Donnie Darko (2001)

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Writer/Director: Richard Kelly

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katherine Ross, Noah Wyle



Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) avoids death when a jet engine of mysterious origin crashes into his bedroom while he is out sleepwalking.



 Surreal days follow. 



Is Donnie succumbing to mental illness or has he somehow developed an unconventional relationship to linear time…or both?

 


Richard Kelly’s intriguing film builds a wonderful, weird atmosphere of expectancy and dread with a suburban late-80s setting.

 


Whether the film ultimately pays off for you may depend on your tolerance for ambiguity.

 


Kelly doesn’t wrap all his loose ends up neatly, but he gives us plenty to chew on.

 


In the hands of a talented filmmaker, ambiguity needn’t entail a lack of closure.

 


This film suggests the existence of a hidden structure and answers to questions that are not immediately apparent and will enrich future viewings.



Spoiler alert!!! The end of the movie!!







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