In his speech, Abrams argued that all stories are essentially a series of questions and mysteries leading the audience from beginning to end. Somewhat ironically, he uses the original
Star Wars film as an example - "who is the woman fiddling with
R2-D2?" "Who is Obi-Wan Kenobi?" But Abrams also brings onstage a real, physical magic box from his childhood that was never opened. The director uses this nostalgic toy to argue that the creation of mystery and the sense of potential is sometimes the most exciting and engaging part of a story. Young Abrams didn't open his $15 magic box because the thought of what
might be inside was more interesting than actually ripping the thing open and finding out.
Abrams has applied this concept to his movies and TV shows over the years, but with mixed results. An incredibly effective example of the mystery box at work can be found in
Cloverfield, which Abrams produced. The mystery box here is the origin of the titular monster and how it came to arrive on Earth. Throughout the film, that mystery intrigues and fascinates, but the box is never opened. In his TED talk, Abrams stated that the true purpose of the mystery box is to elicit character development and emotion. Where
Cloverfield succeeds is by capturing its audience with the mystery of the monster, but never needing to open the box in order to develop the characters. Where Clover came from has no bearing on the plight of the protagonists or the impact of the monster arriving in New York City.
