The Speed Cubers (2020) User Reviews

Cube, autism and friendship

[mccollum26 · 8/10 · 29 July 2020]

I do not know anything about Rubik's cube world, so I watched it without any knowledge. Good documentaries show the inner world of the subject, educate the viewers and make them appreciate that it exists. This movie has competition, autism, parents' struggles, unconditional love and support, and ultimate friendship. I was so glad it focused on them evenly. it's entertaining, gripping and moving, You will be glad to get to learn this world and to know these people. I am.

Where autism is not a disability

[isabellamckinney · 8/10 · 8 August 2020]

At first glance, the film centers on two friendly rivals who take their ability to solve Rubix cube type puzzles at world record speeds but then, you meet them individually and learn one rival, Max Park, has autism and in this world, it is not an impediment but an advantage due to his ability to hyper focus.

Recommended

[DaneliusUK · 8/10 · 28 October 2020]

Really touching.

If you're a film junkie like myself then you'll appreciate the time and effort that Sue Kim 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.

Not Bad.

[e-07963-56226 · 7/10 · 12 August 2020]

It feels like it has been edited into friendship . The material is very thin, but after reading it, I feel that the spirit of pursuing the ultimate is still quite inspiring.

A moving story about an unusual hobby

[iurigranjeiro · 9/10 · 31 July 2020]

Full disclosure: I am a competitive speedcuber, and I have gone to the WCA world championships 2019 and experienced a lot of the story conveyed in the documentary first hand. This likely made the documentary more emotional to me than it would be for the average person, but I still think this is totally worth a watch even if you're not acquainted with our world, and here's why:

I think this documentary is a wonderful first contact with the weird world of speedcubing and its community. It conveys the story of undoubtedly the two most important speedcubers of the 21st century in a heartwarming tale about sportsmanship, overcoming disability and dealing with failure.

What makes this documentary so special is how much they care about this community and this story. Chris Olson (director of photography) is a former world record holder and Sue Kim (director and producer) is the mother of Asher Kim Magierek, a highly ranked speedcuber. I think this connection with the subject really shows through their film making.

Made for Cubers, good for anyone

[cjpalmer-53855 · 7/10 · 21 April 2022]

This docu-film is definitely aimed at the speedcubing community as they know Max Park and Felix Zemdegs outside of the movie. However, it is still an intriguing story for anyone to watch.

It's a cool series of events to show progression in friendship and social development, as well as just a short history of the cubing records. And it's short so no point in not watching.

Friendship and Parenting at the heart of this short film

[genosypheus · 9/10 · 30 July 2020]

My heart went out to the parents of Max and to Feliks. This short documentary masterfully told a beautiful story between the unconditional love of the parents of Max and his special friendship with a world champion cuber Feliks, As someone who is not a cuber, the drama is still very intense and the relationships formed around Max warmed my heart. This is a gem that will likely be overlooked by many but i am so glad to catch it on netflix.

too short

[IreneHvR · 6/10 · 31 July 2020]

As a non-cuber I really missed al lot of info on cubing, the kind of tournaments and how they determine the winners and why only one of the competitions qualify as the world championship even when someone else won everything else... There was literally no suspence while they were competing the world championships. Either give more info on the game, the judging, other competitiors or film it more suspenced for the audience. Now it was just more a video recap of two boys in a competition and learning some about their background and enjoying that they are quite friendly competitors. Which is nice but not that exceptional in other topsports.

I WISH IT WAS LONGER

[vzlaginia-21 · 10/10 · 3 August 2020]

40 minutes was not enough. Did end feeling bitter sweet though, wanting for more, so Sue Kim did great haha. This was just so heart warming to watch. Made me tear up a lot. Feliks is such an amazing soul and Max is so inspiring to watch. I love this so much. I wish Max and Felik's the best in their lives. They deserve the world.

A More Specific Title Would've Done the Trick

[Zac_La_Porte · 6/10 · 13 April 2022]

It would certainly be healthier for your expectations if this documentary had simply placed the names Max Park and Feliks Zemdegs at the head of the title, considering it's about them only. But overall, this is an inspiring and short docu about competition, friendship and autism. It will appeal the most to very young ages and the viewers who have hope for their dreams.

The Speed Cubers is about Max Park and Feliks Zemdegs, two young competitors who are very passionate about rubik's-cubing and, through their friendly rivalry, still develop a lovely friendship. This documentary is mainly focused on Max, who is autistic, and his parents who tell us about his backstory and what he does in life. We don't hear as much about Feliks, but he is portrayed as a great guy and a good friend.

If you're getting into or are already into cubing with these squared puzzles that do also come in different shapes, The Speed Cubers is for you; its subject matter makes for a watchable and interesting experience. However, this documentary is only about two specific people. Where's all the stories and dashes of background for the other cubers? Therefore, there's no need for it to run for more than 40 minutes; what else would it cover?

If you liked this review, check out the full review and other reviews at aussieboyreviews.

Did not expect to ugly cry at a documentary about cubing

[valensere-68606 · 9/10 · 29 December 2020]

Yet here we are. Whether you are into the hobby or not, you should definitely give this one a try!

