A Film That Must Be Experienced Twice (At Least)

Rating: Null/10 (15 June 2003)

"Donnie Darko" is a film that dares to be different. Instead of laying out an easily followed A-to-B-to-C plot, "Darko" jumps, skips, goes in circles, and daringly, does not explain everything. This is the major flaw of the film in critics eyes, but in reality, this is the strong point of the film. To honestly understand "Darko", watch it twice. The first time, just experience the film. Feel the movie, do not try and intellectually understand it. Let the ominous mood, haunting music, and part archetypical/part realistic performances move you. Then watch the movie again with what you already know and try and piece it together. Even then, you might not fully understand it (I don't, Richard Kelly, the writer/director of "Darko" doesn't even fully understand it), but that's the boldest statement of all: some things in this life cannot be fully understood with the mind, they can only be truly understood on an emotional/spiritual level, and "Donnie Darko" is, gloriously, one of those things.