The Box

  • 2010


MOVIE IS enlightening entertaining interesting effective preposterous
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30 %
44 % Rotten
$ 0 Million
See Where to Watch The Box
Positive Reviews 51
Negative reviews 53
Average Rating 2.6/5
enlightening entertaining interesting effective preposterous

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  • Positive
  • Negative
2.2
Kelly has talent, but for his next movie, he might try coming down to earth and forgetting about the people who control the lightning. EW
3.8
If you make a preposterous movie that isnt boring, I count that as some kind of a triumph. Rogerebert
0.5
The pic reveals the hazards of taking Twilight Zone material too far and too seriously. Variety
3.0
While its true that the films sci fi antics are far from watertight in the logic department, theres enough eccentricity and ambition at play to charm .. Time Out
3.8
Though his narratives morality play suspense and Bernard Herrmann esque score recall Hitchcock, Kelly seems to have selected the 70s so that he can fu ..
1.9
Rather than a provocative spiritual allegory, The Box, arrives on our doorsteps as a sophomorically obvious sermon about greed and altruism.
1.5
While there are some imaginative effects and spooky moments (as well as a few hackneyed sci fi touches) the whole thing gets pretty silly at times, an .. Screen Daily
5.0
The best thing about the movie is that, if Kelly was really aiming to please the average popcorn munchers, he fails. He cant help it. E Film Critic
5.0
What seems on the surface to be just another hacky sellout from a once interesting filmmaker on the commercial skids is actually one of the most genui .. E Film Critic
3.0
Kellys obsessions are not entirely like anyone elses, which is a recommendation of sorts, and he shoots more beautifully than ever, which is another. .. Telegraph
1.0
What the plot doesnt decimate, the films slower than a clogged drain pacing does.
4.0
Movie Marmite. Many will be perplexed. Donnie Darko fans should lap it up.
2.0
Do yourself a favor, think twice about giving into foolish curiosity and leave The Boxs button untouched. Cinema Blend
1.0
Some directors, it must be said, only have one really good movie in them. Were starting to worry that Richard Kelly may be among this select group. Ny Daily News
2.0
Do yourself a favor and find the original 30 minute Twilight Zone episode of The Box and watch that instead. Screen Rant
4.0
An ethically rich drama about the mystery of not knowing, greed, responsibility, free will, and altruism. Spirituality And Practice
2.5
While visually arresting and peculiar enough to hold your interest, in the end it proves to be pretty empty inside. One Guys Opinion
2.5
This hokum might have been entertaining if Kelly could have somehow made this Twilight Zone material more credible. Sover
3.5
It often doesnt make sense, and often seems to be treading water, but its always audacious and eerily atmospheric. Combust Ible Celluloid
2.5
Arthur begins looking deeper into things, but Steward doesnt like that. Mark Reviews Movies
3.1
...writer/director Richard Kelly effectively evokes the feel of a 70s paranoia thriller by stressing images and sequences of an increasingly unsettlin .. Reel Film Reviews
3.5
The box isnt connected to anything, no wires, no transmitters, nothing. Eric Ds Nider
2.0
This cosmic joke isnt as bad as Kellys previous picture, Southland Tales, but its still a total mess, even if it is a stylish looking one. Radio Times
4.5
The Box is by no means as indigestible as Southland Tales, and theres as much to relish as there is to groan at. Independent
1.0
The single question I wanted to ask was: how many more times will a studio allow Richard Kelly to commit career suicide Independent
2.5
What a shame that Kellys pacing doesnt run as fast as his imagination. Rolling Stone
3.0
By only barely touching on the storys morality play plot, the film feels like its merely an exercise in creating a sinister tone. Shadows On The Wall
3.0
Kelly maintains a suitably creepy atmosphere throughout and the frequently twisty plot is both intriguing and unpredictable, at least in the first hal .. View London
1.3
It doesnt help that The Box appears to have been edited with Ron Popeils Chop O Matic. New York Post
3.8
The grim shots of TVs, cars, houses, and buildings suggest The Box isnt just a button you push, its a depressive philosophy: we are weak, desperate, e .. Boston
4.5
Except on a scale so grand that even the movie itself doesnt know quite what to make of it.
