The film certainly starts strong with a killer/kidnap vide then goes into a "cube" type maze, we then divert into a sci-fi with an alien/robot head and some sort of womb and mind images on a screens then it ends with ghosts (of sorts) and the final shot was an alien planet. Tried too much in an hour and half.
130 Reviews
started out promising, kinda fell apart as it went on
BigDaddy400014 August 2021
Ok, so when the movie started out i thought it was going to be pretty good, i always liked mystery movies where someone wakes up in an unknown location and has to solve mysteries and puzzles to get out. To the films credit it had a lot of good set work and cinematography, but the main issue with it is how it gradually falls apart the longer it goes on. Its pretty clear that the writers were just making up stuff as they went along, apparent by how everything that happens in it gets progressively weirder and weirder, to the point where it gets completely nonsensical and all-over-the-place by the end. Theres also a couple conveniences in the script, theres several moments in the film where the main character should very well die but just... doesnt, because the plot needs her alive. Also this movie seems to have a similar problem with the movie "circle" and "cadaver" where it doesnt really have any progression or narrative, it just keeps going on and on without accomplishing anything narritive-wise until it hits its runtime. The majority of this movie is just watching a girl crawl through tubes and avoid traps, we didnt really learn much about what was happening until the very end, and until then it just never progresses anything.
Now despite everything ive said about this movie i would still recommend it if youre into the kind of genre, because even though the plot kinda sucks, everything else is pertty good, there were some pretty good puzzles and clever moments in the game itself, just dont expect a very well written plot.
Now despite everything ive said about this movie i would still recommend it if youre into the kind of genre, because even though the plot kinda sucks, everything else is pertty good, there were some pretty good puzzles and clever moments in the game itself, just dont expect a very well written plot.
meandering
SnoopyStyle31 July 2021
Lisa (Gaia Weiss) is alone in the middle of nowhere. A vehicle stops. She reluctantly gets a ride from the creepy stranger. She gets knocked out and wakes up in a futuristic tunnel maze.
This really does meander. The basic premise is very Cube-esque with less people. Quite frankly, she's alone most of the time. The maze does not engender any mystery like the room numbers in Cube. It becomes a series of limited thrills as she crawl around and around. There are a few interesting ideas but the main story has no juice. It's really just watching this lady crawl around in the tunnels for an hour. Fast forward is very useful in this one.
This really does meander. The basic premise is very Cube-esque with less people. Quite frankly, she's alone most of the time. The maze does not engender any mystery like the room numbers in Cube. It becomes a series of limited thrills as she crawl around and around. There are a few interesting ideas but the main story has no juice. It's really just watching this lady crawl around in the tunnels for an hour. Fast forward is very useful in this one.
Baffling but not in a good way.
paranregis8 July 2021
This movie wants to be several things at once but sadly fails at all of them. It starts as thriller but it's not. Continues as Cube-type horror, but it's not. Finishes as metaphysical allegory with a sprinkles of sci fi, but it's not that either.
The visual at the end was nice. Other than that, I'm not sure what I actually watched.
The visual at the end was nice. Other than that, I'm not sure what I actually watched.
Not 'Cube', 'Escape Room'
cpotato10104 January 2022
This film reminds me far more of the current 'Escape Room' type films, than 'Cube', other than it is a single person, and not a group.
Since there is little dialog, it may be the type of film to watch on a second monitor of your computer system while you work on something else.
Curious, since the song and dialog at the beginning are in English in the version I saw (DVD title Meander, Gravitas Ventures release) but the ending dialog was in French with English subtitles.
Since there is little dialog, it may be the type of film to watch on a second monitor of your computer system while you work on something else.
Curious, since the song and dialog at the beginning are in English in the version I saw (DVD title Meander, Gravitas Ventures release) but the ending dialog was in French with English subtitles.
A confusing and overly simple waste of a concept
jtindahouse27 August 2021
Sometimes a film is confusing and you absolutely have to find out what is was about, while other times a film is confusing and you just find it annoying. 'Meander' was unfortunately the latter. I think I understand for the most part what it was intended to mean, but I certainly don't care enough to go seeking out confirmation. More than anything I just wanted it to be over by the end.
