"Wake Up!"...

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2019)

DONNIE DARKO is one of the most off-kilter, gloriously bizarre films of the opening of the 21st century. Combining elements of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, suspense, and family drama, to name a few, this movie almost defies description. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the titular character as a nomad, wandering through suburban, 1980's America. Donnie's a schizophrenic teen, who has escaped death through what appears to be miraculous, or incredibly coincidental means. As he goes through his daily life, things begin to get increasingly odd, to the point of a disintegrating reality / sanity, and prophetic doom. Something is just not right, and Donnie is shown, over time, exactly what's wrong, and how it must be fixed. Filled w/ clues, omens, and supernatural occurrences, it also contains heaping helpings of social commentary / satire. Not a scene is wasted, and none of the dialogue is incidental. Watching it again, it's striking how unique it still is. From the pivotal "Grandma Death" Roberta Sparrow (Patience Cleveland), to the enigmatic Frank (James Duval), to the uber-smarmy, self-help guru, Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze), to, well, everyone else, the characters are each integral to the skewed picture that Donnie tries to comprehend. By movie's end, so many questions emerge that it ties the mind in knots! Absolute genius, and I didn't even get to the amazing, perfectly used musical soundtrack!...