Review: The Box



PLOT: A mysterious, badly scarred stranger (Frank Langella) presents a struggling young couple (Cameron Diaz & James Marsden) with a wooden box containing a button. If they press the button, they will receive $1 Million dollars tax free- but someone, somewhere will die. The couple eventually succumbs to temptation, setting in motion a bizarre series of events wit dire consequences not only for the couple, but for humanity itself.

REVIEW: Walking into THE BOX on Saturday night, I didn’t have very high expectations. While I loved DONNIE DARKO, I didn’t think highly of director Richard Kelly’s follow up film, SOUTHLAND TALES, and considering the bad buzz on this one, I feared he might be something of a one hit wonder.

Luckily, I was completely wrong, as THE BOX, despite the lackluster trailers, is actually a very intriguing, cerebral science fiction film- reminiscent of an old TWILIGHT ZONE or OUTER LIMITS episode, by way of Stanley Kubrick. It’s a terrific little sleeper boasting one of Cameron Diaz’s best performances ever. Her character initially comes off as two dimensional, but later reveals herself to be much deeper, as she hides a severe disfigurement that gives her a certain kinship with Langella’s badly scarred stranger- who resembles a less severe Two-Face. Diaz is better here than she’s been in years- and it’s nice to see her in something other than a romantic comedy.

As for Langella, he’s a revelation here, and it’s nice to see him finally coming back as a character actor following his acclaimed turn in FROST/NIXON. I don’t want to reveal too much about him in the film, but suffice to say, this is a profound role for the actor. I also really liked James Marsden, who’s fantastic in this, and displays some serious leading man chops.

Now, being a Richard Kelly film, this is not for everyone. Like DARKO, the film is something of a puzzle that begs to be seen more than once- although it’s a lot more accessible than SOUTHLAND TALES. I think the studio has torpedoed the film by giving it a really uninspired marketing campaign, as the film I saw bears no resemblance to the PG-13 horror flick they’re selling. This is NOT horror, it’s deep, cerebral sci-fi- and unlike anything I’ve seen in a while (or, since DARKO anyways).

While it likely will not be a hit in theaters, like DARKO it’ll pick up a following on DVD. I really enjoyed this. Probably the only element of the film I wasn’t overly keen about was the somewhat overbearing, distracting score by Arcade Fire. Understand- they’re one of my favorite bands, but great film composers they are not. The music in itself is good- but its WAYYYY too much, and the film would have benefited from a more minimalist score by DARKO’s Michael Andrews. However- that’s a minor criticism- and I strongly urge people to ignore the trailers, TV spots, and posters, and give the film a chance. It’s not for everyone, but it will definitely strike a chord with certain viewers. It did with me.

RATING: 8/10

Review: The Box

GREAT

8

Source: JoBlo.com

About the Author

Chris Bumbray began his career with JoBlo as the resident film critic (and James Bond expert) way back in 2007, and he has stuck around ever since, being named editor-in-chief in 2021. A voting member of the CCA and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, you can also catch Chris discussing pop culture regularly on CTV News Channel.

Review: The Box

Last Updated on July 26, 2021

“This puppy may be the most exigent flick of the year! It had me working it in overtime! “

“The Arrow reviews The Box”

Source: Arrow in the Head

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