Which is a shame because it started out so promisingly. A decent opening scene setting things up and then a little mini-twist. Then we are introduced to the tunnels and get a real 'Cube' (one of my favourite sci-fi films) feel. But then the next 30 minutes are very disappointing. There is no character interaction in sight - which doesn't have to be a bad thing - but on this occasion made everything very dull and monotonous.
I was also disappointed by how simple the premise ultimately was. I won't describe what she needed to do, but it was so basic it created no intrigue whatsoever. Sadly I didn't enjoy 'Meander' much after being excited to see it for a while now. Not one I'd recommend.
Which is a shame because it started out so promisingly. A decent opening scene setting things up and then a little mini-twist. Then we are introduced to the tunnels and get a real 'Cube' (one of my favourite sci-fi films) feel. But then the next 30 minutes are very disappointing. There is no character interaction in sight - which doesn't have to be a bad thing - but on this occasion made everything very dull and monotonous.
I was also disappointed by how simple the premise ultimately was. I won't describe what she needed to do, but it was so basic it created no intrigue whatsoever. Sadly I didn't enjoy 'Meander' much after being excited to see it for a while now. Not one I'd recommend.
She Was Going Nowhere When The Film Started And The Film Joined Her!
silicontourist13 October 2021
To me this film was, to just quite plain and simply put it, " an absolute Meandering heap of junk"! It uneqivocally had no clear purpose or direction. Its an agonizing 1h:30m:46s of dreary nothing that you, at first, try to work out what the plot is so that you have some idea of a story; you soon give that up though as you quickly realize that you have become the meandering emptiness.
Someone said that it was a film that had you weaving through a discovery of different emotions...What the heck! Thats just arty-farty, complete and utter pompous clap trap! There is nothing hidden in this film, there is nothing emotive in this and there most definitely is no point in this. For a film to work it doesn't necessarily need a middle but, it absolutely must have a start and a definitive end; be it a closed end finàle or an open ended road to a possible sequel.
Unfortunately we have reached one of those fad time periods again in film-land...the escape thrillers! We had "Escape Room" (2018) and its sequel 2: Tournament of Champions, and a few more not so memorable also rans...just add this one to the latter description.
Un score nul de ma part mesdames et messieurs!
A zero score from me ladies and gentlemen!
Someone said that it was a film that had you weaving through a discovery of different emotions...What the heck! Thats just arty-farty, complete and utter pompous clap trap! There is nothing hidden in this film, there is nothing emotive in this and there most definitely is no point in this. For a film to work it doesn't necessarily need a middle but, it absolutely must have a start and a definitive end; be it a closed end finàle or an open ended road to a possible sequel.
Unfortunately we have reached one of those fad time periods again in film-land...the escape thrillers! We had "Escape Room" (2018) and its sequel 2: Tournament of Champions, and a few more not so memorable also rans...just add this one to the latter description.
Un score nul de ma part mesdames et messieurs!
A zero score from me ladies and gentlemen!
Crawl and pray
kosmasp15 November 2021
Though I reckon one should not waste too much time on crawling. Sorry I mean on praying - crawling is the thing one has to do ... and quite fast too. For those who have seen something like Cube: try not to compare these movies against each other. Yes similarities are there and it will be tough not to hold this under the microscope.
Having said that, this works as a tense and claustrophobic one woman show almost all the way through. Motives and motivations may be lost on you - you may hate certain decisions that are being made ... but overall there is not time to think about what is happening. Forward is the way to go. But there is also some philosophical note to it. So while this is quite short on dialog and spoken words, when something is being said, it may carry more weight. Depending if you are up to hear and absorb them.
Very well staged and shot and quite the tour de force (no pun intended) for our main character ... obviously the ending may elevate or break the whole thing for you ... I can't tell you which way it will swing for you ...
Having said that, this works as a tense and claustrophobic one woman show almost all the way through. Motives and motivations may be lost on you - you may hate certain decisions that are being made ... but overall there is not time to think about what is happening. Forward is the way to go. But there is also some philosophical note to it. So while this is quite short on dialog and spoken words, when something is being said, it may carry more weight. Depending if you are up to hear and absorb them.
