Giving Into Fear

Rating: 9/10 (28 August 2015)

It's films like these that make me love cinema. I know I say that a lot, but it's worth mentioning how movies like Donnie Darko give me a unique feeling. It's hard to explain, but much like Mulholland Drive, I wanted to look up more about the film after I watched it. It's not a film that allows you to go back to your normal life before you sit down and think about what you just saw. I cant believe I hadn't watched the movie until now, but I'm also jealous of people who haven't seen it. It's one of those movies that transcends the screen and becomes more than just something you watched, it's something you experienced.
It's 2015 and Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the top actors in the world, but way back in 2001 that wasn't the case. In fact, Donnie Darko was one of the first movies to showcase what he had to offer. I will still maintain that the most impressive thing Gyllenhaal does is create a character with his eyes. Everything goes through his subtle eye movements and gestures. Take a look back at his performance in Nightcrawler or Prisoners and analyze how much his eyes define his character. He may very well be the best actor working today. As Donnie, he was able to showcase just how good he can be at nailing a character with inner demons. None more terrifying than Frank, the strange rabbit who appears frequently throughout Donnie's dreams. More importantly, Jake gives us a character who you sympathize with even after all of the horrible things he has done. Not many people can say that.
For most of the film, it's hard to figure out just what is going on. Not just because of the huge cast and seemingly several important characters to the plot, but because the film juggles many different genres all in one. It's a psychological thriller at heart, but mixed in is sci-fi, horror, crime, and even a little bit of romance. It's actually probably because of those many genres that I feel the films main weaknesses derive from. The tone is shifting a lot throughout the film and the music constantly switches from being a 90's high school angst film to a dark twisted psychological mystery film a lot.
But overall it's a really good film. The phrase "keeps you on the edge of your seat" can be considered an understatement for Darko. The two hours sped by and I honestly didn't want it to end. Even after the twisted ending, I wanted to see where these characters went. Speaking of characters, it's worth mentioning how good all of the other actors are here. Maggie Gyllenhaal, playing Donnie's sister, looks just about as stunning as she's ever been, and is also pretty darn good in the role too. Jena Malone in one of her first major roles definitely carries her own weight as the lead female and love interest to Donnie. But Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, and Mary McDonnell all make their presence felt here.
So of course, then comes the question of what my opinion is on the ending of the film. While in some senses it's ambiguous, I don't think it's beyond belief to think that the ending was meticulously crafted in order for us to debate for years to come. I've done my research and am satisfied with what I believe to be the fate of all the characters. But one of the biggest takeaways from the film I found was the inspiration the film seemed to take from David Lynch. Even though Mulholland Drive came out the same year, it really seemed to take a whole lot from that type of storytelling. If you told me Lynch directed Donnie Darko I would have believed you. But anyway, Donnie Darko is on it's own one of the best thrillers I have seen in a long time, and definitely one of Gyllenhaal's best films.
+Gyllenhaal's performance through his eyes
+Great cast
+Unique
+Ending that takes some time to process
-Genre mixing can be exhausting at times
9.0/10