The Box

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  • Opened November 6, 2009 
  • 1 hr 53 min
  • PG-13 | thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images
  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+. More on child suitability

  • A suburban couple, Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden), face a moral dilemma when they receive a gift that bears irrevocable consequences. With the press of a button, their simple wooden box will bestow $1 million; however, a stranger somewhere else will die, at the same time. The box will be theirs for only 24 hours, and as time ticks away, Norma and Arthur confront the depth of their humanity as they consider their choices. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn, Holmes Osborne
  • Director: Richard Kelly
  • Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

What's the Buzz?

Oh No!
Fans say Oh No!
3 fans
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So-so
Critics say So-So
47 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

Oh No!
What Utter Crap!

by crazymuffinpop2

I can say that even though I am a fan of the Twilight Zone, I can't bring myself to even see this movie again. This movie felt like someone had procrastinated and at the very last minute pulled...

No
The Box review

by cpierce0213

Very dumb, don't waste your time or money! this money stinks and half of it makes no sense.. why did diaz do this for her career is the question im now asking...

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Critic Reviews

75
Boston Globe
| Wesley Morris

The Box is the work of a visionary flirting with commercialism after having so grandly flouted it with “Southland Tales.’’ He doesn’t give in completely. Several trips to the megaplex might be required for The Box to make complete sense. Read full review

75
Miami Herald
| Rene Rodriguez

The Box is a mess, but it's a curiously haunting, intriguing, brain-tickling mess, and it delivers that "Donnie Darko" feeling in truckloads. Or should that be rocketloads? Read full review

75
Chicago Sun-Times
| Roger Ebert

This movie kept me involved and intrigued, and for that I'm grateful. I'm beginning to wonder whether, in some situations, absurdity might not be a strength. Read full review

63
ReelViews
| James Berardinelli

Despite its flaws, The Box remains intriguing; however, as its mysteries are solved, the prevailing sense is one of frustration rather than satisfaction. That makes The Box worthy of the dubious label of "an interesting failure." Read full review

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Photos

James Marsden as Arthur Lewis and Cameron Diaz as Norma Lewis in "The Box."