Very well staged and shot and quite the tour de force (no pun intended) for our main character ... obviously the ending may elevate or break the whole thing for you ... I can't tell you which way it will swing for you ...
Cube meets tube, but not really
naissus_city15 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Very boring and tiring. There is no solving puzzles here ala Cube or Escape Room and it is quite a vague film and besides so far it is not for claustrophobic people, I am not but it was hard for me. And in the end you don't know if she was killed by a man at the start or she was kidnapped by aliens or she's in purgatory, a big mess.
Give it a chance
bavass8110 July 2021
People on here saying its horrible are full of poop. Yup it definitely draws inspiration from the cube but its totally different in many ways. Its weird and creepy af. Almost didn't watch because of all the negative reviews but I'm glad I did. I was entertained and yelling at my TV the whole time. The claustrophobia aspect alone was enough to terrify me lol. Bottom line it was a decent flick.
Watch at 2-3x speed
offbeatstring9 July 2021
I thought this movie was awesome!!!
purplehayess21 July 2021
What are people talking about when they say "this movie is the worst movie they have ever seen" or "it's really boring"?!? It's not even close to either of those things. It's suspenful, entertaining, keeps you guessing, and fun. I honestly don't know what people want from movies anymore and I learned to just ignore the reviews these days. Is this movie gonna win best picture at the Oscars? No but it wasn't made to be a movie like that, So just sit back watch it and have fun cause that's what movies like this are made for.
What is this movie? I will give my thoughts.
greenjackle12 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers
The movie was basically a solo act. She did really well acting and showing emotions and panic and pain. Lots of reviews that I read seem to not understand what the movie was about. Here are my thoughts so spoilers below this point.
She got into a vehicle with a man who happened to be a killer. Now you see him slam onto his brakes and then she hits her head on to the dash. Then she is in the box. Now some time into the movie it shows her fighting off the knife stabs while inside the vehicle. It then shows her falling out of the vehicle and looking up at the sky. She sees a bright light. So either this is the light of aliens and aliens took them both or this is the light of God. Being that this is a film created by a French guy I assume he is religious. So I assume it is the light of God.
Why not aliens? Well could be. The man that killed her is also in the maze. Along with what looks to be a zombie or burned up human demon thing or something. However there is also her child and memories in a room. This is what leads me to believe it is purgatory and not aliens. She also got her foot chopped off at the end, however if you look at her feet during the Forest scene you clearly see both feet are there and no wounds. Her child then comes back and says all you do know is live. It pans out and clearly she is on another planet.
Being on another planet makes me think of Aliens again. But why is her daughter there? It isn't like they grabbed her when she died or made her from scratch. So I am sticking to the purgatory theme. Then there's the whole inside a giant womb thing and she comes out of the b hole looking part. She has some weird I love you moment, with a creature. Just like she had the I love you moment with the skull healing thing. Very odd. I mean nice that the skull thing healed her and filled her suit with something. Maybe it fed her. I don't know.
So the zombie demon thing was odd as well. But she defeated it as well. Or to be honest the maze forced her to face the zombie demon thing. So we can say she had to face her fears and prove she wants to live. Now the other reason I think purgatory is the little girl said you have died many times. Which makes me think the dead female bodies were her bodies. Just a guess on that. All in all it was an odd movie with some good parts and a lot of odd parts. It never fully explains if this is aliens or purgatory or heaven or whatever. I guess that's what the director wanted. Well it is worth watching if you have a spare hour and a half.
The movie was basically a solo act. She did really well acting and showing emotions and panic and pain. Lots of reviews that I read seem to not understand what the movie was about. Here are my thoughts so spoilers below this point.
She got into a vehicle with a man who happened to be a killer. Now you see him slam onto his brakes and then she hits her head on to the dash. Then she is in the box. Now some time into the movie it shows her fighting off the knife stabs while inside the vehicle. It then shows her falling out of the vehicle and looking up at the sky. She sees a bright light. So either this is the light of aliens and aliens took them both or this is the light of God. Being that this is a film created by a French guy I assume he is religious. So I assume it is the light of God.
