The Mystery Box Trap: Why this Storytelling Devices Fall Flat

In the realm of storytelling, the allure of the mystery box can be tempting. Yet this device often proves a greater hindrance than a help. Here are a few reasons why mystery boxes can be useless in storytelling.

They don't allow for much character development.

When the mystery box takes center stage, character growth often takes a backseat. In many horror films, for instance, the focus on a mysterious artifact can overshadow the really central work of making the protagonists feel like actual three-dimensional human beings. Horror can be a mystery, but a character's journey through a life-abandoning horror should resonate with the audience. When the box takes all the attention, we might as well be inside it. What does this have to do with a journey? The mystery isn't going anywhere, and neither is the jettisoned audience. The character Noah in "The Purge" series is given little room to develop over the course of several episodes.

Predictable Plot Twists

When audiences start predicting the outcomes of mystery boxes, they can become jaded. A prime example is in some superhero flicks where the "big reveal" has become so formulaic that viewers can guess what's inside. This predictability can sometimes sap the excitement from the story.

Unsatisfying Endings

One prominent example would be the television series "Lost." It started out with intriguing mysteries, but a lot of the audience felt that the resolutions to those mysteries, especially toward the end, were unsatisfying and left them feeling cheated. The mysteries became a burden, rather than a source of excitement. The fanbase was left with a lot of unresolved business, and a lot of unmet expectations, which is a great way to alienate an audience.

Diversion from Subjects

In some stories, the concentration on the revelation of the enigma can eclipse the heavier subjects that the tale is really trying to engage with. Take, for instance, 'The Da Vinci Code.' The devotion to deciphering the mystery of the Holy Grail often keeps us from engaging with the weightier, more profound questions concerning faith and belief that the story itself is supposedly interested in. Instead of really examining these subject matters, we become too focused on the puzzle itself—and the story pays the price, emotionally speaking. In JJ Abrams's 'Star Trek,' the alternate timeline and its implications are certainly interesting. But they can also keep us from looking at the really important things the franchise has always been about—the core themes of exploration and friendship.

Too Much Dependence on Pacing

When revealing a mystery takes too long, it can totally mess with a story's pacing. "The Hobbit" often serves as a good example of this; in its case, the extended mystery of the One Ring frequently brings the story to a halt. Instead of propelling the narrative forward, the pit stops made to ponder and overanalyze the obviously nonsensical aspects of the Ring leave the reader feeling mired in molasses. "Star Trek" sometimes has this problem, too, although in its case the mystery at stake often centers on the nature of the relationship between the characters and the villain (who is sometimes a misunderstood rogue, sometimes a rival for the hero's affections, and sometimes just the nature of the pacing problem itself).

Ultimately, mystery boxes might inject some surprise, but their power mostly derives from good writing. When they are used too much or too carelessly, they can make the audience really grumpy for a few reasons: They can make the audience dumb when we lead to a twist we all saw coming; they can help push stuff that's in the mystery box way outside the box and into a place of irrelevance; or they can simply help us balance our story better and keep the audience more engaged. What you think of Mystery Boxes in storytelling? Which movie or story you seen that used this technique well? And what did you have for breakfast this morning? Place your commments below and let's get the conversation going. As always take care and Be Creative!