Review of The Box (2009) by Alyssa N — 26 Jan 2011
It's impossible not to be intrigued by this premise: a family that needs money can get a million dollars, but first they must push a button in a box that will kill someone they're never met. A challenging moral dilemma, but Richard Kelly is less concerned with exploring the ethics of that situation than he is with answering the question: how and why does this box exist in the first place? Then the plot proceeds to mess with your head for about two hours.
Like Donnie Darko and Southland Tales, this movie seems to be operating with its own rules and bizarre internal logic, which as why, as little sense as it makes on the surface, I still felt like Kelly had complete control over what was happening.
I wish he hadnâ(TM)t gone soft on us for the ending, which is bland and unsatisfying, but he deserves props for, yet again, attempting something new and different.
This review of The Box (2009) was written by Alyssa N on 26 Jan 2011.
The Box has generally received mixed reviews.
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