Why not aliens? Well could be. The man that killed her is also in the maze. Along with what looks to be a zombie or burned up human demon thing or something. However there is also her child and memories in a room. This is what leads me to believe it is purgatory and not aliens. She also got her foot chopped off at the end, however if you look at her feet during the Forest scene you clearly see both feet are there and no wounds. Her child then comes back and says all you do know is live. It pans out and clearly she is on another planet.
Being on another planet makes me think of Aliens again. But why is her daughter there? It isn't like they grabbed her when she died or made her from scratch. So I am sticking to the purgatory theme. Then there's the whole inside a giant womb thing and she comes out of the b hole looking part. She has some weird I love you moment, with a creature. Just like she had the I love you moment with the skull healing thing. Very odd. I mean nice that the skull thing healed her and filled her suit with something. Maybe it fed her. I don't know.
So the zombie demon thing was odd as well. But she defeated it as well. Or to be honest the maze forced her to face the zombie demon thing. So we can say she had to face her fears and prove she wants to live. Now the other reason I think purgatory is the little girl said you have died many times. Which makes me think the dead female bodies were her bodies. Just a guess on that. All in all it was an odd movie with some good parts and a lot of odd parts. It never fully explains if this is aliens or purgatory or heaven or whatever. I guess that's what the director wanted. Well it is worth watching if you have a spare hour and a half.
Ummm....ok?
joeyg-149-9944414 January 2022
I can just imagine the pitch meeting...
Exec 1: "I want to make an action/thriller movie about an escape room"
Exec 2: I want a melodramatic movie about a woman coping with the loss of her daughter"
Exec 3: "I want a slasher/monster movie!"
Exec 4: "hey! Let's do it all!"
Exec 2: I want a melodramatic movie about a woman coping with the loss of her daughter"
Exec 3: "I want a slasher/monster movie!"
Exec 4: "hey! Let's do it all!"
Head Scratcher
Foutainoflife3 November 2021
I thought this would be decent but I was met with a head scratcher. Look, it's not that I can't appreciate a low budget, creative concepts or the "Really" ending but this film was a bit all over the place.
Expect some, sci-fi, horror, thriller and drama elements. It's a bit disjointed and slow. I did think the actress did a good job with her performance but she just wasn't working with an engaging script.
I made it through and I can say I watched it but I won't watch it again and I'm not going to recommend it. Choosing to watch it is totally up to you.
Expect some, sci-fi, horror, thriller and drama elements. It's a bit disjointed and slow. I did think the actress did a good job with her performance but she just wasn't working with an engaging script.
I made it through and I can say I watched it but I won't watch it again and I'm not going to recommend it. Choosing to watch it is totally up to you.
Crawl
Movi3DO1 September 2021
Crawl and crawl and crawl
A new French sci-fi mystery where a woman is caught in a series of tunnel with multiple traps.
The movie started out slow, and this really requires some patience before things started to pick up. Honestly, the traps were not too scary like in similar movies. Then, when the twist started, it wasn't too surprising because this was done countless times before. The development of the main character was again, pretty typical, and was supposed to tie to the story. However, it really didn't make a lot of sense and felt cheesy.
There were still things that worked in the movie. Even though the progression was slow, there were still intense scenes that kept me on the edge. The clean camera work and some gores elevated the horror aspect and helped with the scenes.
Overall, it's a mystery that is done better before. 5.5/10.
A new French sci-fi mystery where a woman is caught in a series of tunnel with multiple traps.
The movie started out slow, and this really requires some patience before things started to pick up. Honestly, the traps were not too scary like in similar movies. Then, when the twist started, it wasn't too surprising because this was done countless times before. The development of the main character was again, pretty typical, and was supposed to tie to the story. However, it really didn't make a lot of sense and felt cheesy.
There were still things that worked in the movie. Even though the progression was slow, there were still intense scenes that kept me on the edge. The clean camera work and some gores elevated the horror aspect and helped with the scenes.
Overall, it's a mystery that is done better before. 5.5/10.
