Smashbomb

Before Saw and Hostel conjured up the term "torture porn" and it was rammed home with each sequel, a little Canadian film called Cube came out to little fanfare in 1997.

Made for a mere $400,000 dollars and with a lot of the special effects provided by local Canadian companies for free.
It is a simple yet ingenious premise, six strangers awaken in series of cube like rooms no recollection of how they got there or even why they are there. It also seems some of the rooms contain traps.
The tense and almost claustrophobic surroundings force both friendships and mistrust in equal measure.
The characters are well rounded and deliver believable performances of people trapped against their will, for the most part. There is a one point I disliked that felt too preachy but I did like the character.
The other thing I enjoyed was the forced interaction between the main protagonists because while there are traps this isn't some Saw film, the traps are present but just to provide the threat of one false move. I would even argue that at times the traps don't provide much of a threat but the "silent cube" really rings every drop of tension out of that scene.

The most interesting thing I found was that some people criticized the ending. Yes by the end not everything is explained, there is a lot of questions left unanswered and this is a good thing.
Why must we have everything explained? Leave thinking and wondering. Director Vincenzo Natali did film a longer ending and it was the first thing he cut.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Past Crimes in Books

Feb 13, 2020

Captivating Debut

Army ranger Van Shaw hasn’t been home in ten years, and he has no plans to return until he gets a letter from his estranged grandfather, the man who raised him, asking him to return. Van arrives to find his grandfather on the floor bleeding from a very recent gunshot wound. Van knows he is the best person to find out what happened to his grandfather. The man made his living as a thief, something he was training Van in until Van turned his back on that life and joined the army. But Van still knows the old man’s friends, and they might tell him things they wouldn’t tell the police. Can he use his contacts to find out what happened?

This book is definitely darker than my typical cozies, but I knew that when I picked it up. While I didn’t find the violence or sex excessive, I did feel the foul language could have been toned down some. The plot was a little slow to hook me, and some flashbacks to Van’s childhood didn’t really help that feeling. However, I did get hooked and was along for the twists, turns, and action sequences we got. I was on the edge of my seat by the time I reached the end. The characters are all solid, which helps. I don’t normally like rooting for criminals, but since Van is reformed, it is easy to root for him. The rest are very real and I enjoyed getting to know them. I’m glad I gave this debut a chance, and I definitely plan to move on to the next in the series.