3 out of 5

Director: Richard Kelly

Yeah, I guess. Ever read the Richard Matheson story – or seen the Twilight Zone episode – where a couple is offered a button to press by a mysterious stranger, and told that, by pressing the button they will receive a bunch of money, with the hitch being that someone they dont know will die? Now imagine that plot paced out over 115 minutes. Honestly, the more I think about this movie, the more I begin to dislike it, but Im rating it on my initial impressions and not my afterthoughts. 1. The movie, for the most part, looks really nice. Besides some questionable use of CGI, director Richard Kelly keeps things mostly organic, with a soft color scheme that matches the 70s setting. 2. …And the setting works for the movie, placing the characters in a time now far enough removed that were not calling b.s. on everything we see, but smartly not over-playing the datedness of the era to make the viewer feel detached. 3. Before it tips its hat to the larger going-ons of the plot, The Box builds some great creepiness and suspense. Unfortunately, it is this tip that is the failure. Similar to Donnie Darko, Mr. Kelly has some very normal ideas that he tries to wrap up in over-complicated packages. Is this a biblical parable? Does it probe deeper questions about the human condition? Maybe. Im sure Kelly could tell me about it if I cared enough to ask. And there are some truly silly plot elements. But, thankfully, the movie is still primarily watchable, as it primarily keeps moving forward instead of wandering off into meta crap. The acting is so-so. Cameron Diaz and James Marsden gain and lose their accents throughout the film, but Marsden does a great job of showing the emotional side of his character. I do not dislike Diaz, but she wasnt the right actress for the role. Anyhow, if youve already read the story or seen the short, youre not missing anything in this extended version.