Lots of crawling
jfgibson735 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Meander is about a woman who is trapped in a series of tunnels. She has to avoid dangers to progress and hopefully escape. I had trouble getting into this movie right of the bat because it seemed so implausible that anyone would design this set of tunnels with traps for any reason. I eventually stopped caring about that when the movie revealed it had a sci-fi slant. It was also very tedious watch the actress inch her way through the first sets of tunnels cautiously as she tried to get acclimated. Things eventually pick up, but I still had to take another reviewer's advice and watch this in 2x speed. When I finally got to the end, I did not feel rewarded. She had reached an afterlife where she could be with her daughter, but I wasn't emotionally invested in her journey. I was just glad it was over.
Recommended
DaneliusUK6 July 2021
Is the title based on the setting or the most complex object in the Universe?
It's lovely shot with nice sound and lighting. It has elements of the Cube but different in one's own right.
If you're a film junkie like myself then you'll appreciate the time and effort that Mathieu Turi and everyone else put in to make this happen.
I enjoyed it. Not my place to say where it could have been improved. It is what it is.
Thank you.
It's lovely shot with nice sound and lighting. It has elements of the Cube but different in one's own right.
If you're a film junkie like myself then you'll appreciate the time and effort that Mathieu Turi and everyone else put in to make this happen.
I enjoyed it. Not my place to say where it could have been improved. It is what it is.
Thank you.
What??
wildblueyonder14 May 2022
Yeah this movie pretty much sucks.
I guess because there were some clever situations, and because it did keep me guessing, coupled with the fact that I did actually make it through the whole thing (low bar)... I guess those are the reasons its a 3 and not say a 1 or 2.
All that said, really wish I'd used that time on something else. Pass.
I guess because there were some clever situations, and because it did keep me guessing, coupled with the fact that I did actually make it through the whole thing (low bar)... I guess those are the reasons its a 3 and not say a 1 or 2.
All that said, really wish I'd used that time on something else. Pass.
Short but a bit too long too...
searchanddestroy-125 December 2021
This small budget flick has good qualities but I guess arrives one or two decades later. It is probably the one thousandth CUBE rip off since the original made in 1999. Good acting and directing, the same concerning the production design and the sub elements brought into it, such as the drama and gloomy memories. I also found this feature a bit too long, but that's only a matter of opinion because it is rather short after all. It is a pity that there is no link, nor explanation, between the opening and ending scenes. It is not rare for such films but it is still annoying.
Waste of time
danielcereto17 December 2021
I love the movie Cube. It's one of my favourites from the 90's.
Meander is a bad copy of the original idea of Cube but mixing it with a total nonsense from beginning till the end. It doesn't deliver any message, any sense or something credible.
Don't waste your time and go for the original Cube.
Meander is a bad copy of the original idea of Cube but mixing it with a total nonsense from beginning till the end. It doesn't deliver any message, any sense or something credible.
Don't waste your time and go for the original Cube.
Way way better than people are saying
sonnypascale16 January 2022
This movie looks and feels as professional and expensive looking as it gets. Sci Fi is sooo hard and this movie like Moon and Cube and others is very very good all thing considered.
Keeps your interest, you feel and worry for the main character al the way through.
Consideringthat we don't know what happens after we die, this movie is beautiful in its own way.
Keeps your interest, you feel and worry for the main character al the way through.
Consideringthat we don't know what happens after we die, this movie is beautiful in its own way.
Dread and tension-driven surival horror
paologarlasco5 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
A mix of horror and suspence, together with a level of tension that never ceases completely, make this film quite enjoyable to watch. The plot is simple and its reference to Cube (1997) and Saw (2004) are quite obvious. What the director - and a great shout out goes to to Weiss for her great and intense performance - manages to achieve is a sense of continuous dread and mistery. We are stuck with a lot of questions ("how did she end up there?", "is there an end to the tunnel?") and crawl along the tunnels with same sense of doubt and foreboding that the character has. The overall experience is quite immersive and the spectator would most likely be captivated by the ingenious traps and twists that the plot convey. I only wished the plot had more depth, but this is basically my biggest complaint.
Watch the cube instead!
jonvincent806 July 2021
What's the point
Leofwine_draca2 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A really cheap and derivative copy of CUBE, except now we get one (uninteresting) character trapped in a tunnel with, well, traps. The lack of budget makes this one a struggle to sit through, as most films featuring a single character in a single location for the entire running time are; I was left wondering just what the point was, other than to offer up a few suspenseful/gruesome moments along the way.
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