‎Donnie Darko (2001) directed by Richard Kelly • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

Donnie Darko

2001 Directed by Richard Kelly

You can never go too far

After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.

Jake Gyllenhaal Patrick Swayze Drew Barrymore Maggie Gyllenhaal Holmes Osborne Daveigh Chase Mary McDonnell James Duval Arthur Taxier Mark Hoffman Patience Cleveland David St. James Jazzie Mahannah Jolene Purdy Beth Grant Jena Malone David Moreland Noah Wyle Kristina Malota Marina Malota Katharine Ross Scotty Leavenworth Phyllis Lyons Gary Lundy Alex Greenwald Stuart Stone Seth Rogen Joan Blair

113 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Grooveman ★★★★★ 7

"Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion."
Review by Andy Summers ★★★★★ 36

When it's your birthday you get your favorite supper, your favorite tipple, birthday sex and the pick of what to watch on the television. For me it was a lovely birthday and of course the movie of choice was my all time favorite "Donnie Darko".
I saw this for the first time back in 2002 and couldn't get it out of my head for weeks. It had an unusual effect on me. I've seen thousands of films, but rarely has one lingered quite so much on my conscience. Without doubt a "cult film", this had so many different theories as to what it was really all about, it would make your head spin.In truth I became a little obsessed. I…
Review by SilentDawn ★★★★★ 7

95/100

"The search for God is absurd?"

"It is if everyone dies alone."

"Does that scare you?"

"I don't want to be alone."

Such a knockout combination of flavors and tones, genres and influences that it's hard to believe how coherent it all is. Portals expand though the screen of The Evil Dead as a heavenly choir soars within the soundscape. Elementary schoolgirls dance seductively in talent shows, taught by the 'teacher's pet' of a spiritual healer with a dark secret. Nightmares intermingle with the sleepy High School environments of endless houses and endless types of people who we've known. It's a movie where 'sparkle motion' is on the same plane of importance as deluded heroism and schizophrenia, and it's…
Review by Alice Bishop ★★★★★ 23

Playing out like a new film upon each viewing, Donnie Darko is an ode to the underappreciated as Richard Kelly places the burden of adolescence on a fresh-faced Jake Gyllenhaal. Making cult cinema history alongside 90s icon James Duval, Gyllenhaal discovers himself on film, refusing to be shackled into a typecast role and spreading his wings while Duval hides behind the mask that would come to define his entire career. The film allows the young Gyllenhaal to have his moment, as Kelly creates his own Dean or Brando while paving his protagonist’s path towards self-destruction.

Read the full review here.
Review by Scott Anderson ★★★★★ 14

Wake up.

I have loved movies for as long as I can remember, but things changed in 2001. I turned 17 that year and a vast majority of my time was spent hanging out with friends, finding ways to acquire and consume cheap alcohol and smoking an incomprehensible amount of reefer. At a time when my hormones were raging, I made no attempt to meet girls. At a time when everyone around me was applying for college, I didn't even pretend to study. At a time when I should have been trying to understand the fascinating complexities of the world around me, I shut down and settled into a routine of apathy and sadness.

I didn't like myself. I wasn't…
Review by Evan ★★★★½ 6

What the...

This was so weird! And I mean that as a compliment. Like woah, that was some trippy stuff going on. Still trying to figure out what just happened.

Recent reviews

Review by karolayne ★★★★

love ------------------ hate
Review by yixingrid ★★★★

muito bom entendi quase tudo
Review by Jessica ★★★★

-When Never Tear Us Apart started playing....
-Donnie Darko invented hoodies
-Drew Barrymore was miscast
-You can tell that this was the director's first movie; a strong debut nonetheless
Review by brandon ★★★½

jake gyllenhaal's films really do confuse me.
Review by Jake ★★★★½

7/24/17-I just watch this thing forever. This time wth commentary by Richard Kelly and Jake Gyllenhaal. Again. Kelly makes so many references to early Spielberg movies in the commentary, but he never mentions Poltergeist, which it feels the most like to me. Ah, Darko. Dark. Darker. Darko.
Review by belam ★★★★

strange
Review by juicepuddles ★★★★★

as a teenager, this blew my mind.

but what happened to richard kelly?
Review by Chris Kirby ★★★★½

One of the biggest cult films to arise from the 2000s still has that special spark. The non-linear linear narrative that confounds yet explains itself plainly is so fascinating to watch. I love the cast and think everyone does work that just makes it a memorable film. Is it maybe not as a great as its reputation would raise it up to be? Yeah probably, but this late 80s nostalgia trip hits all the right buttons and provides a unique look into the tension and fear of that time period and captures what it's like to be a teenager so perfectly. I'm still a huge fan and Arrow's new LE set is the definitive home video release.
Review by Queentin Tarantula ★★★★★

Tom Tangen is everything I've ever wanted to see.