Cube is a fantastic movie, a searing study of the human condition and how our personal prejudices can often stop us from seeing the forest for the trees. It was a pick on my column and remains much-adored by many fans. Despite a very low budget, the movie about a group of people trapped inside a series of connected cubical rooms brought its point across masterfully. That was nearly twenty years ago, though, and someone has decided a remake is a good idea.
Saman Kesh, the up-and-coming director who caught the town’s attention with his short Controller, is attached to direct Cubed, a re-imagining of the movie. Roy Lee is producing along with Jon Spaihts, best known as the co-writer of Prometheus and the in-development Chris Pratt-Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi drama Passengers. Using the original setup of seven strangers trapped in a giant cube-like structure, Cubed is described as a sci-fi survival thriller about artificial intelligence, humanity and the birth of a new “digital” race.
That last bit bothers me. The beauty of Cube was its simplicity and how it used straight-forward characters and scenarios to twist the narrative. In another time and place Cube would have been a forebear of Saw: a horror world where characters are faced with deadly puzzles in order to survive. But it cut much deeper and is a psychological masterpiece. Sadly the two sequels failed because they added too much extra substance and money. I’m a fan of the idea that some movies are made by their limitations and Cube is one of those movies. Once the series got a bit richer in terms of ideas and money, it started to fail badly.
Besides, there is no reason to reinvent Cube. Just remake it with the original’s premise. But I suspect Lionsgate is hoping for a larger horror franchise and will cannibalise the bones of the original to make that happen. On the other hand, I like Kesh’s style – as can be seen in his short movie below.
CONTROLLER (控制者) from Saman Kesh on Vimeo.
So, yes? No? Couldn’t care?
Last Updated: May 4, 2015