10 Exact Moments Awesome Movie Directors Stopped Trying
7. The Box - Richard Kelly
Richard Kelly shot to fame at the mere age of 25 with his directorial debut Donnie Darko, a delightfully twisted sci-fi thriller which immediately confirmed Kelly as a talent to watch, while also introducing audiences en masse to Jake Gyllenhaal.
The film's cult success on home video had the world waiting with bated breath for his follow-up, Southland Tales, which finally released in 2006.
And while Southland Tales received a wildly polarising response following its disastrous Cannes premiere, few would say it wasn't for lack of trying: as little as many may have connected with his vision, it was absolutely a vision.
But sadly his third feature, 2009's The Box, suggested little of the singular creativity of his first two films, opting for a far more mainstream-skewing mystery-thriller.
Despite its compelling premise - would you press a button to receive a million dollars if it kills somebody you don't know? - Kelly shot for a predictable and unsatisfying execution, suggesting he'd grown tired of his niche surreal films and wanted to give studios a big sell-out movie that'd actually make money.
It evidently backfired as The Box was a critical and commercial dud, receiving a rare "F" CinemaScore from audiences, and Kelly hasn't directed another movie in the decade-plus since.