2.5
The premise of this morality tale is interesting and the set up intriguing, but after the first real, the movie falls apart and crashes under the burd .. Emanuellevy
4.5
For the first half hour the movie is engagingly mystifying in a David Lynch vein. Guardian
2.0
The original story, a little like WW Jacobss supernatural tale The Monkeys Paw, resolves its intriguing premise with elegant swiftness. Guardian
1.5
Because Im an avid thriller fan, I looked forward to seeing The Box. Reel Talk Reviews
1.5
Richard Kellys downward spiral continues with what is a pretty grueling bastardization of a rather clever story from Richard Matheson. Cinema Crazed
4.5
all at once an engrossing genre piece, an exceptional exercise in expansive adaptation, and a complex moral allegory, so that this is a Box that requi .. Eye For Film
1.5
The Lewises are not in dire financial straits; their house isnt into foreclosure. Susang Ranger
4.5
Whos Running The Show At Warner Bros. Anyway I dont really pay attention to this kind of thing. Movies
4.5
Moverman doesnt flinch from emotions, but he doesnt sensationalize them, either, and his full bore sympathy is infinitely superior to a real life docu .. New Yorker
2.0
The 1976 setting is nicely evoked in some hideously familiar wallpaper, fashion choices and facial hair but the film never feels more than a convolute .. Express
2.5
Beyond that, writer director Richard Kelly sends his filman amalgamation of the sci fi, horror and paranoid thriller genresoff on a bunch of wild, con .. The Movie Boy
3.0
Richard Kelly returns with a tense, unnerving and jumpy thriller. It loses focus towards the end, but Donnie Darko has just entered The Twilight Zone. Total Film
3.5
...phantasmagorical, dark, drear, and troubling, it kept me involved and thinking about it long after...thats a good definition of an entertaining mov .. Tony Medley
1.5
Although based on a short story by televisions Twilight Zone contributor Richard Matheson, The Box is an over inflated mess that doesnt come up to snu .. Coles Mithey
3.8
This picture moved me and made me think, and while the items on the filmmakers mind arent exactly earth shattering to me they were deeply affecting al .. Movie Freak
3.8
Its not perfect; its a little slow and plodding and has a few characters that dont add much to the overall affect.
2.5
Theres very little meat on the bones of this movie thats little more than an extended Twilight Zone episode at best and a Stephen King TV movie at wor ..
1.5
Steven Posters chilly photography, the Bernard Hermann esque score by the Arcade Fire, the quiet malice of Frank Langella... knowing that these things .. Hit Fix
3.8
Suffice it to say that Kelly is interested in much more than just making a standard thriller; hes interested in taking on bigger themes, using the sci .. Aisle Seat
2.0
Kellys skillful direction wrings every last element of tension and intrigue from Mathesons bizarre tale. Herald Sun
4.0
The Box is an enigma in modern Hollywood. I am actually pretty surprised it was allowed to make it through the system, though I am very happy that it .. 7M Pictures
0.0
What The Box resembles most, in fact, is a distended episode of The Simpsons annual Halloween special. Film Freak Central
1.5
Sci fi lovers should find it risible, and those who devalue the genre will have their biases confirmed. Boxoffice Magazine
1.5
What shouldve been a taut suburban frightfest is a failed morality experiment and Twlight Zone retread. E Online
1.5
Although an improvement on Southland Tales, Richard Donnie Darko Kellys cryptic moody thriller has a far fetched premise that is not helped by a scrip .. Film Ink
2.0
Regrettably, and despite a lot of effects including those watery tentacles he seems so fond of Kelly delivers a Big Reveal that is, frankly, boring. The Age
3.5
His second, Southland Tales, was an incoherent mess that, nonetheless, has its partisans. Maki At The Movies
1.0
Arduous and mind numbing to sit through, The Box feels like cinematic purgatory. Digital Spy
3.8
