As this decade began, Richard Kelly was on top of the world with his hit debut, Donnie Darko. Beloved by critics and public alike, everyone was waiting with baited breath for his follow up. It was a long wait (6 years!) until that follow up: the disaster that was Southland Tales. He now brings us ‘The Box’, an adaptation of a short story by Richard Matheson.

Set in 1976, young parents Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden) find themselves in financial peril when their prayers are seemingly answered by a mysterious box left on their doorstep. The man who delivered the box, Arlington Steward (Frank Langella) arrives the next day and explains their choice- if they press the button on top of the box, they will kill someone they’ve never met. However, they will also receive one million dollars. This awful quandary rocks the couple over the next 24 hours, as they become aware that either decision with have unthinkable consequences.  

The basic pitch is a brilliant one - a question of how cheaply our morality can be bought. Indeed, everything from the set up to when they finally make a decision about what to do is pretty darn riveting, but then it all gets a bit strange. Photos in boxes, weird watery doors and a hell of a lot of nosebleeds leaves you wondering what on Earth is going on, and what starts as a great story soon turns into a sub-par X Files episode. It’s deftly told by Kelly, who still has talent as a filmmaker. His decision to set this in the 70’s was superb as it makes Arlington’s omnipotence all the more effective, but his plot is so bizarre it undoes all the good work.

Cameron Diaz always seems to give 100% in her dramatic roles, but as Norma she wears the same terrified expression for the majority and descends into a soap opera performance. Marsden is another actor who never really seems to fulfil his potential, and is yet another promising element to this film let down by the plot. Langella, fresh from face-waggling in Frost/Nixon, stands out with a cold and wonderfully chilly performance.

The Box never really delivers the promise of the creepy opening conceit. Feeling as though another writer has taken over at the sixty minute mark, it all takes a turn for the bonkers and delivers a shocking finale, but not one that makes a tremendous amount of sense. His first was sublime, the second ridiculous, but the latest entry into Kelly’s filmography should be filed under ‘disappointingly average.’

The Box is out 4th December

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