SummaryWhat if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars...but simultaneously take the life of someone you don't know? Would you do it? And what would be the consequences? The year is 1976. Norma Lewis is a teacher at a private high school and her husband, Arthur, is an engineer working at NASA. They a... Read More
Directed By:Richard Kelly
Written By:Richard Kelly, Richard Matheson
The Box
Metascore
Mixed or Average
47
User score
Mixed or Average
5.0
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
47
33% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
42% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
25% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
80
Movie Marmite. Many will be perplexed. Donnie Darko fans should lap it up.
75
The Box is a mess, but it's a curiously haunting, intriguing, brain-tickling mess, and it delivers that "Donnie Darko" feeling in truckloads. Or should that be rocketloads?
User score
Mixed or Average
5.0
27% Positive
26 Ratings
26 Ratings
44% Mixed
42 Ratings
42 Ratings
28% Negative
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
Jul 28, 2021
10
One of the most original and thought provoking films ever to bless the screen. Completely underrated unfortunately, which may have turned some viewers away but believe me, if your an artist, a mystic, a sci-fi nerd or a horror buff, this is a must see. Never seen anything like it then or now. Richard Kelly’s most ambitious and original movie by far. It will have you thinking about reality, the very being of existence, and what lies beyond death. Excellent film!
Jul 22, 2011
10
This film started as a simple morality vehicle, but ended as a deeply religious and human narrative regarding not only morality, but original sin and pulls symbolism from the Garden of Eden to exhibit the fall of man from a very interesting perspective. The acting was more or less unremarkable but the cinematography and audio are sublime. Do not be discouraged by the negative reviews. The only explanation that I can offer for low marks is that the reviewer wasn't expecting to see an actual film, and instead was expecting a cookie cutter sci-fi/horror summer blockbuster that is neither memorable nor engaging. If that's what you're after, enjoy saw 14. If you're looking for a narrative thriller with a little substance, check this one out.
60
The revelation of the film's mystery just barely makes sense. Yet, we dismiss it as an extended MacGuffin, and thus can delight in the film's devious turns.
50
What a shame that Kelly's pacing doesn't run as fast as his imagination. Instead of sweeping you along, The Box just sits there like something unclaimed at lost and found. Damaged goods.
40
It's a mess and it might cost him some career freedom, but at least Kelly hasn't cashed in his trademark narrative complexity for Hollywood pap.
38
The characters in The Box are like cardboard cutouts: Some have "foolish victim" labeled on them, and others fall into the category of absurdly creepy villain.
20
The Box is its own kind of awful, a disconnected mess that never finds its reason for being.
Jun 28, 2011
10
I have no idea how a movie of this quality rank could get the hilarious 47 out of 100 points. This is literally a masterpiece, one of the best movies made recently.
Feb 7, 2013
6
esta película es una prueba ingeniosa para la mente aunque es un poco lenta su historia salva a esta película de caer en el basio en el que han caído varias películas que intentan lo mismo
Aug 17, 2010
6
The Box must be one of the most absurd movies I have seen for the year of 2009. I must admit itâ
Nov 26, 2015
2
"Disconnected mess" describes this confusing piece of garbage perfectly. The first 30 mins are promising and then it all falls apart. The only reason it gets a 1 is that there has to be a lower rating for movies like Christmas with the Kranks.
May 17, 2023
1
Il me semble qu’ils en avaient fait un épisode de la Quatrième dimension dont je ne me souviens pas vraiment mais ça ne pouvait pas être aussi chiant à crever que ce truc sans queue ni tête de presque deux heures rigoureusement…interminables !… Ce branque de réalisateur ne fait que meubler à partir d’une idée certes intéressante mais qui finit par être délayée à un tel point qu’elle ne ressemble plus à rien. Seul Langella tire son épingle du jeu avec brio : ce sont les seuls moments où ses airs inquiétants et sinistrement cyniques éveillent une petite once d’intérêt. Le reste du temps, on se fait chier à mort. Donnez-moi la boîte, si ça permet de zapper cet abruti de Richard Kelly, j’appuie tout de suite sur ce putain de bouton.
Production Company:
- Warner Bros.
- Radar Pictures
- Media Rights Capital (MRC)
- Darko Entertainment
- Lin Pictures
Release Date:Nov 6, 2009
Duration:1 h 55 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:You Are The Experiment
Awards
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 3 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 2 Nominations
Festival Angaelica
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
