Über Cool Teenage Angst.

Rating: 7/10 (14 February 2006)

Donnie Darko has become a sell-out hit amongst angst-ridden/fashionably uncool/persistently 'individual' teenagers the world over, primarily down to its slit-your-wrists soundtrack 'Mad World' Its 'über-clever' plot twist and freak out scenes remind us kids just how terrible our own lives are and make us want to be as insane as the title character.
Donnie Darko is a troubled, but undeniably clever young high schooler, not only traumatised by the usual teenage worries, but by a six foot bunny rabbit named Frank who tells him when the world will end.
Superbly talented Jake Gyllenhaal again impresses with his creepy, somewhat sinister portrayal of Darko and shows us just how evil he can look by staring crazily into a mirror.
However clever the writer/director Richard Kelly wanted it to be, it's still a teenage film. Most people over the age of 25 will deem it 'self loving' and 'ostentatious' but unfortunately few people under the age of 18 will actually understand what this film is all about.
Donnie is troubled and meant to relate to us as an audience, and Gyllenhaal as always does that superbly, perhaps his talent was over-shadowed by the films overly pretentious ending.
Donnie Darko's blink and you miss 'em jokes and dark humour might be wasted on some people who are wanting laugh out loud gags, which they aren't going to find in this film.
If you're thinking of slitting your wrists Donnie Darko will only remind you of how awful the world is and how little you actually mean to anyone - so give it a miss.
If you're looking for a light little piece of cinema to entertain you one evening, you might be shocked to find that Donnie Darko requires some thinking and might just root up some unanswered questions about your life - so give it a miss.
If you're immune to psychological hallucinations and become freaked out easily then Donnie Darko might just terrify you - so give it a miss.
If on the other hand, you're in for a little 'deep thinking' and want to be moved, then Donnie Darko is the perfect film for you, and will give you some wonderful topics of conversation over the coming months.
If you like your 'indie-cool' flicks with clever plot-twists and meaningful scenes of silence then this film will open your eyes to how a slight pause here and a little look there can create a whole lot more than reels and reels of drivelling script.
If you have a slightly odd sense of humour and are fed up of the 'Frat Pack' comedies like Anchor Man and Wedding Crashers then this little gem will take you away from the gags and offer you a darkly humorous, intelligently funny film.
If you're a fan of any of the (surprisingly) star-studded cast including a fantastic Patrick Swayze and a slightly weird Drew Barrymore then that won't fail to delight.
Or if, as most self-acclaimed fans of this movie will be, you just want to join the ranks of pro-mainstream teens who think they're making a bold statement of their intelligence and individuality by listing Donnie Darko as one of their favourite films, then watch it. You might ask what the fuss is about, or you might just end up being in awe of this film, which under all the fuss and hype is a frighteningly beautiful and well-acted piece of teenage angst.