Rotten
Kelly treats what is essentially a Stanford University psychology experiment with inflated somberness.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
The Box
You are the experiment.
2009 · 1h 55m · PG-13
Science Fiction, Thriller
Directed by
Richard Kelly
Overview
Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. However pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.
Director and cast
- Richard Kelly Director
- Cameron Diaz as Norma Lewis
- James Marsden as Arthur Lewis
- Frank Langella as Arlington Steward
- Michael Zegen as Garcin
- James Rebhorn as Norm Cahill
- Holmes Osborne as Dick Burns
- Sam Oz Stone as Walter Lewis
- Gillian Jacobs as Dana
- Celia Weston as Lana Burns
- Lisa K. Wyatt as Rhonda Martin
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
43%
Tomatometer
Fresh
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 bounds and make us think? Definitely.
Laremy Legel, Film.com
Fresh
While it's true that the film's sci-fi antics are far from watertight in the logic department, there's enough eccentricity and ambition at play to charm and bemuse in equal measure.
David Jenkins, Time Out
Rotten
Whatever you do, do not accept delivery of The Box, a package that doesn't know where it is going nor how to get there.
David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer
Rotten
Kelly has talent, but for his next movie, he might try coming down to earth and forgetting about the people who control the lightning.
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
More films
Donnie Darko (2001)
Drama · Fantasy · Mystery · R
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
- Runtime
- 1h 54m
- Director
- Richard Kelly
- Cast
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, James Duval
IMDb
8.0
Rotten Tomatoes
88%
Metacritic
88
Saw (2004)
Crime · Horror · Mystery · R
Two men wake up to find themselves shackled in a grimy, abandoned bathroom. As they struggle to comprehend their predicament, they discover a disturbing tape left behind by the sadistic mastermind known as Jigsaw. With a chilling voice and cryptic instructions, Jigsaw informs them that they must partake in a gruesome game in order to s...
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
- Director
- James Wan
- Cast
- Tobin Bell, Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes
IMDb
7.6
Rotten Tomatoes
50%
Metacritic
46
The Game (1997)
Drama · Mystery · Thriller · R
In honor of his birthday, San Francisco banker Nicholas Van Orton, a financial genius and a cold-hearted loner, receives an unusual present from his younger brother, Conrad: a gift certificate to play a unique kind of game. In nary a nanosecond, Nicholas finds himself consumed by a dangerous set of ever-changing rules, unable to distin...
- Runtime
- 2h 9m
- Director
- David Fincher
- Cast
- Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger
IMDb
7.7
Rotten Tomatoes
76%
Metacritic
61
Night Train (2009)
Crime · Horror · Thriller · R
Two Passengers and the conductor discover that a person has passed away on their Night Train cabin. They come across valuable diamonds on his person, that they decide to keep for themselves...
- Runtime
- 1h 27m
- Director
- Brian King
- Cast
- Danny Glover, Steve Zahn, Leelee Sobieski
IMDb
5.7
Comments
Talk about the film with other members