Movie Review--Cube Zero

 "They come for you at night."
--Eric Wynn, Cube Zero


Cube Zero serves as a prequel to the first Cube, showing even more of the world beyond the familiar interior of the massive cubic structure than ever before--and it shows this early on as well.  This makes Cube Zero more of an explicitly dystopian film than the others.  Near the beginning, the movie establishes that the titular cube is used as a sort of punitive trial for criminals and ideological opponents of a powerful group that is scarcely explained.  Even though it introduces new aspects of Cube lore, it remains immersed in ambiguity that never fully clarifies the nature of the universe the series is set in.


Production Values

Gorier than Cube 2, Cube Zero nonetheless relies on practical effects more than CGI, which means that the very weak flame effects from the latter category certainly do not represent the whole of the aesthetic presentation.  The physical sets showing inside and outside of the cube are fittingly vague in that they suggest little about the figures directing the trial.  The cast largely adds to the atmosphere with mostly solid performances, not that their names would be recognizable to broad audiences: Zachary Bennett, Stephanie Moore, and Martin Roach are not renowned in my experience, yet they handle their roles with all the curiosity or desperation required of them.  So as to avoid spoilers, I will not reveal the name of a villainous character who appears later in the film, but the performance behind the character is exaggerated in a way that might strike some viewers as almost cartoonish by comparison to the other acting.  Thankfully, the character in question does not dominate the screentime after their appearance.


Story

Some spoilers are below.

While it is somewhat unclear if they work for the company Izon introduced at the end of Cube 2 or if they are employees of an actual government (if not both), two men overseeing the progress of subjects in the cube debate about telling their superiors that a woman inside the infamous structure seems to have never signed a "consent form."  The form is an option for those facing capital punishment, offering a hypothetical chance for escape and freedom.  One of the two workers specifically pushes back against moral apathy and blind obedience, and this snares the attention of his overseers, who later visit the workspace to manage a particular set of trials.  Meanwhile, a woman in the cube struggles to find a way out with the aid of a small number of companions.


Intellectual Content

It is established that the cube is used as a punishment for criminals and political opponents as long as they sign consent forms that change their legal fate from execution to placement in the cubic maze--of course, even if those put inside were guilty of an objective crime (a true moral offense that actually deserves the status of a crime), it does not follow that the cube is ever a just punishment even if someone consents to being placed inside of it.  Consent to an unjust penalty does not make it just, nor does deterrence.  The vital issue of inhumane, unjust punishments aside, the figures responsible for putting people inside the cube also seem to have no concern for the actual guilt or innocence of those they sentence to wander the shifting rooms.  This makes a particular aspect of the system especially ironic.

In spite of the fact that the only form of religious theism (as opposed to the strict notion of a mere uncaused cause) that has any evidence in its favor, Christianity, condemns such punishments in Mosaic Law by prescribing far less severe penalties, the operators of the cube actually ask the question "Do you believe in God?" to those who reach certain potential exits.  Upon pressing a button saying "No," the captive of the cube is incinerated; what happens if someone presses a button saying "Yes" because no one who gets that far has ever given that answer.  The exact intention behind this question is unclear, but perhaps the individual(s) with the highest authority over the cube think they are carrying out a deity's will or perhaps they are merely toying with their victims as if they think themselves divine.


Conclusion

Cube Zero's missed opportunities and technical limitations are accompanied by expanded lore and a clever twist that leads directly into the story of the original film.  Similarly, its best performances meet with a villain's performance that is over the top in its casually sinister portrayal.  There are obvious highs and lows in Cube Zero, and the highs will be best understood in light of the other two films, which the prequel simultaneously casts light on--even if not much light.  This is one of Cube Zero's greatest triumphs.  Despite its CGI problems, it does set up the next chronological part of the Cube cinematic mythos in a way that will likely strike many as unexpected.  At the very least, the series becomes deeper as one installment clarifies the next chronological chapter.


Content:
 1.  Violence:  A character scratches their skin off when sprayed by an acidic substance that seems to make them itch; their face is torn off onscreen.  Other cases of violence include an immolation that is directly shown, albeit with very unrealistic effects.
 2.  Profanity:  Words like "bastards" are used periodically.