Better titled as "Max Park: Speed Cuber"

[TheTruthofItIs · 3/10 · 19 September 2020]

I feel misled. This was much less about speed cubing and much more a profile of autistic-prodigy Max Park and his speed cubing idol/rival Feliks Zemdeg. This would fit better on Lifetime or Hallmark given that focus. I learned nothing else of speed cubing, its culture, history, or other players. Again, a profile of Max. Saving grace: it's only 35+ mins.

Stimulanting

[faer_kr · 10/10 · 30 July 2020]

A documentary about the cube owners. Follow the story of two boys who have been world champions in building cubes at speed. The interesting thing is not only to see the competition, it is to see the vision that parents have about one of the boys who has autism, the total support they give him. Entertaining. Quality. Stimulating Talk about discipline, solidarity and friendship. Of short duration which makes it digestible and easy to see.

Happy tears. a lot of it

[melodyso · 10/10 · 25 April 2021]

I just pressed on it because I wanted something light hearted and interesting to watch. I love it more than I expected! Never a dull moment. I am really touched by Max' s stories and how his parent are supporting him and dealing with his autism. I cried a lot of happy tears. It was so heartwarming to watch Feliks supporting Max as all. I especially love the dad's mentality of "okay let's cry our heart out. But then let's get to work." It's so inspiring seeing how Max finds a thing that makes him shine. Also I love how I get to know the cuber community a bit better. They look like such fun people!

Interesting watch

[Boschen123 · 10/10 · 30 July 2020]

Great story about friendship and how someone with a social disability can develop their personal skills and find their passion. Amazing how Max struggled with fine motor skills as a child then is solving a rubik's cube one handed in under 7 seconds years later.

Sweet, hits you in the feels.

[GarnetVersus7 · 10/10 · 31 July 2020]

I know nothing about Rubik's Cubes or the art of speed-cubing, but I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary. I just clicked on this randomly expecting it to be forgettable, but I felt so much emotion during this docu, so if you're like me and you know nothing about cubing, you'll still learn something: the power of friendship.

What about the other cubers?

[jonasatmosfera · 4/10 · 7 August 2020]

I do not want to sound callous, but I was expecting to learn a little more about cubers in general and and a little more about the history of this new craze.

But, most of the documentary is focused on an autistic cuber. Although there is an interest in showing this kid and his struggle to fit in normal life, after a while I had the impression I was watching a documentary about autism only.

I learned almost nothing about Rubik's cube, cubers and their competitions.

Half way through it I was paying no attention to it anymore.

Great but...

[scaryguyhuman · 9/10 · 1 August 2020]

I really wish the documentary focused more on cubing as a whole instead of just focusing of Feliks and Max. If the documentary was longer, there would probably be more time to explain the brief history about the cubing community and explain more about the cube. I would love to see more stuff like this about other cubers and their backgrounds, like Tymon Kolasinski and Lucas Etter. Overall, pretty heart touching documentary.

Awesome documentary

[anoushmalhautra · 10/10 · 30 July 2020]

It was the best documentary I've ever seen. Highly recommended for avid cubers.

Lovely

[imdejong · 9/10 · 11 August 2020]

Such a lovely documentary. Didn't know anything about it. Feliks has the sweetest soul. Max's parents have done a wonderful job in supporting and encouraging their son, they seem lovely. And Max, such a brave warrior for navigating this confusing world. Heartwarming.

You will have a great feeling watching this

[surfingnaked1 · 10/10 · 9 October 2020]

As the world swirls in uncertainty . To know what Felix has accomplished for Max's life is awesome. I hope Felix becomes pm . I think Max's parents are just awesome. A great upbeat feeling in this questionable time

When Stars collide

[pie-78351 · 9/10 · 6 August 2020]

I had no genuine interest in fast Cube solvers. I watched this for some light relief over a beer. But I have to say I never thought I would see a young man like Felix who literally put his friendship for Max above being the number 1 guy in the world of Rubik Cube speed competitions. Max parents somehow have that innate skill, a knowingness in how to mature their autistic son to cope in the world in a way that really matters, relationships!! and as we know with autism relationships is at the bottom of the pile especially if the autistic child is able to function with empathy and Max does. This is a total win-win story. This seemingly specialist skill with solving a Rubik Cube has unwittingly evolved into the most genuine example of people who really put caring for each other at the top and it worked.

Wonderful

[ad8899 · 10/10 · 5 September 2022]

I watched this because someone told me I would be pleasantly surprised by it, and I was. I could care less about cubing, but this documentary wasn't really about cubing, in my opinion. It was about a heartfelt friendship between two boys in unusual circumstances in life. Highly recommend. Only 40 minutes, and just as lovely as you could hope for. Well done and captivating.

Not sure why we have to write 600 characters now so don't pay attention to this part. Just taking up space by writing and writing.... I loved the parents of both boys/men, but esp. Max's parents. They are the parents anyone would want to have.

Heartwarming Movie

[mmmmtelbani-88040 · 9/10 · 6 October 2020]

As a person who has an autistic kid seeing his Mother with hope and knowing how hard it is and how graceful she is dealing with it made me cry all along the Movie.

A story about autism

[pope-33175 · 8/10 · 11 February 2021]

This is mostly a story about the the Autistic child Max, who became the worst best speedcuber, and his friendship/ the mentorship of Feliks, the former world champion. I was a bit disappointed, but the documentary is not bad. The speed cubing world and competitions are just the setting for the story about Max. Shows that when used right, autism is a skillset that can be used to make world records.