Though almost impossible to completely understand on the first watch, Donnie Darko is forcefully engaging

Rating: 8/10 (24 September 2008)

Donnie Darko is not a dark, scary horror film. Neither is it a bright, happy film. It is somewhere in between, and is a brooding, abstract Physcological thriller. It is so engaging a s a result, that you follow the story and their characters willingly, desperately desiring an answer to the film.
Donnie Darko (DD) tells the story of a young, troubled teenager named Donnie (Darko). He is haunted by visions of Frank, a bunny rabbit who tells him when the world is going to end. From here, strange occurrences and coincidences take place, and Donnie starts to both mature, yet also lose control of himself. He is tormented, multi-layered, and played eye-catchingly by Jake Gyllenhall. All 110 minutes of DD is climaxing and superbly engaging. It is fantastic that cinema has finally aimed to challenge the audience, and though DD does seem to turn and twist a couple times to many, the plot threads are on the whole enjoyable.
A well directed, ambitious and thoughtful film.