News & Reviews
The Box
Genre: Horror, Suspense
Director: Richard Kelly
Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn
Norma Lewis (Cameron Diaz) and her husband Arthur (James Marsden) find a strange-looking wooden box with a red button in front of their door one morning. Later, the sender (Frank Langella) tells them that if they push the red button, he will grant them $1 million. In exchange, someone they don’t know will die.
After a long struggle, the couple decides to give it a try. Of course, the film doesn’t end with, “And they got the money and lived happily ever after!” Pushing the button isn't the only major choice they have to make.
The thing about The Box is that it looks like a horror film, but it just isn't scary.
The first 40 minutes are captivating, as the suspense and tension gradually rise, and the premise of the film is a good one. But then it's ruined by silly Sci-Fi style laser beams and magical gates, which have absolutely no bearing on the plot. You could cut this crap out and you wouldn't be missing anything.
Also, for some reason, the film is set in the 1970s. It doesn't really make sense why, and this setting adds no further air of mystery to the story.
Although the film in general is very confusing, it isn’t all bad. The performances of the actors are good, once you get used to Cameron Diaz speaking a Southern accent, and the ending is OK.
Still, the story seems to lack any concrete identity, and the whole thing could have been told in half an hour.
Croc rating: 2 / 5