Donnie Darko

I promise, that one day, everything's going to be better for you.

Richard Kelly makes one crazzzzzzy sci fi thriller that needs you attention! Donnie Darko is a love it or hate affair. So, this film is a dark, comedic, sad, happy, confusing (the first time), drama set in 1988.

I remember the first time I saw this. I was probably about 12 and my dad had this recommended to him. Frankly, I wasn't looking forward to it, but after i saw it i knew it was brilliant! My dad, not so much. He just didn't understand it and just didn't care. I was so engrossed I wanted to watch it again in hopes of understanding.

Fast forward a few year and I see it on TV and it re sparked my interest. Soon I buy the DVD although my parent's protest (they just don't get it I guess) and watch it over and over.

Now then, premise. Donnie Darko is about, well Donnie Darko. I know what your thinking "Sounds like a superhero". Well how do you know hes not? Haha. Donnie is a weird kid. He has massive sleepwalking problems, but that's the first of his issues. Soon he if visited by a very...ugly bunny. Frank is his name. And Frank tells him the world will in in 28 days... 6 hours... 42 minutes... and 12 seconds.

Donnie goes to a very...bad prep school in a small West Virginian town called Middlesex, a very normal town with normal kids. But soon things get strange, out of the ordinary. A jet engine falls in Donnie's room. Thanks to Frank and his sleepwalking he is still alive. From there things go bad. Awesome surreal bad.

Although this film could never of been made in the 80's it has a very 80's feel, which is great. Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal give the performances of there career, playing siblings. Through its absurdity, Donnie Darko can be seen in two different ways. One may see it as a reverse It's a Wonderful Life set during Halloween, or a Messianic tale of a flawed savior. All and all, see this film. Maybe it'll break your top ten. By the way, President Roslin is Donnie's mom. All thoes Battlestar geek like me will get that.