The Box

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The Box

PG-13

Released Nov 6, 2009

1h 53m

Horror

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

153 Reviews

24%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

A suburban couple, Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden), face a moral dilemma when they receive a gift that bears irrevocable consequences. With the press of a button, their simple wooden box will bestow $1 million; however, a stranger somewhere else will die, at the same time. The box will be theirs for only 24 hours, and as time ticks away, Norma and Arthur confront the depth of their humanity as they consider their choices.

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Critics Consensus

Imaginative but often preposterous, The Box features some thrills but largely feels too piecemeal.

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: C

Feb 18, 2012

Full Review

Wesley Morris

Boston Globe

Rated: 3/4

Nov 24, 2011

Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 2/5

Nov 17, 2011

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Paul Lê

Bloody Disgusting

The Box‘s overstated approach is enticingly strange.

Rated: 3.5/5

Nov 8, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Richard Kelly’s The Box spins a suspenseful yarn that’s enigmatic as it is entertaining.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 30, 2023

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...this lush, intelligent, frustrating film is probably better for keeping the precise nature of its mystery intact; thats what makes The Boxs central metaphor sing...

Rated: 4/5

Mar 31, 2022

Full Review

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Julian Rex M

The Box's few interesting ideas are largely wasted on a thinly-plotted, heartless "philosophical" pontification from the fallen Richard Kelly that insults the Spielbergian classics to which it attempts to pay homage and thoroughly warps Richard Matheson's simplistic solid short story beyond recognition.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/07/25

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John S

What would you do if offered the chance to gain a fortune for a stranger's ill fate? As far as trippy, episodic style "Twilight Zone" stories go, although it's not a Rod Serling vehicle, this is a good film. I know people weren't big on it but I've watched it more than once & plan on watching again. I love Cameron Diaz & Frank Langela so call me biased but on a sci-fi/thriller scale of 1-10, it gets a 7.5 plus if you're curious & IMHO, it is worth seeing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/25/24

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Mark B

Maybe would have worked as a 45 minute twilight zone episode but this just goes on and on and when it should be wrapped up it goes on some more.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/25/24

Full Review

Wendt A

Starts off as a sciency version of the Bottle Imp (be careful what you wish for) with a fairly simple premise, but then there are zombies or something, then there is another dimension, then there are three doors you have to chose, then there's flooding, and the NSA, and other random trolley problems, lobotomies, also aliens I guess. Zero internal logic. The plot sickens.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/15/24

Full Review

Leslee W

The moral dilemma presented by The Box is a compelling plot catalyst. But the story takes some weird side trails and loses focus. It's a shame. Frank Langella steals the show.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/15/24

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James F

This was a great concept film that fell flat at the end because it explained almost nothing. I have no problem with movies that have a vague or unexplained ending but The Box left so many unanswered questions that it made the movie not worth watching. It set-up mystery after mystery then just…… ended. Donnie Darko was a perfect example of not filling in all the blanks but leaving the viewer satisfied with what was revealed. This movie is an example of what not to do. Also, what was the point of it being set in the 70's? Too many things just didn't make any sense.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/22/24

Full Review

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Richard Kelly

Director

Cameron Diaz

Norma Lewis

James Marsden

Arthur Lewis

Frank Langella

Arlington Steward

James Rebhorn

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Synopsis

A suburban couple, Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden), face a moral dilemma when they receive a gift that bears irrevocable consequences. With the press of a button, their simple wooden box will bestow $1 million; however, a stranger somewhere else will die, at the same time. The box will be theirs for only 24 hours, and as time ticks away, Norma and Arthur confront the depth of their humanity as they consider their choices.

Director: Richard Kelly
Producer: Sean McKittrick, Richard Kelly, Dan Lin
Screenwriter: Richard Kelly
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Darko Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Disturbing Images|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 6, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.0M
Runtime: 1h 53m

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