Funny and mysterious in equal measure

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2013)

Donnie Darko is a movie that combines many things. On the one hand it's an 80's nostalgia-fest with a tone to match, while it simultaneously has a really ominous mood bordering on horror at times. Genre-wise it's equally eclectic; it's part coming-of-age teen movie, part sci-fi/fantasy. This mish-mash of styles and tones make for a very distinct film. On top of that, of course, is a narrative that folds back on itself and requires quite a lot of post-viewing thought to fully piece together. Overall, it's a most unusual combination.
Set in 1988, the story surrounds a troubled teenage boy who has visions of a giant rabbit called Frank who urges him to perform dangerous criminal acts and warns him that the world will end in a month. His first encounter with the rabbit coincides with a jet engine crashing into the family home, seemingly from out of nowhere.
The basis of the story asks if it is better to die, than for your happy story and correct deeds resulting in worse atrocities. It's about sacrificing yourself for others you love, even if it ultimately means they will never have even known you. It incorporates hallucinations and time travel as a way for its labyrinthine story to pose its conundrums. The drama is underpinned with a strong central performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, with good support from everyone else including an against-type one from Patrick Swayze. To round things off there are some excellent sequences soundtracked to 80's new wave and post-punk groups, namely Echo & the Bunnymen, Joy Division and Tears For Fears. This adds to the sense of time but they are also incorporated in such a way as to make them feel slightly off-kilter and dreamlike which suits this strange story just perfectly.