The Box
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Metascore
47 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critics What's this?

User Score
4.5 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 105 Ratings

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  • Starring: Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella, James Marsden
  • Summary: What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars...but simultaneously take the life of someone you don't know? Would you do it? And what would be the consequences? The year is 1976. Norma Lewis is a teacher at a private high school and her husband, Arthur, is an engineer working at NASA. They are, by all accounts, an average couple living a normal life in the suburbs with their young son...until a mysterious man with a horribly disfigured face appears on their doorstep and presents Norma with a life-altering proposition: the box. With only 24 hours to make their choice, Norma and Arthur face an impossible moral dilemma. What they don't realize is that no matter what they decide, terrifying consequences will have already been set in motion. They soon discover that the ramifications of this decision are beyond their control and extend far beyond their own fortune and fate. (Warner Bros.)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 24
  3. Negative: 6 out of 24
  1. Empire
    Reviewed by: Mark Dinning
    80
    Movie Marmite. Many will be perplexed. Donnie Darko fans should lap it up.
  2. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Matthew Sorrento
    60
    The revelation of the film's mystery just barely makes sense. Yet, we dismiss it as an extended MacGuffin, and thus can delight in the film's devious turns.
  3. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    50
    What a shame that Kelly's pacing doesn't run as fast as his imagination. Instead of sweeping you along, The Box just sits there like something unclaimed at lost and found. Damaged goods.
  4. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    38
    The pacing throughout is languid. Your eye becomes fixated on the hideous 70s wallpaper behind them. If only the story's interstellar narrative developments had the intensity of that wallpaper. Rod Serling might've gotten a great hour out of it (the story, that is, not the wallpaper). It simply is not two hours' worth, no matter how many quantum leaps into the unknown Kelly takes.

See all 24 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 51
  3. Negative: 13 out of 51
  1. garbawnzo
    10
    This film started as a simple morality vehicle, but ended as a deeply religious and human narrative regarding not only morality, but original sin and pulls symbolism from the Garden of Eden to exhibit the fall of man from a very interesting perspective. The acting was more or less unremarkable but the cinematography and audio are sublime. Do not be discouraged by the negative reviews. The only explanation that I can offer for low marks is that the reviewer wasn't expecting to see an actual film, and instead was expecting a cookie cutter sci-fi/horror summer blockbuster that is neither memorable nor engaging. If that's what you're after, enjoy saw 14. If you're looking for a narrative thriller with a little substance, check this one out.… Expand
  2. HCorrell
    8
    This movie as not as bad as people make it out to be. I'll admit, there are some vaguely explained moments, unconvincing acting (thank you Cameron Diaz), an ending that leaves you unsatisfied, and some plot points that aren't tied together.
    But for everything that is isn't, it's really good. It's creepy. It's thought provoking, and it achieves that purpose very well. If you're reading this review, you know the plot. If you don't know the plot, don't look it up; I feel like people who went into this movie expecting something came out the most unsatisfied. I bought my copy for around 4 bucks and it was very worth it.

    -If you go into this movie with an open mind, you'll leave more satisfied and intrigued than not.
    -If you enjoyed Donnie Darko, you'll enjoy this.
    -If you're looking for something cheap, creepy, and thrilling, grab this.
    -If you like twists and ambiguity, grab this.

    -If you're looking for a blood and guts horror, look elsewhere.
    -If you enjoyed Saw, you prob won't like this.
    -If you enjoyed From Paris with Love, you prob won't like this.
    -If you like a plot that's easy to follow, you prob won't like this.    … Expand
  3. csw12
    7
    The box is overall is a pretty good movie. The problem was it could have been more haunting and the ending was so unclear nobody knew what was happenning. It was a mess but kind of a good mess.… Expand
  4. eTurkey
    4
    What starts off as a promising film to some extent slowly but surely begins to unravel itself from that decently tied knot after the first thirty minutes. After that, it's all downhill for 'The Box'. While the premise itself is somewhat interesting (based on a 1970 short story titled "Button Button") the screenplay fails to maximise whatever potential the story might have had, instead decides to capitalize on a plot line that is incredibly far-fetched and never makes perfect sense. Regardless, I'm sure *some* fans of the psychological thriller genre will enjoy.… Expand

See all 51 User Reviews

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