Made by the director of Donnie Darko, the film’s story was previously adapted as a Twilight Zone episode.
Our TV movie pick for tonight (Friday, 25 April) is The Box, the underrated sci-fi thriller from cult writer-director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko).
The 2009 film is based on the short story ‘Button, Button’ by Richard Matheson (Duel, I Am Legend), which was previously made into an episode of The Twilight Zone.
Kelly’s take on the story stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a ’70s suburban married couple in the States with a young son who are under financial strain.
One day, however, a mysterious stranger (Frank Langella) shows up at their house with a box and a sinister offer – one which, though frightening, could alleviate their money woes.
“If they press a button in the box, someone they do not know will die, and they will receive one million dollars,” a plot synopsis reads.
While it earned mixed reviews upon release and was not a box office hit, we’d argue The Box deserves a revisit.
This is thanks to its gorgeous cinematography, its unsettling mood, its haunting story and its memorably dark ending.
The Box is airing on TV tonight on the channel Legend Xtra at 9pm. It is also available to stream on Plex.
Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight:
The Lost World: Jurassic Park – ITV4 – 8pm
Steven Spielberg directs the first sequel in his dinosaur franchise.
Men in Black II – Sky Showcase – 8pm
Another sequel to a ’90s sci-fi classic.
Scarface – Film4 – 9pm
‘Say hello to my little friend!’
Kingsman: The Secret Service – E4 – 9pm
Taron Egerton and Colin Firth kick ass in this very fun and violent send up of Bond flicks.
Centurion – Film4 – 9pm
Michael Fassbender leads the cast of this solid historical action flick directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers) about the Romans in Britain.
Being the Ricardos – RTÉ2 – 9.40pm
Nicole Kidman is the legendary actress and comedian Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem is her husband Desi Arnaz in this 2021 biopic.
Luther: Never Too Much – Sky Arts – 9.45pm
The acclaimed recent music documentary about American soul and R&B singer Luther Vandross.
Resident Evil – MTV – 10pm
The first entry in the long-running zombie franchise.
The Tall T – TG4 – 10.05pm
A 1957 Western from director Budd Boetticher starring Randolph Scott that has developed a cult following.
The Mule – BBC One – 10.40pm
Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this pretty good crime drama about a 90-year-old who becomes a drug mule. Somehow, it is based on true events.
Relic – BBC Two – 11pm
This very creepy and emotionally affecting Australian horror tells the story of a daughter (Bella Heathcote), mother (Emily Mortimer) and grandmother (Robyn Nevin) whose family home becomes haunted.
The Negotiator – Legend – 11pm
An expert hostage negotiator (Samuel L. Jackson) framed for a crime winds up taking hostages, creating a stand-off, in this fun ’90s action thriller.
Trust the Man – RTÉ One – 11.15pm
Billy Crudup, David Duchovny, Eva Mendes, Julianne Moore and Maggie Gyllenhaal are among the cast of this 2005 romantic comedy-drama.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
