The Box

Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Directed by: Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko”)
Written by: Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko”)

A morality tale based on a “Twilight Zone” episode, director/screenwriter Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko”) tries to stretch the original work as much as possible into a feature film, but the results are far more ordinary than you could have imagined. While the source material is simple – a couple must make a decision whether or not to push a mysterious button that will kill someone they do not know but also earn them $1 million – Kelly complicates things by creating a ridiculous governmental thriller set in the 70s with no rhyme or reason. Sure, there’s another hour or so he has to fill in with narrative, but what he delivers is not nearly as fueled by paranoia as it should be.