superb, haunting and masterful piece of filmmaking.

Rating: 10/10 (13 November 2003)

Its hard to write a quick brief describing what this film is about, so all I can say is what I knew before I saw it.
Troubled teenager with sleeping problems talks to a scary 6-foot rabbit called frank who tells him the world is going to end in 28 days.-

I basically thought I was going to see your average, run of the mill, teenage slasher film. That is what I was expecting, a couple hours of pure escapism, end of story. How wrong I was!
The first time I saw Donnie Darko it left me confused, breathless and slightly disturbed. I didn't know what quite to make of what I had just seen but I couldn't wait to see it again. I never thought a 6 foot rabbit costume could unsettle me so much.
After a second viewing my conclusions had been drawn, Donnie Darko is a superb, haunting and masterful piece of filmmaking.
The film starts out as a suburban family drama but quickly transcends into an enticing mix of high school teen film, science fiction, time travel, horror and suspense. The film is set in 1988. The main reason behind this I felt was to give viewers an automatic feeling of nostalgia.

The cast is faultless, Jake Gyllenhaal is mesmerising in the lead role switching between confused high school kid and something a lot darker effortlessly. The supporting cast in the shape of Catherine Ross, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore and Noah Wyle fall into their parts with ease and deliver everything expected of them and more, but the biggest surprise is Patrick Swayze who absolutely nails his role, as a self help guru with a sinister secret, with almost frightening conviction.
The soundtrack is awesome, featuring Echo and the Bunnymen and Joy Division and a haunting cover of Tears for Fears Mad World.
I have seen this film several times now and still feel that i don't only honestly understand all of it but understand as much as I want to.
It is refreshing to see a film that makes you think and come up with your own ideas and conclusions, instead of spoon-feeding you a start, middle and an end.
I consider this film as a fantastic piece of filmmaking, and I cant wait to see what Director Richard Kelly does next.
I would urge everyone to see this film at least twice, if you still don't like it then fair enough, but you may just discover something wonderful.