Review: Cube (2023)

Director: Yasuhiko Shimizu

Screenplay: Koji Tokuo

Year: 2023

The original version of "Cube" from 1997 is, for many fans, a horror movie classic, and some consider it a gem of the genre. Even with its problems, this movie brought a fresh and innovative idea that surprised many fans. When it was announced that a remake of this film would be made, many fans thought about how this film could be improved with a better budget and a 20-year difference in technology.

This remake follows the same plot as the original movie. A group of people wakes up inside a room without knowing how they got there. When they look to leave the room, they realize that it is part of an assembly of grid cells, some of them with death traps. The group must use their individual skills to unravel the mystery of the structure and escape it.

The first thing one thinks about a remake is that it improves things compared to the original, and the sad answer is that, in this case, it is almost nothing. The only thing I noticed a slight improvement in is that the visuals look more polished, which seems to me to be more of an effect of technological advances. For the rest, this film does not seek to improve but to replicate what its predecessor did.

The problem with replicating what's already been done is losing a lot of suspense. The plot, the dynamics between the group, and even the traps are too similar to the original. It does not do so well in the few things this remake seeks to add new elements. For example, one of the new traps being added doesn't make any sense physically.

The group of protagonists also worsens compared to the original. In this case, it is difficult to be interested in any of the protagonists, and I could not identify if it was a problem with the performances or the script. What is evident is that we are not too interested in who leaves the structure alive because no character manages to leave a mark on the viewer.

This new version of "Cube" is far below the original. With a less interesting script and characters and replicating much of what the previous one did without seeking to improve it, it would hardly be able to top it. If you already saw the original, you won't find much in this remake, and if you haven't seen it, you better see that version.