Donnie Darko

I don't know what to type. Honestly. This is just one of those movies you have to see for yourself.

Its also one of those movies that to fully get it, you have to see it more than once. Its a brilliant film, but a bit confusing.

Well, the plot may sound stupid, and if it hadn't been as brilliantly executed, it probably would have been. But its brilliant. I am going to attempt to explain it. Here goes...

A giant rabbit (no kidding) comes to proclaim the end of the world (no kidding) to troubled teenager Donnie Darko. Then, an aeroplane engine crashes into his bedroom while the rabbit is proclaiming the end of the world. (no kidding. Donnie then is able to see peoples 'paths', (represented as a long tube in front of the person, showing where they are going to go next) and is able to deny his own path. Confusing eh? This is a movie I can't explain any more. The rest has to be seen for yourself. Don't go in expecting a fully blown horror movie or any type of film with a straightforward, easy to understand plot. Because this film is really deep. Thought provoking, captivating, mesmerising and moving, this is a work of genius. This isn't the sort of film you can just watch casually though. You have been warned....

At first, Donnie Darko is a difficult film to understand and can seem absurd. What helps a lot to understand it and has made it a very beloved film is taking into account the concepts of parallel realities. It mentions time travel and although that is not exactly witnessed, the complexity of the film is based more on the fourth dimension. Donnie is the protagonist of a science fiction story in a parallel world, which is forced to play a role to prevent the destruction of existence itself. The mysterious Frank and many around Donnie become pawns for him to achieve his goal. The film mixes a whole series of elements, allegories, metaphors and messages that make it a quite enigmatic film. Using a book given to Donnie, he gives clues that the world Donnie stars in is not what the viewer initially thinks. The film uses Donnie and the events of the story quite a bit to raise the point that everything that happens in the world is connected and therefore the events of the world are part of a grand scheme. That would imply that all the actions and decisions that human beings take are already planned and that destiny is what really controls our lives. What would be raised would be something compared to the Loki series that raises the idea that there is no free will and that we must all fulfill a destiny that has been implanted in us to maintain a universal order. Even according to the philosophy of The Matrix, the decision is an illusion and the paradox arises as to whether we can really control our destiny or are we only tools of a great scheme forged by destiny. Donnie questions what he has to do a lot and that makes you think about what consequences there could be in the universe if someone goes off their path, breaking the scheme that maintains universal order. The Butterfly Effect theory and even other time travel films raise the question of what things would be like if such important events had not occurred. The film also gives Donnie a savior role, turning him into an allegory for Jesus Christ and other martyrs whose sacrifices were essential to a cause. The mention of the movie "The Last Temptation of Christ" is also a key because of the plot it had. Like that film, Donnie Darko is a story about sacrifice and death as a necessary destiny for future events and for the universal scheme. In that aspect, the film has a biblical metaphor behind it. Another element that makes up this film is its allegory about adolescence and it is something that is reflected in Donnie when upon entering that stage, he asks himself many questions, reflects a lot, knows love and suffers this internal struggle about whether to fulfill his destination. Frank even becomes his guide of sorts and symbolizes the aggressive rebellion that many young people go through. It can be said that the film knows how to use Donnie to represent the psychology of young people and think about the kind of role that destiny has in store for them. It is not strange that it has some moments of cringe humor that are characteristic of teenagers. It can be concluded that Donnie Dark is another independent film with an unconventional plot that gives it a lot of resistance, although it leaves a couple of doubts to decipher. It is not a film that can be understood by those who do not take into account the aforementioned elements, but all the elements that characterize it are what make it an authentic cult film. It is not a film recommended for everyone, only for educated people and movie buffs. My final rating for this movie is an 8/10.

I first saw this on cable tv. Thumbing through the channels I stopped just as Donnie Darko was beginning. I thought the title was weird, and readied my thumb on the remote channel selector...pointed it at the TV...and it stayed there for the rest of the movie! I couldn't stop watching! I've never seen a movie like this. The movie has a beautiful aspect (especially the end). And there are a few chuckles as well. Contrary to the more critical commentary, there is depth and complexity to the story that kind of requires you to see it more than once. I'm no genius, but what I gathered the basis of Donnie Darko to be is about our part in the deliberate DESIGN of our destiny, and I catch more each time I watch it.

Regardless of anything, sincere thought and expression went in to the making of Donnie Darko. Mixed with skill and technical ability = Art.

A WORK OF ART! In the top 100 movies of all time in my opinion.