A confounding sci fi mystery on one level and a tortured existential treatise on the other, pondering the nature of man in relation to God. Christianity Today
1.5
A movie whose reach far exceeds its makers grasp of where this story is going or what its really about. The longer it goes on, the less sense (or susp .. Hollywood And Fine
1.5
Just as we begin to twig whats going on, the plot wriggles out of Kellys grip altogether and veers off into the overstretched delirium of all ambitiou .. The Arts Desk
3.0
A shame, then, that a film that starts with asking such a definite question, to push the button or not, should end so vaguely that it fails to push ou .. The Sun
4.0
The consequence of free will is examined in Richard Kellys mind bending morality tale, The Box. Matts Movie Reviews
2.2
I would never doubt Kellys conviction and personal belief that hes challenging himself, but The Box doesnt lie. Brian Or Ndorf
2.0
Impales itself on the smug awareness of how stuffed full of extraordinarily twisty ideas it is, without bothering to make sure that those ideas add up .. Antagony & Ecstasy
4.5
Theres even a cheesy motel pool thats been improbably converted into an alien portal. Io9 Gizmodo
2.8
The meandering screenplay by writer/director Brant Sersen aims for comedy, but, more often than not, falls flat with juvenile humor thats more awkward .. Nyc Movie Guru
2.0
So shudder to think what make of this dogs dinner of an adaptation by Richard Kelly, a shambles rivalled only by the writer directors own Southland Ta .. Sky
2.0
This sci fi thriller suffers from a complete lack of logic and woeful miscasting of the lead rolesand, worse, is almost totally devoid of tension. Sbs
1.0
The acting is stiff, the special effects look cheap and the dialogue is unintentionally funny. Entertainment Times Online ..
1.0
The clueless and overreaching ambition which has started to characterise cinematic failures comes into play again. Entertainment Times Online ..
3.0
Kelly runs The Box a little too closely to the themes of The Day the Earth Stood Still, although it does have something more cynical to say about huma .. Window To The Movies
3.0
In a way, as its ostensibly a science fiction piece, it doesnt have to. The Shiz Nit
1.5
Think very carefully before you attempt to unlock the mysteries of The Box. There is no going back, you cannot undo your decision, you will never get .. Film4
2.0
...promises more than it delivers, ultimately providing a muddled narrative that does nothing to convince us of its moral positions. Movie Metropolis
4.2
Some of Kellys ambition is folly, but when he fails, he fails big. This is one of my favorite films of the year. Film Blather
2.0
An overlong mess of a movie thats nevertheless eerie and unsettling. You walk away from it feeling befuddled, but definitely weirded out. M Tv
3.1
First semester social science students would wince at the overreaching metaphors in Donnie Darko director Richard Kellys latest Rorschach test. Boston Phoenix
4.0
The Box is a dreary and engaging brain trip into the world of Richard Kelly. This is where hes comfortable, this is where he succeeds and this is wher .. Bloody Disgusting
3.5
Is it an odd film Certainly. Will it creep you out more than it engages you Probably. Should we be rewarding folks who are willing to step out of boun .. Film.com
1.5
Kelly, king of dumbed down nihilism, takes a short Twilight Zone TV episode, Button, Button, and extends it unendurably... Ny Press
3.5
Anyone going into The Box expecting a simple everyday thriller surely will be surprised with what they get a dismal, morally complicated piece of sci .. Week In Rewind
1.5
What is supposed to suggest a state of discomfort and unease feels more disjointed and frustrating than anything, and whats meant to be menacing soon .. Cinematical
2.0
At best, this is an artsy indie film that would have played better on a smaller, more intimate scale with no name actors tearing their hearts out on t .. Dread Central
1.5
An allegorical hash that fails as often as it succeeds in articulating its one core, coherent point: we are as moral as our options. Movie Line
2.5
