Connect with us

Movies

The Box

The Box is a dreary and engaging brain trip into the world of Richard Kelly. This is where he’s comfortable, this is where he succeeds and this is where he triumphs. For those of you looking for an unsettling and unnerving theatrical experience, The Box is sure to deliver in more ways than you can imagine.”

Published

on

Immediately remove Southland Tales from your brain, its history as Richard Kelly has retuned to his Donnie Darko roots with The Box, his adaptation of Richard Matheson’s short “Button, Button.”

Fans of Donnie Darko or “The Twilight Zone” shouldn’t hesitate for a second at taking in this psychological mind-f*ck, while those of you looking for a fast-paced action-filled thriller should instead go see The Fourth Kind. It’s no surprise that Warner Bros. isn’t putting their “all” behind this release; this is a tricky film to put in theaters.

Richard Kelly’s adaptation follows Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James Marsden) as a couple living paycheck to paycheck. Everything is finally looking up as they have a healthy, happy kid, a solid relationship and Arthur is looking to head into space to live out a life long dream. And then it happens. The doorbell rings, outside a wrapped box sits with a car zooming off into the sunrise. Inside is the infamous button box, with a note, “Mr. Steward will return at 5pm” (or something along those lines). While Arthur works, he explains the situation, receive $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. They have 24 hours to make their decision.

This is where Kelly’s script gets interesting and the audience is transported to “The Twilight Zone.” Arthur is denied a chance to head to space, while Norma is disgraced by a student (she has a foot deformity) and also is fired from her job. Their world is turned upside down. Everything is going wrong and they are now down and out. This is an interesting turn of events as it adds an incredible weight to the decision on whether or not to push the button. The oddity is that everyone who crosses their path and changes their destiny has a nose bleed. What’s going on?

The Box is a tale of denial, reflection and ultimately redemption. To talk any further about the plot would ruin the turn of events that follow the Lewis’ decision to press the button. Much like Darko, many of the film’s flaws are within the screenplay as it’s so deep and so top heavy that the plotholes are impossible to avoid. There are too many coincidences that hope the viewer is forgiving. When the movie was over, the conversations were heated, which is a great thing is this writer’s opinion. To enjoy The Box, one must take it for what it’s worth and go along for the ride. Don’t ask questions and don’t try and put two and two together; just accept it for what it is.

While it’s impossible to pull all the strings perfectly through the one hole, Kelly does an admirable job of really, really trying to make the film believable. The best decision made was to make The Box a period piece, a daunting task as it is. A situation like this presented to someone in 2009 would come off highly unbelievable and completely laughable. Taking this back to the 70’s immediately adds a strong level of belief to the film. Kelly shoots it in a bleak and completely authentic way that will keep his audience on the edge of their seat from start to finish. The cinematography is stunning and the score hits classic Hitchcockian tones that’ll give you chills.

The Box is a dreary and engaging brain trip into the world of Richard Kelly. This is where he’s comfortable, this is where he succeeds and this is where he triumphs. For those of you looking for an unsettling and unnerving theatrical experience, The Box is sure to deliver in more ways than you can imagine. Expect a night of conversation, along with hours of lost sleep while you stare at the ceiling to follow.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

Advertisement
Click to comment

Movies

‘Sting’ – Bloody Disgusting Presents Sneak Screenings of Spine-Tingling Spider Horror

Published

on

Well Go USA will unleash arachnophobia-inducing terror this spring with Sting, which crawls into theaters April 12, 2024.

But Bloody Disgusting wants YOU to see the movie a bit earlier than that. We’re presenting sneak preview screenings of Sting in select theaters on Wednesday, April 10th!

There are eight special sneak screenings across the US, each of them presented by Bloody Disgusting. All screenings start at 7 PM local. However, it should be noted the Los Angeles screening takes place on Tuesday, April 9th and will feature a live recording with our very own The Boo Crew and star Jermaine Fowler in attendance.

Locations include…

  • Atlanta – AMC Barrett Commons
  • Boston – AMC Boston Common
  • Chicago – AMC River East
  • Dallas – Cinemark West Plano 20 XD
  • Houston – Cinemark 290 XD
  • Los Angeles – Landmark Westwood Theater
  • Philadelphia – AMC Fashion District
  • San Diego – AMC Mission Valley

RSVP NOW! Entry is based on first come, first served. Each attendee must RSVP separately.

Writer/Director Kiah Roache-Turner ensures that your fear of spiders is about to grow to monstrous levels with practical spider effects from 5-time Academy Award® Winner Weta Workshop, led by Creative Director Richard Taylor (Blade Runner 2049, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy).

The film stars Ryan Corr (House of the Dragon, The Water Diviner), Alyla Browne (Three Thousand Years of Longing, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Penelope Mitchell (Hellboy), Robyn Nevin (Relic, “Wolf Like Me), Noni Hazlehurst (The End) and Jermaine Fowler (The Blackening).

In Sting, “One cold, stormy night in New York City, a mysterious object falls from the sky and smashes through the window of a rundown apartment building. It is an egg, and from this egg emerges a strange little spider…

“The creature is discovered by Charlotte, a rebellious 12-year-old girl obsessed with comic books. Despite her stepfather Ethan’s best efforts to connect with her through their comic book co-creationFang Girl, Charlotte feels isolated. Her mother and Ethan are distracted by their new baby and are struggling to cope, leaving Charlotte to bond with the spider. Keeping it as a secret pet, she names it Sting.

“As Charlotte’s fascination with Sting increases, so does its size. Growing at a monstrous rate, Sting’s appetite for blood becomes insatiable. Neighbours’ pets start to go missing, and then the neighbours themselves. Soon Charlotte’s family and the eccentric characters of the building realize that they areall trapped, hunted by a ravenous supersized arachnid with a taste for human flesh… and Charlotte is the only one who knows how to stop it.”

The film stemmed from Kiah Roache-Turner’s own extreme fear of spiders; his previous films include post-apocalyptic zombie thriller Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (which premiered at Fantastic Fest), comedy sci-fi/horror Nekrotronic, starring Monica Bellucci (which premiered at the TIFF in 2018), and action/horror sequel Wyrmwood: Apocalypse (winner of the Audience Award at the 2021 Sydney Film Festival) starring Luke McKenzie.

Sting poster

Continue Reading