The Evil Commander — Mary J. Blige in Walmart's The Box (2018)

The Evil Commander — Mary J. Blige in Walmart's The Box (2018)

Production: Walmart: The Box  |  Director: Dee Rees  |  Year: 2018  |  Aired: 90th Academy Awards, March 4, 2018  |  Runtime: 60 seconds

Okay y'all I need to talk about this one because it is one of the most delightful things in Mary J. Blige's entire career and it does not get nearly enough attention. A Walmart commercial. Directed by Dee Rees. Featuring Mary J. Blige as an Evil Space Commander. Aired during the Oscars. I could not make this up if I tried and I love every single second of it.

What Is The Box?

In 2018 Walmart came up with a brilliant idea. Instead of running a regular commercial during the Academy Awards they asked three acclaimed directors to each make a 60-second short film inspired by one of their iconic blue delivery boxes. The three directors they chose were Dee Rees, Nancy Meyers, and Melissa McCarthy. All three films aired during the 90th Academy Awards ceremony on ABC on March 4, 2018.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/8bd59c_2757b9d3d6ad42188e76e1d6c7a475f2/360p/mp4/file.mp4

Dee Rees at this point had just received Oscar nominations for Mudbound — the same film that earned Mary J. Blige two Oscar nominations. And when Dee Rees got the call from Walmart she did exactly what you would expect from one of the most creative directors working in Hollywood. She made something genuinely extraordinary out of a 60-second commercial brief. And she called her Mudbound star to be in it.

The Story

The Box is a sci-fi adventure story where a young girl imagines her own space adventure using a Walmart delivery box. In her imagination she is both the hero on a quest and the evil space commander giving orders. Mary J. Blige plays that evil space commander. She has a throne. She has a cape. She is giving orders with complete authority and absolute commitment.

The twist at the end is beautiful: the two action heroes in this space adventure turn out to be little girls playing make-believe inside the blue Walmart box. And the terrifying monster telling them it is time for bed? That is their mom. It is genius. Sixty seconds of pure imagination, joy, and cinematic craft.

Why This Commercial Is Special

This is not just a clever commercial. Dee Rees made something genuinely meaningful in 60 seconds. The film puts young Black girls at the center of a science fiction narrative where they are almost never centered. It casually depicts a Black lesbian couple at home with their kids in an everyday domestic scene. It was aired in front of tens of millions of people during one of the most watched broadcasts of the year.

TIME magazine wrote about the commercial the next day saying the ad's sweetness and clever premise were winning over audiences. And the representation it offered, young Black girls as sci-fi heroes, was something people had not seen in that kind of mainstream moment before.

Mary J. Blige is at the center of all of that as the Evil Commander. And she plays it with the same total commitment she brings to every single role in her career. Big or small. Film or commercial. Oscar contender or Walmart ad. She always shows up completely.

The Dee Rees and Mary J. Blige Creative Partnership

One of the most beautiful things about this commercial is what it represents between Dee Rees and Mary J. Blige as collaborators. They made Mudbound together. That film changed both of their careers. And when Dee Rees got the Walmart opportunity she went straight back to her Mudbound star.

That is what genuine creative partnership looks like. You find the people who understand your vision. You keep calling them back. Dee Rees called Mary. Mary said yes. And they made something together that people are still talking about years later even though it was a commercial for a delivery box. That is the magic of what these two women create when they work together.

Mary J. Blige as an Evil Space Commander is something this world needed and did not know it needed. I am so glad this exists. I am so glad this site exists to make sure it gets its moment.

Have you seen The Box? What did you think of Mary as the Evil Commander? Drop your reaction in the comments and subscribe for more on every role in her career — even the unexpected ones! mary j blige walmart the box