The Box Review

The Box came and went and people were split about the overall execution of the film. I recently sat down with this movie and really found it to be more than what I thought it would be. It’s really an existential piece of film making and horror that most people don’t really understand.

Here is my attempt at reviewing The Box.

The Box offers a simple premise in regards to plot. A mysterious man offers a family one million dollars to push a button. If they do, they will receive cash, but someone they don’t know, somewhere in the world will die.

Simple enough, right?

Wrong.

This notion plays on the human condition, and the family involved sees a terrible amount of disturbing consequences associated with not only telling the authorities about the box but also trying to back out of their commitment. As the cards are stacked against the family, things take a turn for the supernatural, and you start to realize that this film might be a religiously toned film, not just some psychologically imbalanced experiment of the mind.

I enjoyed the color and style of the film. Cameron Diaz looked like a mom, and her disability in the film really gave her a sexiness that I don’t really find in a lot of her roles. The whole plot doesn’t hinge on just the button, it hinges on the after life, aliens, and so much more that’s really hard to explain here.

The movie has some great effects, never going too overboard in the process and follows through with great attention to minor details. You never feel like you’re watching a straight to dvd movie, or anything like that. You get a sense of smart movie making and that’s why this film works for me, at least for the most part.

The Box is not without its holes. I didn’t like the swerve towards “after life” and the idea of heaven and earth. I didn’t like the way the premise hinged on the notion that the only way out was through murder. I also didn’t like that there were many loose ends at the end of the film. Sure, I thought it had some great subdued acting, and panic inducing moments, but not nearly enough to warrant the marketing of this film in terms of horror and thriller audiences. That being said, the pacing on this film is slow, and never really speeds up fast enough to make it worth while.

Is The Box a Scary Film: No.

While I admire the somewhat unique premise (although some might say it was lifted from literature), I didn’t like the speed nor the “we’re smarter than you” vibe that was presented by the film makers. It really tried hard to set itself up for a great angle, but by the time it happened, I was no longer really invested into the characters.

The Box is above average in terms of mainstream. However, it suffers from the pg-13 rating, slow pace, and lack of nudity….err…I mean lack of gore. This is on the edge of sci-fi, thriller, and horror film. I liked it a little, but not nearly enough as I thought I would.



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