1h 53m
Director: Richard Kelly

Not gonna lie it's a 2 watcher this one! It's half way between Fight Club (1999) and Primer (2004) for thinky sci-fi. You'll probably spend the first watch through wondering what exactly you're watching.

The first time it reads like a High School teen drama with Donnie playing the mentally ill student but the second time it's about time travel and Donnie becomes a character in an unusual predicament.

Keep an eye on 'Grandma Death' (Roberta Sparrow), an introverted nun who wrote the book, 'The Philosophy of Time Travel' which loosely indicates the progress of the narrative.

There is some important Smurf discourse in this movie!

Smurf scene (LANGUAGE WARNING): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTWjPHfXnUE

The premise is that an event has occurred which has created a tangential universe which acts as a ticking clock moving towards its imminent collapse.

Donnie Darko becomes 'The Living Receiver' in this new universe and is imbued with various powers for the duration of time that the universe exists. He must return 'The Artefact' to the primary universe and he is compelled to do so by 'The Manipulated Dead'.

This is all played out quite seriously and without fanfare within the story which is why it reads so differently on subsequent viewings. This information comes from reading the book fragments shown in the film. They have them on their web site if you want a read: ://www.donniedarko.org.uk/philosphy-of-time-travel/

If you found yourself thinking, "what?" after reading the above then you're getting why I'd recommend a re-watch! It's 2 films in one and the writers have been very careful with the dialogue!

Human will is visualised using pipes of intent which manifest from the being and extend to their destination. This allows Donnie to see into the future.

Donnie meets Frank (one of the 'manipulated dead') who appears to be a man dressed in a bunny outfit. Frank then appears to Donnie at various points throughout the movie.

In the cinema Donnie asks, "Why are you wearing that stupid bunny suit?". The rabbit replies, "Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" - alluding to their appearances being irrelevant.

He leaves the cinema and sets fire to a building whilst his girlfriend Gretchen sleeps. This leads Jim Cunningham to get caught for having a 'kiddie porn dungeon'.

The narrative doesn't feel complete until the very final scene, which is part of the reason you'll probably want to give it a 2nd watch but also shows how much fat there is in the rest of the plot, literally none!

It ends up being one big circle with the ending being the beginning.

Donnie's girlfriend Gretchen who died the first time around is now alive and well again having never met Donnie in the first place.

Part of the thinky bit happens after the movie when you are left to contemplate what things will have changed without Donnies' input.



Trailer: