Dave Made A Maze Is A Movie You Want To Get Lost In
by Tito W. James
This premise sounds like something out of a Scott Pilgrim comic or an Adventure Time episode.
Annie comes home after a weekend away to discover that her unemployed boyfriend, Dave, has built a cardboard maze in their living room.
Dave has gotten lost in the maze (which is much bigger on the inside) and it’s up to Annie and Dave’s hipster friends to get him out.
THE BAD
Many characters enter the maze but we spend time with only a few. Some characters’ screen time is so short that they might as well have been cut from the film altogether.
THE GOOD
The world of Dave’s maze is a homemade collage made up of Indiana Jones-style deathtraps and optical illusions worthy of the Yellow Submarine.
The practical effects and stop-motion animated cardboard look great and add a layer of charm.
The inclusion of a documentary film crew entering the maze adds a layer of meta-storytelling as characters act in more exaggerated ways when they know they are on camera.
Also, they’re in a maze so of course there is a Minotaur.
THE VERDICT
There is never any explanation as to how Dave suddenly built a magical cardboard world in his apartment and there doesn’t need to be. The film focuses on being a fun adventure with deadpan humor. Film students that try to pick and pry at the movie for deeper meaning are exactly the type of pretentious hipsters that get lampooned in the film.
As a pretentious hipster myself, I’d recommend giving it a watch.
You can find out how to purchase and view Dave Made a Maze here.