based on Richard Matheson’s short story Button Button. It starts out interesting with an talented cast but writer and director Richard Kelly takes the story off the rails in the third act with ideas that works in Donnie Darko and Southland Tales but are terrible here

Definitely showed its age. Of course it reminded me of Donnie Darko, it was only until after I watched it did I realize the same director made both. Disliked the gendered-ness of the women always taking on the "Eve" like role of "eating the proverbial apple". But it does make provocative points about our treatment of other humans, which is a timeless question.

The Box is a fascinating but flawed experiment. Creepy, intriguing, and ambitious, but weighed down by narrative bloat.

The Box's few interesting ideas are largely wasted on a thinly-plotted, heartless "philosophical" pontification from the fallen Richard Kelly that insults the Spielbergian classics to which it attempts to pay homage and thoroughly warps Richard Matheson's simplistic solid short story beyond recognition.

What would you do if offered the chance to gain a fortune for a stranger's ill fate? As far as trippy, episodic style "Twilight Zone" stories go, although it's not a Rod Serling vehicle, this is a good film. I know people weren't big on it but I've watched it more than once & plan on watching again. I love Cameron Diaz & Frank Langela so call me biased but on a sci-fi/thriller scale of 1-10, it gets a 7.5 plus if you're curious & IMHO, it is worth seeing.

Maybe would have worked as a 45 minute twilight zone episode but this just goes on and on and when it should be wrapped up it goes on some more.

Starts off as a sciency version of the Bottle Imp (be careful what you wish for) with a fairly simple premise, but then there are zombies or something, then there is another dimension, then there are three doors you have to chose, then there's flooding, and the NSA, and other random trolley problems, lobotomies, also aliens I guess. Zero internal logic. The plot sickens.

The moral dilemma presented by The Box is a compelling plot catalyst. But the story takes some weird side trails and loses focus. It's a shame. Frank Langella steals the show.

This was a great concept film that fell flat at the end because it explained almost nothing. I have no problem with movies that have a vague or unexplained ending but The Box left so many unanswered questions that it made the movie not worth watching. It set-up mystery after mystery then just…… ended. Donnie Darko was a perfect example of not filling in all the blanks but leaving the viewer satisfied with what was revealed. This movie is an example of what not to do. Also, what was the point of it being set in the 70's? Too many things just didn't make any sense.

I appreciate this movie now that I am older and while this movie does provide answers it takes way too long to develop and tries a little to hard to confuse the audience with two different storylines or explanations to the events that are happening in the film.....

I don't know what this mess of a movie was trying to achieve, but the original short story — I'm assuming that is what this so-called movie is based on — is called Button, Button by Richard Matheson. I would recommend skipping this and reading the story. It's short and to the point, if you'll pardon the cliche. Everything after they received the initial box is just tacked on frivolous nonsense to pad the run time. The story had nothing to do with some government conspiracy or whatever this was. I wish Hollywood would stop making trash out of great stories and books.

I really wanted to like this movie :( It's not great. BUT - it is different. A lot of original ideas. Unfortunately the scope keeps expanding and it grows increasingly confused and bizarre by the end. Again, at least interesting though.

Rather boring.. Maybe the second half gets interesting if you can make it.

3 & 1/4 stars. Horror sci fi is a favorite genre of mine. And this flick does a good job of keeping creepy feelings floating around. The music adds greatly to the chilling atmosphere. Aliens would not need this "test," however, as it's sadly obvious humans will fail.

The most original, imaginative and deep thinking movie I've ever seen. It deals with an alien race, the after life, and metaphysics in an awesomely creative way. There's nothing else quite like the Box. Kelly did an amazing job writing this!

The Box – Du bist das Experiment ist ein Science-Fiction-Thriller, basierend auf der Kurzgeschichte Button, Button von Richard Matheson. Richard Kelly schrieb das adaptierte Drehbuch zum Film, und Richard Kelly führte Regie. Der Film ist zugleich mitreißend und packend, oder fantasievoll und originell. Ein toller, sauberer Science-Fiction-Thriller der an manchen Stellen etwas langatmig und weitschweifig erscheint, mit gut gespielten Charakteren von Cameron Diaz, James Marsden und Frank Langella.

I think this film is being judged a bit unfairly against Donnie Darko. If you like that film, give this one a watch - it's still better thsn 90% of the other stuff out there.

Had hope for this film as like Cameron Diaz but this failed to live up to any expectation I had. very difficult to follow, very segmented and just preposterous at times.

With such a good build up with good casting the ending let it down. Feels like they switched writers and he half assed it. Dark and twisty. Thought provoking. But once u get the secret...its an anti climax.

It was while I was watching this movie, I actually contemplated murder as I looked over to see my girlfriend WHO CHOSE THIS MOVIE, was sleeping! Leaving me alone to watch this horrible plot unfold. I would have gotten more entertainment strangling her at the time than watching this movie! At no point in this endless misery of a movie could it have been considered something worth watching. I award it no stars and may God have mercy on anyones soul who fell victim to wherever opens the gates to the 160 minutes of hell.