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Donnie Darko

7.4

76,751

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2 Related Movies

Sequel:

S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale

Related to:

Gary Jules: Mad World (Music Video)

Original title: Donnie Darko
Year: 2001
Running time: 113 min.
Country: United States
Director: Richard Kelly
Screenwriter: Richard Kelly
Music: Michael Andrews
Cinematography: Steven Poster
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Drew Barrymore, Holmes Osborne, Noah Wyle, Katharine Ross, Daveigh Chase, James Duval, Arthur Taxier, Stuart Stone, Seth Rogen, Ashley Tisdale
Producer: Flower Films, Pandora Cinema, Adam Fields Productions, Gaylord Films
Genre: Fantasy. Sci-Fi. Mystery | Psychological Drama. 1980s. Cult Movie. Independent Film (US)
Synopsis / Plot: Writer-director Richard Kelly's bold debut film is a social satire, a dark comedy, a science fiction time-traveling fantasy, and a suburban nightmare about an extremely intelligent, depressive, self-destructive, narcoleptic, gun-toting, sex-crazed, teenaged arsonist: Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal). DONNIE DARKO is not your typical teen comedy. But, like GHOST WORLD and RUSHMORE, it uses the trappings of the teen comedy as the entry point for a subversive and trenchant (and also wonderfully entertaining) look at American life. The difference between those films and DONNIE DARKO is that Donnie is an unlikely hero who just might save the world.

It's October 1988, in the Virginia suburb of Middlesex. When Frank, a grotesque giant bunny (possibly imaginary), leads Donnie out of his house minutes before a plane smashes through his roof, he not only saves Donnie's life but also warns Donnie that the world is about to end. Over the next few weeks, Donnie falls in love with Gretchen (Jena Malone) and tries to figure out what his life means. Kelly's film perfectly captures the unease that is quietly scratching under the surface of suburban late 1980s life. Gyllenhaal leads an exceptional cast, bringing Kelly's twisted but humane vision to life. An exceptional performance is given by Mary McDonnell (PASSION FISH) as Donnie's mother.

There is a director's cut (133 minutes).

Awards: 2001: Sitges Fantasy Film Festival: Best Screenplay

2001: Independent Spirit Awards: Nominated for Best Actor, Best First Screenplay & Best First Screenplay

Critics' reviews

"This set-up and development is fascinating, the payoff less so (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: rogerebert.com
"A marvelous, messed-up antidote to the sitcom alienation of 'American Beauty' (...) An original indie vision."

Lisa Schwarzbaum: Entertainment Weekly
"An engaging, time-tripping Holden Caulfield (...) The year’s most ambitious indie"

Lou Lumenick: New York Post
"You want the movie to work, even though it becomes evident early on that it doesn't, succumbing to a need to crawl into the head of its troubled young protagonist"

Elvis Mitchell: The New York Times
"Is the entire world at stake, or just Donnie’s? The genius of Kelly’s movie is that it refuses to acknowledge a meaningful difference."

Justin Chang: Los Angeles Times
"A mini-masterpiece that marks the arrival of brave new talents in Gyllenhaal and Kelly. Cult glory beckons (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

Alan Morrison: Empire
"Pop classic of paranoia matures with age (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

Peter Bradshaw: The Guardian
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