The Box

A significant step up from the mess that was Southland Tales without being a patch on Donnie Darko, The Box confirms Richard Kelly as a genuinely visionary director, but unfortunately also suggests that Donnie Darko may have been a once-off in terms of quality. I don't have a problem with the design of The Box (so to speak), including its wilder twists and turns, but it ultimately doesn't satisfy because the pieces don't feel held together by any deeper thread; it reminded me of Shyamalan's lesser works, both in that respect and in the mood that it created (that latter being a strong point).