Compelling, intelligent, fresh, and deliciously weird...

Rating: 9/10 (4 November 2008)

It is difficult to place DONNIE DARKO in a particular genre; while it is hard science fiction at its core, it contains all the elements of a dark and brooding psychological thriller, done in a uniquely fresh and quirky way. It has become a cult hit over the years, especially among Science (particularly Physics) fanatics like myself. Richard Kelly in his directorial debut has created a monster here, as this film has sparked (and will continue to spark) numerous intellectual and scientific (and philosophical) debates the likes of which Kelly himself will not be able to comprehend. And therein lies the majesty of the film...
My advice to potential viewers would be to obtain the Director's Cut DVD which goes some appreciable way to actually explaining the events that transpire by making references to the literature material featured in the film. The original version does very little to explain what happened and will have many viewers scratching their heads trying to understand the implications of the ending.
Jake Gyllenhaal is perfect as the delusional, unstable, and troubled Donnie Darko, and after seeing this performance, it is difficult to picture Jason Schwartzman (who was originally cast) as the lead. Jena Malone and Patrick Swayze also provide useful support to our beloved protagonist. While Drew Barrymore was arguably the biggest star at the time, some of her scenes are not really necessary and take something away from the movie. In fact my only real complaint about the movie is its ~110 minute run-time; the film was in need of a more ruthless editor to cut out some of the 'redundant' scenes in order to make the movie more tense and gripping.
This film is unique, compelling, smart, funny at times, and ultimately rewarding, and contains some brilliantly-used special effects to keep viewers enthralled. It is not a movie that viewers will be able to watch just once; as they will find themselves coming back to see things they missed before. In fact, Film4 lists this as one of the 50 films you should see before you die (#9), and rightly so.
I give this movie 3.5 stars (out of 4) and 9/10. It should enter my Top 100 at around #94. Highly recommended.