Donnie Darko

Richard Kelly, USA, 2001, 113 minutes

Donnie Darko, as best I can explain it, is based around the story of Donnie; an ordinary 1980’s teenager in middle-class America except for a few differences, Donnie is schizophrenic, requiring pills and regular therapy. Therefore when he sees a terrifying bunny (sounds funny I know) that tells him the world is going to end, we’re not quite sure how real the incident is. However as coincidences start to pile up Donnie realises that maybe it is his responsibility to stop the world from ending. After you see the film you’ll realise just how insufficient this synopsis is but it’s the best I can do without spoiling the experience.

The story flips effortlessly from moments of intense drama to blackest comedy; the wry humour is hilarious and keeps the film from getting bogged down on the heavier, meatier topics which are what you’ll really be thinking about come the end credits. Comparisons between writer/director Richard Kelly and legendary David Lynch are unavoidable. Both capture an incredible sense of the beauty of the surroundings and deliver fascinating scenes whilst keeping the plot’s overall logic tantalisingly out of reach so that you leave the theatre with questions spinning round in your head to ask the person next to you. For my money I actually prefer Kelly who leaves the answers so close you can taste them, whilst in Lynch’s pictures you sometimes feel a bit detached by the end and lose interest. This allows Donnie Darko to be an eminently accessible introduction into the depth of cinema as well as a great cinematic experience for anyone who enjoys film.

New stars are made in Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone whilst Patrick Swayze appears in the role he was born to play. I really can’t say enough good things about this film, one of the best I’ve seen in recent years. Come see for yourself.

Review by Peter Thompson
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2003