Puzzling sci-fi movies like Cube might appear overwhelming at first sight, but they often reward its viewers with insightful concepts no other genre can usually accommodate in a limited running time.
Cube is a Canadian independent film starring Nicole de Boer, Nicky Guadagni, and Andrew Miller as individuals who are trapped in a mysterious cube filled with traps designed to kill.
Cube is indeed bizarre and puzzling, and itâs no shocker that the film reaches a great cult following years since. If youâre looking for movies like Cube that feature more complex takes on sci-fi, youâre in the right place!
10+ Mind-Blowing Classic Sci-Fi Movies Like Cube
10. Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)
If you havenât seen it yet, itâs best to start your marathon on movies like Cube with the sequel, Cube 2: Hypercube.
The Cube franchise may be an overlooked product of its time, but audiences who appreciate camp will find something uniquely satisfying in these movies, especially with Cube 2: Hypercube.
Starring Matthew Ferguson and Kari Hatchett, Cube 2: Hypercube embraces the very concept of its predecessor and takes it to a whole another level, with the titular cube evolving to having rooms that control time, space, and reality. It’s mind-boggling stuff!
9. Alien (1979)
The crew of a spacecraft investigated the remains of a planet after receiving a distress signal from it. Unknown to them, an alien had sneaked into their ship to invade them.
Ridley Scottâs Alien shares the same thread of Cube in terms of how it leverages claustrophobia. The movieâs marketing even emphasized this type of horror, cleverly using the tagline âIn space, no one can hear you scream.â
Alien is scary, to the point that people referred to this movie as a horror film more than sci-fi. That brutal chestbuster scene must’ve something to do with it, right?
8. 12 Monkeys (1995)
Bruce Willis is James Cole, a convict who volunteers for a mission wherein he must travel back in time to investigate the root of a virus outbreak that resulted in a widespread holocaust.
A loose adaptation of Chris Markerâs seminal short La JetĂ©e, 12 Monkeys goes to colorful places that is a real treat to see unfold on-screen.
If you think youâve seen it all when it comes to time travel stories as well as other semi-confusing sci-fi movies like Cube, take the time off and absorb every second of 12 Monkeys. It is magical!
7. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
The mishaps of the Black Mirror series partly mirrors the playfulness of movies like Cube, injecting social satires for its tragic, sometimes funny portrait of a world disgraced by technology.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is no different. It is an interactive movie (you get to control the decisions of the lead anti-hero) about a man (Fionn Whitehead) who may or may not be too consumed by the video game heâs making.
Netflix has done a lot of psychological sci-fi flicks, but Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is genuinely different. Itâs innovative, confusing, and just weirdâall in the good sense of the word!
6. Looper (2012)
In Looper, the mob sends their victims back in time to be executed by hired killers known as âloopersâ. Joe, a looper, finds himself targeting the future version of himself.
Before Knives Out and The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson has managed to wow many for this electric time-bending movie that is reminiscent of classic neo-noir/ action flicks like Blade Runner and The Terminator.
With fantastic performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis as younger/ older versions of Joe, Looper evokes a fascinating vision of a dangerous future. Itâs the perfect movie to watch if youâre looking for a mind-bending tale.
5. The Platform (2019)
One of the hidden gems you can access now on Netflix is The Platform, a Spanish film set in the future wherein prisoners housed in vertical cells are forced to challenge the problematic nature of their institution.
A thrilling dystopian sci-fi/ thriller, The Platform stars Ivån Massagué as one of the lead prisoners who delivered one of the most compelling performances in recent years.
Itâs easy to feel intimidated when watching movies like Cube because of their high concepts, but The Platform offers an accessible way of introducing its audiences to an inventive world.
4. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Before Joss Whedon and Chris Hemsworth made the Avengers movies, there was The Cabin in the Woods, a spoof movie masquerading as horror.
With a shocking twist that anyone would not anticipate, The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of college students who retreat to a remote forest cabin. When mysterious creatures start to lurk in their location, chaos ensues.
While the plot feels weirdly similar to Evil Dead, the film offers something different. Movies like Cube we mentioned here may be playful, but The Cabin in the Woods ups the ante on where horror and sci-fi can go!
3. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
10 Cloverfield Lane follows a woman who wakes up in an underground bunker with two men who insisted that a mysterious event has left the Earth as an uninhabitable place.
A spiritual sequel to the found footage film Cloverfield, 10 Cloverfield Lane ticks the boxes of a classic thriller.
It is tense, covered in mystery, and has a formidable foe (in the form of a terrifying John Goodman) much scarier than the big baddie the film has revealed near the end.
2. Super 8 (2011)
Super 8, director JJ Abramsâ love letter to â80s sci-fi movies, is a coming-of-age tale of a group of young teenagers embroiled in a top-secret operation involving extra-terrestrial creatures.
Imagine Steven Spielbergâs E.T. but for the new generation, Super 8 is a blast from beginning to end. It might also be the perfect complementary watch to Netflix’s Stranger Things series.
Super 8, including other movies like Cube, is a lot of fun. If youâre looking for a few hours to kill with a group of friends during the weekend, make this movie the first one on your list!
1.Inception (2010)
In Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, an infiltrator who steals information from his targets by entering their dreams. When a new job offers him to wipe clean his criminal history, he recruits a team of âdreamâ experts on a mission more challenging than they realized.
Inception is a movie rich with complex ideas that warrant more than a single watch. In fact, this is one of those films that offers something significant on every new viewing!
Similar to other movies like Cube, Inception provides new perspectives on where sci-fi movies can go. Itâs just impossible to not be in awe when watching this film.