Richard Kelly’s debut feature was initially a box office flop, but found new life on DVD, going on to be considered a cult classic. A high school drama including elements of science fiction and fantasy, the film finds the right balance between tension and comedy.
In 1988, well-to-do teenager Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is in therapy with Dr Thurman (Katharine Ross) to treat his hallucinations and sleepwalking. It is while sleepwalking towards a vision of the rabbit-suited Frank (James Duval) that an engine from a plane crashes into the bedroom where Donnie would otherwise have been sleeping – an engine that seems unable to be traced to any aircraft. With his peculiarities accepted by new student Gretchen (Jena Malone,) Donnie starts to both follow and question the guidance of his visions.
Following its original cinematic release in 2001, Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut was released in 2004, adding further insight into the writings of the character Roberta Sparrow (Patience Cleveland,) but removing much of the original release’s ambiguity. Both versions are available to stream free and without ads.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Stream free at:
Kanopy (Ad-free)
Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut (2004)
Stream free at:
Kanopy (Ad-free)
admin