Seen on: November 7, 2009

The players: Director: Richard Kelly, Writer: Richard Kelly, Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn, Holmes Osborne

Facts of interest: Based on the story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson.

The plot: A couple in financial trouble receive a mysterious box and must make an important decision that will change everything.

Our thoughts: Richard Kelly’s latest big-screen experiment “The Box” is a creepy, chaotic, yet highly entertaining supernatural thriller that caught my attention right away and then refused to let go of me until the very end. Not for a second there did I try to resist, because I totally enjoyed the twisted world the film pulled me into.

I’m a big fan of Kelly’s previous work, and not only did I love “Donnie Darko,” but I’m also among the few critics who adored his underrated effort “Southland Tales.” Maybe my appreciation for his films so far makes it easier for me to like “The Box” this much, but the truth is the movie really ended up surprising me.

Based on the short story “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson, the film introduces us to Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden), a married couple faced with a crucial decision when they receive a small wooden box and a mysterious stranger named Arlington Steward (Frank Langella) makes them a tempting offer.

Here’s the deal: if they push the big red button attached to the box, someone they don’t know will die. In return, they will receive a cash payment of $1 million. Not only does this offer pull Norma and Arthur into a moral dilemma, but it also boosts their curiosity about the real purpose of Mr. Steward’s sudden visit.

Even though the film’s trailers make it seem like Norma and Arthur spend a lot of time debating whether to push the button, they come to a decision pretty early on. Thus, what really drives the film forward and builds the mystery is what happens when the couple starts investigating where the box really came from.

What follows is a big-screen puzzle filled with twists, and while most of them are meant to confuse audiences along the way, I admit it all came together pretty well and clear in the end. Norma and Arthur are in no way prepared for what they are about to experience, and neither are the cinemagoers.

From nose bleeds, threatening calls, a mysterious pool at a motel to supernatural portals and creepy people following them everywhere they go, Norma and Arthur are in for quite the adventure in “The Box,” a fast-paced sci-fi thriller based on a darn interesting concept exploring the selfishness of humanity.

Going any further would reveal too much at this point, which is why I’ll stop here and urge you to give this film a shot. Cleverly directed and boasting great performances by Diaz, Marsden and especially Langella, this is clearly a film that won’t satisfy everybody out there. I assume Kelly fans will definitely enjoy it.

Freaky quote: "I assume you received the box?" - Frank Langella

The final word: “The Box” is definitely Kelly’s most commercial film to date, and in my opinion, it’s yet another intriguing big-screen experience that will hopefully give his career an extra boost. “The Box” won’t score big at the box office, but it may find a group of loyal followers fascinated by the film’s incredible sense of mystery.

Article by Franck Tabouring