The ’90s Sci-Fi Thriller Double Feature That’s Too Perfect To Pass Up
Perfect geometrical shapes, such as circles, spheres, cubes, and pyramids, have captivated mankind ever since we tried drawing them on the rough and uneven cave walls. In fact, geometrically perfect shapes are difficult to find in nature as well, and in the case of early humans, finding a geometrically perfect shape would be met with divine reverence or suspicion. This is perhaps the reason why these shapes are the recurring theme in so many of our works, including movies such as 1997′ Cube and 1998’s Sphere – two titles perfect for a double-feature viewing.
Trapped In A Cube
1997’s Cube is one of the most successful and brilliant cult classics of the sci-fi horror genre that follows the number of half a dozen people who wake up to find themselves in a cube-shaped room. These are vastly different individuals with clashing personalities, which sets a rather perfect stage for what’s to come.
Upon trying to escape the cube, they learn that the doors lead to other cubes, all of which are interconnected by tiny portals on each side, through which they have to crawl.
Traversing The Treacherous Rooms
So, not only do their conflicting personalities hinder them from achieving any actual progress, but they also learn that many of the cubes they traverse have been rigged with various traps, all of which are decidedly fatal. And while everything seems random, nothing in life really is, and so the cubes hide a riddle of their own: some cubes are safe to traverse, while others aren’t. The highly dysfunctional team whose numbers are dwindling by the cube has to work out the pattern if they’re to make it safely to the other side.
Researchers Discover A Mysterious Globe In Sphere
1998’s Sphere, on the other hand, is a vastly different movie that still plays the perfect geometry fascination card and several other human fears in general.
The movie is based on the same-name novel and takes the action underwater, as the team of experts investigates a mysterious spacecraft at the bottom of the ocean, which contains a strange spherical object that effectively challenges their sanity. The movie capitalizes on the fear of the unknown and the psychological effects of isolation, revealing just how much confinement warps the mind, let alone something supernatural.
More Than Just Shape-Based Connections
In the end, both Cube and Sphere rely on human fascination and awe regarding perfect geometrical shapes to shape their own narrative setting and provide metaphors for both the physical and psychological entrapment of their respective characters.
But movies released in the ’90s under the sci-fi thriller genre. However, they’re different subgenres of sci-fi. The Cube relies on the minimalist approach and deadly traps to sharpen the viewer’s focus on the raw human instincts of those trying to survive, while Sphere leans more into psychological terror.
Which Title Reigns Supreme?
Both Cube and Sphere became cult classic sci-fi thrillers, which left an ever-lasting imprint on the sci-fi genre. It’s important to note that Cube garnered more awards and set in motion an entire movie series consisting of three films, including a prequel called Cube Zero.
The franchise’s cult classic status set in motion numerous remakes of the franchise, resulting in a Japanese-made remake released in October 2021. Before diving into either movies, check out GenreVision‘s review.