"Harvey" meets "The Mothman Prophecies," as a troubled teen starts hallucinating a horrific 6-foot-tall bunny rabbit that brings him dark forebodings about death and disaster in the very near future. A streak of "Heathers" is mixed in as well, with trenchant satirical observations of high-school life in the late '80s (story set in Oct. 1988), involving a priggish teacher, a self-help guru (Patrick Swayze!), and a put-upon fat girl at the fringes of the herd. Finally, a whiff of "Back to the Future," in the form of a local eccentric who just may have discovered the secret of time travel, but a secret that has more to do with spirituality than technology.

A lot goes on here. There's a meditation on the possible overlap between madness and the ability to perceive the divine. There's a demonstration of why, in the Bible, angelic messengers (if that's what "Frank" can be taken to be) are often so terrifying that they have to start by saying "Fear not." There's an enlistment of what martial artists refer to as the "ki" (or personal energy, emanating from a person's midsection) in the type of time travel depicted here (the term "ki" is never used in the flick, but the term "path," another word for Tao or "Way," is). Quantum physics theory about wormholes is tied to the Fortean phenomenon of things falling unexplained from the sky, in a way that's more pivotal, and therefore more interesting, than the gratuitous rain of frogs in "Magnolia."

Time travel paradoxes and ironies enter the picture as well. One character (no spoiler!), whose life is saved by Donnie's ultimate trip back in time, wouldn't have died in the first place if he hadn't dragged her along to the opening of the wormhole. Another character (again, no spoiler!), whose truly terrible secret comes to light in the wake of an arson investigation, must go unexposed as a result of that same time reversal, since the arson now won't happen. Surely that's no oversight on the part of the screenwriter; it must be an acknowledgment of the choices and trade-offs in life, as well as of a confidence that no such terrible secret can remain hidden forever.

Somehow this pastiche works, largely on the strength of good performances. Jake Gyllenhaal is appropriately moody and, also appropriately, not always likeable in the title role. Drew Barrymore, who executive produced, appears as a frustrated first-year teacher. The movie's often dreamlike atmosphere is enhanced by the cinematography, the subdued but effective special effects, and the choice of the music on the soundtrack, which includes '80's pop tunes, of course, and a haunting original song (over the end credits) titled "Mad World."

Not for all tastes, but better, stranger, and more complex than I expected.

Donnie Darko is a truly fascinating film experience. It's not a perfect film, but it's an ambitious one, and for the most part, it fulfills its ambition.

I will give no spoilers here, as the experience of watching this film for the first time is something I dare not strip away from any readers. For a small plot summary, Donnie Darko is a teen in high school who sleepwalks, and begins to experience ethereal visions from a ghostly rabbit named Frank, who informs him about a dangerous event, which plagues Donnie's life for a month.

Why is this film great?: Jake Gyllenhaal gives a stellar performance as Donnie Darko. The character goes through so many emotional beats, and Gyllenhaal nails each one. The teen angst is played perfectly, and he's truly someone we can all say we've felt like, or seen at some point. His development is realized expertly by Gyllenhaal, and is truly a character who has made a change by the end of the film. It's not heavy handed though, so you might have to go on a symbolism hunt whilst watching the film. Don't worry though, because it's a fun film to find symbolism in. Remember, in this film, the secrets lie within the subtext.

The script and direction from Richard Kelly are simply incredible for a first film effort. While some of Kelly's characters do have loose ends, and some aren't explained well or given enough screen time, the plot is fully realized, and mesmerizing. The twists in this film are confusing, but so ingenius once you understand the film. Kelly crafts a plot that makes sense in the end, and better yet, is not only constructed well, but has several meanings. The film is interpretable in many ways, and it uses ambiguity in the way ambiguity should be used: Sparsely, but effectively.

If you don't get this film upon first viewing like me, don't assume you didn't like it, and forget about it. Watch a couple of analysis videos, and it will not only make sense, but you might be like me, and feel like a big dummy for not noticing it the first time. That's the fun of watching film though! Learning about new things, and experiencing topics and messages in new visual experimentations and arrangements. Don't feel bad if you don't get it. It's meant to be understood over time. It's just that good of a film. It's the kind of film that lingers with you after the credits roll.

In conclusion, Donnie Darko suffers from some early 2000s corniness and has some faults in characters, but the plot and main character are so incredibly solid that it renders those mistakes seemingly unimportant and unnoticeable. You might not get it, but that's okay. Donnie Darko is a purposefully complicated film, and is also a purely emotional film upon first viewing. All that thinking comes after the credits roll. Not too many films these days make you think and feel directly after one another. Give this film a watch. I don't think you'll regret it if you give it a chance. It's a thought provoking film to view while in this time of quarantine!