Donnie Darko

7.4

75,931

Ratings

Add to lists

1 Related Movies

Sequel:

S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale

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

Movie Soulmates' ratings: Register so you can access movie recommendations tailored to your movie taste.
Friends' ratings: Register so you can check out ratings by your friends, family members, and like-minded members of the FA community.

Ranking Lists Position

2 The Weirdest Movies I Have Ever Watched (375)
5 Movies I Like But Wouldn't Recommend to Everyone (87)
7 My Favorite Cult Classics (378)
8 My Top 10 Movies from 2001 (374)
8 Best Movie Posters of the 2000s (9)
10 Weird Films I Actually Love - Not Everybody's Thing (22)
15 Little Gems: Little Known Movies I've Discovered (102)
19 Most Original Movie Posters Ever (6)
27 My Favorite Fantasy Movies (104)
40 Movies I Liked More the Second Time I Watched Them (26)
41 My Favorite Sci-Fi Films (263)
41 Movies I Want to Own (118)
48 My Top 20 Movies from the 2000s (120)
49 Overrated Movies (133)
51 My Favorite Teen Movies (22)
57 Underrated Movies (51)
65 Best Movie Posters Ever (My Favorite Posters) (22)
67 Movies I Want to Watch (old releases) (2779)
67 Movies with the Best Endings (122)
83 My Favorite Movies (2313)
91 Movies with an Incredible Soundtrack (OST) (126)
91 Movies that Don't Seem that Special but are Very Special to Me (44)
97 Movies with Great Screenplays (36)

Show 23 lists

Is the synopsis/plot summary missing? Do you want to report a spoiler, error or omission? Please send us a message.
If you are not a registered user please send us an email to info@filmaffinity.com

All copyrighted material (movie posters, DVD covers, stills, trailers) and trademarks belong to their respective producers and/or distributors.

For US ratings information please visit: www.mpaa.org www.filmratings.com www.parentalguide.org