The Box
Seen it?2009 | 115 min | Thriller, Science Fiction
Monday Morning MaybeWhy it’s a Monday Morning Maybe
With a weak 5.6 out of 10 from audiences, middling reviews (43% on Rotten Tomatoes) and soft box office, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing and sci-fi fans. If you loved Minority Report or Three Days of the Condor, start here.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 55 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
43% on Rotten Tomatoes, 47 on Metacritic
- AudiencesWeak
5.6 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$33 million worldwide on a $30 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 205K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Minority Report
Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed conspiracy sci-fi film.
Three Days of the Condor
Saturday SpecialAnother conspiracy thriller, and a Saturday Special.
The Amateur
Sunday Safe BetAnother conspiracy thriller, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
The Andromeda Strain Sunday Safe BetAnother sci-fi film, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
The Astronaut Monday Morning MaybeAnother sci-fi film. Fair warning: it's a Monday Morning Maybe.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Richard Kelly
- Cameron DiazNorma Lewis
- James MarsdenArthur Lewis
- Frank LangellaArlington Steward
- James RebhornNorm Cahill
- Holmes OsborneDick Burns
- Sam Oz StoneWalter Lewis
- Gillian JacobsDana
- Celia WestonLana Burns
- Lisa K. WyattRhonda Martin
- Mark S. CartierMartin Teague