Well Worth the Risk (But You May Hate It)...

Rating: Null/10 (8 November 2003)

Normally I'm not a fan of movies that don't end with a clear conclusion. For example, I hated Mulholland Drive. However, Donnie Darko is, in spite of its ambiguous ending, well worth watching. But, before watching, you should know that this movie isn't going to cater to traditional "top 40" movie simplicity--you're going to have to think, and you're going to have to come up with your own conclusions.
Donnie Darko takes you into the life of a schizophrenic high school boy in 1988 suburbia. I'm a psychology major, and I was fascinated by the accurate portrayal of paranoid schizophrenia in this movie. In fact, one of the things that makes me rate this movie so high is that it doesn't just tell you what it is like to have schizophrenia, it takes you inside the mind of someone with this condition--by the end of the movie you'll be wondering where the line between reality and fiction exists!
If you're willing to risk the cost of renting this movie, I'd highly recommend it. But you definitely won't want to buy it unless you've seen it and enjoyed it. You could very likely hate it. You're probably more likely to enjoy it at a time in your life when you can relate to everything not making sense. If you're a person who wants a clear, meaningful plot, take particular caution before renting.
Enjoy! 4 and 1/2 out of 5 stars.