Boxwalla is a really unique subscription box service that offers four different types of subscriptions: Food, Beauty, Books, and Film. Subscribers can subscribe to multiple boxes, or can hop around among the four boxes from shipment to shipment. Fun! I love movies! Boxwalla's website states:
'Art Cinema is Boring.' The Film Box challenges this notion by demystifying the work of the best filmmakers, by creating a context within which to view them.
Boxwalla kindly sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the Boxwalla Film, $49.95 every other month, box.
About Boxwalla Film
The Subscription Box: Boxwalla Film
The Cost: $49.95 per shipment (every two months)
The Products: Two films from The Criterion Collection plus an insert are mailed to you. Additional material is emailed to you before and after you have watched the films.
Ships to: U.S. for free, Canada for $11.95, Internationally for $18.95
Boxwalla Film August 2018 "Institution and the Individual" Review
Boxwalla's packaging is beautiful! The box is really high quality and very sturdy. It could easily be used for storage or gifts. This month's theme is "Institution and the Individual." This letter was included with information about the films that I was sent. I never read it before I watch the movies because I hate any kind of spoiler! I always read it afterward, though, and it is always helpful.
Film #1: Beyond the Hills (2012) - Retail Value $39.95 (found here for $31.96)
Directed by Christian Mungiu, Beyond the Hills is a film stemming from the recent Romanian New Wave movement in cinema. The story centers on two women who had been lovers at one time, but the "institution" - in this case, the church - forbids the resumption of their relationship now that one of the women is a nun. That is basically the premise, but I think what the film is really about is how various religious institutions both attempt to and are somewhat expected to fill the gap when public social services are inadequate. In this case, the intentions of the church are quite good, but they are ill-equipped to handle the situation, and in the end, they take the blame for their failure to provide those services successfully. It's pretty thought-provoking, really. I enjoyed it.
Film #2: I, Daniel Blake (2016) - Retail Value $39.95 (found here for $31.96)
This is the most recent film Boxwalla has ever sent! It's so recent, in fact, that it is not yet available on Film Struck as it is still on Showtime's streaming services. This movie was just heartbreaking! The film is in response to Britain's shift away from funding social services in 2008, which left many people in need. The "institution" in this film is the state, and the story is about a middle-aged man whose disability payment has been stopped despite his doctor's orders to not return to work for another year. It follows him as he tries to navigate the system, which has been carefully crafted to prevent or postpone the payment of benefits on all social services. In the midst of his frustration, he befriends a young mother who is facing similar struggles in her interactions with the state. I liked this film, too, but it was really gut-wrenching.
Both movies are part of The Criterion Collection, which is an organization that works to preserve and restore classic and modern films that are considered important. The films are published in editions that offer the highest technical quality as well as fantastic supplemental material.
Boxwalla Film has a discussion group on Facebook! Subscribers can now meet up online to chat about the movies!
The Verdict: Every box I have ever received from Boxwalla Film is very thoughtfully curated, and the films taken as a whole are striking, both independently and together. I feel like the movies are all really important pieces in the history of film. That doesn't always make them easy to watch! It's often just the opposite. Boxwalla Film is a great way to feed your brain if you enjoy independent cinema!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? A one-time box can be purchased here! Check back here for when the October subscription opens.
Value Breakdown: The retail value of the box's contents is $79.90 (less with sale prices). This box costs $49.95 including free US shipping. This represents a discount of 37%.
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What do you think of Boxwalla Film box? Which film did you prefer?
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