The Speed Cubers

Netflix’s "The Speed Cubers" Captures the Unexpected Friendship Behind the World’s Fastest Solvers

Netflix’s 2020 documentary The Speed Cubers offers a rare glimpse into the high-stakes, high-speed world of competitive Rubik’s Cube solving—but the real story isn’t just about breaking records. Director Sue Kim’s 39-minute film zeroes in on the unlikely bond between two of the sport’s biggest rivals: Max Park and Feliks Zemdegs, latestnetflix.com argues, whose rivalry and mutual respect redefined speedcubing.

From Rivals to Friends: The Heart of the Film

At the center of The Speed Cubers is the dynamic between Max Park, a rising American prodigy with autism, and Feliks Zemdegs, the Australian phenom who held nearly every world record in the sport. The documentary follows their journey from intense competition to an unexpected friendship, a narrative that resonated with audiences beyond the cubing community.

In a Q&A moderated by Chiemi Karasawa, Zemdegs and Park—alongside Park’s parents, Schwan and Miki—discussed how their rivalry evolved into camaraderie. Zemdegs, once the undisputed king of speedcubing, admitted that Park’s rapid rise pushed him to improve, while Park credited Zemdegs as an inspiration. The film’s trailer teases this tension, showing Park’s record-breaking solves alongside Zemdegs’ reactions, hinting at the mutual respect that developed off-stage.

Behind the Scenes: Sue Kim’s Vision

Director Sue Kim, making her feature-length debut, aimed to humanize a sport often reduced to numbers. In interviews, she revealed that the project began as a passion piece after discovering the cubing community’s vibrant culture. Kim’s approach focused on the personal stories behind the solves, particularly Park’s journey with autism and how cubing became a tool for connection.

The documentary’s tight 39-minute runtime (noted in French reviews as Speedcubing: Le duel) suggests a deliberate choice to keep the narrative lean, avoiding filler in favor of emotional beats. Kim’s collaboration with Netflix likely helped amplify the film’s reach, though critical reception was mixed—garnering a 6.7/10 on SensCritique from 150 votes, while Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score remains unlisted in the available evidence.

The Cubing Community’s Reaction

The Speed Cubers sparked conversations within the speedcubing world, where it was praised for bringing mainstream attention to a niche sport. YouTube reactions, like one titled "My Thoughts on 'The Speed Cubers' Documentary," highlight how the film balanced technical detail with personal drama, though some cubers felt it glossed over deeper mechanics of the sport. The documentary’s release also coincided with a surge in interest in the World Cube Association (WCA), the governing body for competitive cubing, which oversees events for over 245,000 enthusiasts globally.

What’s Next for the Stars?

Since the film’s release, both Park and Zemdegs have remained active in the cubing scene. Park, now a household name in the community, continues to break records, while Zemdegs has stepped back from full-time competition but remains a mentor figure. The documentary’s legacy, however, is its portrayal of rivalry as a catalyst for growth—a theme that transcends cubing.

For fans of underdog stories, The Speed Cubers delivers more than just fast fingers. It’s a sign of how competition can forge unexpected bonds, even in a sport where every millisecond counts.