It is a film that wants to be profound but it ends up feeling more like a lesser episode of The X Files. Cinema Autopsy
1.0
What they end up deciding sets in slothlike motion a convoluted string of ludicrous events that will take writer director Richard Kellyof Donnie Darko .. Ear Of Newt
3.5
Theres plenty to like in a film that proves Richard Kellys touch hasnt deserted him after Southland Tales critical and commercial battering. Sfx
1.5
Its hard not to say Langella is the standout, because, well hes Frank Fucking Langella. Horror
4.0
The Box...breezes right past slick, pre packed sci fi to find a resting place somewhere in the outlandish and exceedingly eccentric world of artists s .. Brandon Fibbs
3.0
Nowhere near as bad as the hype suggests although if youre in the mood for something straightforward, this is not for you. News Of The World
2.5
The only way to get your moneys worth out of The Box is to walk away from the ticket counter without paying. Gost Dog
4.0
The Box is a fantastically made thriller that brilliantly captures the tone of the 70s and makes you ponder in a negative way about humanity.
4.0
With excellent period detail, its a high concept premise deftly handled by the director and beautifully played by Diaz and Marsden who turns out to be .. Daily Record
2.0
Whats intended to be a trippy, philosophical sci fi parable winds up more overwrought than unsettling. New York Metro Mix
0.0
The audience is subject to a constant tone of foreboding danger, but The Box is more tease than delivery. Dc5
0.5
What button, on whose box, did Kelly push to get the money to make this awful, preposterous thriller MSNBC
0.5
However, if you expect a psychological thriller about a strange choice and how a couple makes it, youll be sorely disappointed. Big Hollywood
4.5
Like I said, weird and unexpected (particularly if youre familiar with the source material), but certainly not boring. Blog The Horror Show
1.5
The thriller fluctuates wildly in tone and levels of exposition, featuring some effective concepts and scenes, but just as many moments that are poorl .. Movie Retriever
2.0
The Box is based on a 10 page short story and, while it was successfully adapted for a one hour episode of The Twilight Zone, theres not enough for a .. Daily Mirror (UK)
1.5
An interesting subtext occurs with this particular box. More than just rude slang for a womans genitalia, the title points to the fact that in this st ..
3.0
Kellys most accessible ambiguous odyssey to date, The Box dares you to open it up again and again. Courier Mail (Australia)
2.0
The movie gives the impression of being pasted together from many different parts rather than presented as a cohesive whole. Courier Mail (Australia)
3.0
Like Donnie Darko, The Boxs eerily effective atmosphere of paranoid conspiracy would not hold up to too much scrutiny. Fans of that twisted sci fi con .. Courier Mail (Australia)
3.8
Both its imagination and its ambition sprint far beyond anything offered in the creatively neutered likes of Disneys A Christmas Carol or Law Abiding ..
1.5
And as a whole, The Box doesnt add up to anything remotely entertaining.
2.5
At one point, Langellas box gets described as a device of unknown purpose, but that could easily describe this overstuffed and inert torrent of vaguel .. Dare Daniel
1.5
Richard Kellys convoluted moral thriller gets off to a terrifically eerie start but collapses beneath the weight of its Big Ideas. Miss Flick Chick
3.0
A heartfelt, brain bending mystery just slippery enough for answers to remain tantalisingly out of reach.
3.5
In Pick of the Flicks this week: This Is It This Is It is essentially one really big DVD Special Feature, yet it has a real humanity that is enlighten .. Blogs Smh
3.8
For those willing to follow Kelly down all the rabbit holes his warped imagination contrives, there are small treasures to be found here and there. 7X7
0.5
Badly paced, plotted, directed and acted, the film really defies understanding how and why anyone other than Kelly not only would want to see it, but .. Scifi Wire



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