Clooney as a spaceman, Amy Schumer as a gummy bear and Bradley Cooper as an ice cube in a glass. (It's no talking raccoon, but it works.)

One of the movie's most poignant roles is a wise bear played by Louis Gossett Jr. in one of his final roles. Rather than just being a cameo, he’s nicely central to a key emotional scene.

While the best family flicks win over kids of all ages, “IF” is a film for grown-ups in PG dressing. The movie is amusing but safe in its humor, the overt earnestness overshadows some great bits of subversive silliness, and the thoughtful larger narrative, which reveals itself by the end to be much more than a story about a girl befriending a bunch of make-believe misfits, will go over some little ones’ heads. Tweens and teens, though, will likely engage with or feel seen by Bea’s character arc, struggling to move into a new phase of life while being tied to her younger years – not to mention worrying about her dad, who tries to make light of his medical situation for Bea.

Reynolds does his part enchanting all ages in this tale of two movies: He’s always got that irascible “fun uncle” vibe for kids, and he strikes a fun chemistry opposite Fleming that belies the serious stuff “IF” digs into frequently. But unless your child is into old movies, they probably won’t get why “Harvey” is playing in the background in a scene. And when “IF” reaches its cathartic finale, some kiddos might be wondering why their parents are sniffling and tearing up – if they're still paying attention and not off playing with their own imaginary friend by then.