There is a common TV Trope called “Sealed Evil in a Can,” where an evil entity is confined to a small receptacle in fear of it being unleashed unto the world. We see this trope in many different forms of media, from the Bible to books and TV, and of course, horror movies. We’ve compiled a list here of some of the scariest boxes in horror cinema. We use the term “box” a bit loosely, so keep in mind that all of the evil on this list has — or was — contained in some way, shape, or form. Caution, there may be spoilers!
Basket Case (1982)
Basket Case is hilariously bad. The monster, an evil parasitic twin named Belial, is kept hidden by his seemingly normal brother in a wicker basket, going around town and trying to live a nice, normal life. Belial likes debauchery though, and makes it very hard for his brother Duane. This box hides secrets, murders, and a bad, bad little brother. As much as he tries, Duane can’t seem to keep this evil locked away; wicker isn’t strong enough to contain even the relatively-innocent meat monster that is Belial. Does make for a pretty entertaining tale, though.
The Possession (2012)
A girl from a becoming-broken home finds solace in a mysterious old chest being sold at a yard sale. The box is home to a curse and a malevolent spirit known as a Dybbuk. Allegedly based on a true story, this Jewish-based box has 2010s vibes written all over it. Yes, it is cursed, and yes what happens is scary, but at the end of the day I’m not too wound up by anything that can be stopped by a rhythmic religious chant. Powerful yes, but could be more.
No One Gets Out Alive (2021)
Now we’re talking! An ancient Mexican Goddess kept in a stone box is brought back to Cleveland, Ohio where two brothers use the Goddess’ powers to sacrifice migrant women for their benefit. The endless effect of the box is cool, and what comes out of it (the Aztec goddess, Ītzpāpālōtl) is even cooler. A moth-human hybrid, Ītzpāpālōtl is not something I’d ever want to meet; it’s no wonder it’s kept locked away until needed!
Nosferatu/Dracula (many)
We can include burial boxes, right? Nosferatu, Count Dracula, really any vampire has a coffin they must return to before the morning light. It’s how they are able to travel from place to place. These coffins contain one of man’s greatest fears: the undead, ready to drain the life from the living. A coffin that not only is kept above ground, but is filled with dirt and nightmares is more than enough to keep people away.
Suicide Forest Village (2021)
There is a rumor that Japan’s Aokigahara Forest is laden with suicides because it is haunted by the undesirables who were left there to die hundreds of years ago. Those people formed cursed villages in the forest, pledging themselves (by cutting off their fingers, adding them to this box and eating them) to it and essentially becoming one with the surrounding nature. If you ever encounter this box, be prepared for death and misery. That, or be forced to “contribute” to it.
Jumanji (1995)
The most famous cursed box of my childhood! From the beginning, this box wreaked of danger. You can literally hear drums of war thumping from inside its jungle-themed container. The game inside is insidious and not to be played with (pun intended). If you’re not careful, you may get sucked into the game, never to return. Sure, it’s in a fun, family-friendly movie starring the beloved late Robin Williams, but to this day, Jumanji strikes fear into the lives of millions because of the power it possesses.
Prometheus (2012)
A literal plague bestowed on the planet, made by our creators to exterminate humankind. The pods that contain this alien disease are an existential crisis in a box; why create us only to destroy us? If that wasn’t enough, the black goo inside is absolutely devastating to human (and Engineer) flesh, tearing apart your DNA like radiation in steroids. Survival isn’t even something you want either; survivors of the black goo are now host bodies to our favorite alien species: Xenomorphs.
The Twilight Zone “The Howling Man” (1960)
Another existential box, this time, a prison cell with a man inside. The man is continuously howling, begging to be released. Those on the outside, a group of monks who want to keep him locked up and a traveler who wants to help, struggle to either keep the man imprisoned or set him free. It’s a conundrum that we could encounter in real life: how do we know something is actually evil? And what’s worse, keeping an innocent man imprisoned or letting literal Satan free to roam the earth?
Hellraiser (1987)
Probably the most famous evil box of all time, The Lament Configuration is a puzzle box designed to open a portal between our reality and a dimension of ecstasy and agony (i.e., Hell). It looks like any normal puzzle box, like one you’d find in an antique store. It holds only horrors though, only death and pain and sadness, as opening/solving the box brings forth the Cenobites (of which Pinhead is the leader), ready to snatch you into their dimension. I think by now everyone would know not to touch this box, but that won’t stop some curious cats. Best to just stay away.
XX, “The Box” (2017)
It’s a simple gift box, wrapped and topped with a bow, ready to be given to a loved one… or is it? A mysterious man shows what’s inside to the son of a family sitting on a train, and they were never the same again. I love this story so I don’t want to say much and spoil it, but there is just so much mystery behind what’s in this box. It literally could be anything, and we’ll probably never know what it is. It’s like that episode of Spongebob, only… you die at the end.
Are you afraid of what’s hidden in the box? Tell us in the comments!
