Donnie Darko 2001
8 / 10
Donnie Darko
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Videos & Photos
All 4 Videos & 70 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Donnie Darko
... Gretchen Ross
... Frank
... Karen Pomeroy
... Kitty Farmer
... Elizabeth Darko
User reviews
See All 3 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by Andres Gomez
Interesting movie with several readings. As with 2001: A Space Odissey, it is needed a reading of the actual explanation for the events to fully understand the original idea ... if you are interested in such explanation ...
Release Date:
Jan 19, 2001 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 54`
MMPA Rating:
R
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Donnie Darko
Interesting movie with several readings. As with 2001: A Space Odissey, it is needed a reading of the actual explanation for the events to fully understand the original idea ... if you are interested in such explanation ...
***Cult flick with sophisticated themes, great cast, but meh story*** Released in 2001 and written/directed by Richard Kelly, "Donnie Darko" is a drama/fantasy starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled California teen dogged by apparitions of a man in an evil rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit several crimes, after he narrowly escapes a peculiar accident concerning a jet engine falling from the sky. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays his sister, Holmes Osborne & Mary McDonnell his parents, Drew Barrymore his teacher, Katharine Ross his therapist, Jena Malone his girlfriend, Noah Wyle his science teacher and Patrick Swayze a self-help guru. Patience Cleveland is on hand as Grandma Death. While the movie flopped at the box office, it has since become a serious cult hit. I saw it recently for the first time and went into it cold without knowing anything about the intricacies behind the plot. The only thing I knew was that the kid was harassed by an ee-vil bunny apparition. The film mildly works as a high school drama with a satirical smirk. But the story's just not engaging enough on that level. While the movie has some quality women, it fails to capitalize on their presence (Barrymore, for instance, is barely in it). But Jake is a solid protagonist, even somewhat sympathetic despite the curious things he does. By the middle of the second act I found myself getting bored with the story and trying to figure out what was going on, but the film perks up in the last act, particularly when it reveals the truth about the scary bunny guy. After viewing, my overall impression was that the story never really took off and was burdened by perplexing ambiguities even while possessing some fascinating elements. I came up with a theory to explain the events (explained below) but, upon reflection, I realized that all the pieces didn't fit. And the movie simply wasn't entertaining enough to bang my head further trying to figure it out. I would've given the movie a mediocre 5/10 rating, but after investigating the official meaning and the alternative explanations I had to admit that the film is genius in this respect. It just needed to be attached to a more interesting story with more stimulating characters. The film runs 113 minutes, which is the version I saw; the Director's Cut runs 20 minutes longer. It was shot in Los Angeles and surrounding areas (Angeles National Forest, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Santa Clarita, Burbank & Calabasas). GRADE: B- ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY (***SPOILER ALERT*** Don't read unless you've seen the movie): My casual interpretation turned out to be one of the alternative explanations of the movie, the so-called "Donnie Is Shown the Future" explanation, which suggests that Donne is shown the future via the future ghost of Frank and so he sacrifices himself at the end to save everyone. But, as noted above, there are too many holes in this interpretation. A couple of other popular explanations are the banal Schizophrenia Theory, where the film shows the protagonist going through an episode of his illness, and the Dream Theory, where it was "all just a dream," which is too clichéd and idiotic to even consider. The 'official' interpretation I would've never pieced together because it's just too sci-fi-oriented and complex: It's the Tangent Universe Theory, which suggests that time in the Primary Universe (i.e. reality) is occasionally corrupted and an unstable alternative universe is created, but it will only last a few weeks. Nevertheless, it threatens to destroy the universe. The events you see happening in the bulk of the film are this alternative reality where the universe (or God) is correcting the error to get back to the Primary Universe using an Artifact (the jet engine), The Living Receiver (Jake Gyllenhaal), a Manipulated Dead person (the bunny guy), and so on. Google it and you'll see that the Tangent Universe explanation ties up all the loose ends.
A complete mind-bender of a movie that put Jake Gyllenhall on the map, introduced the creepiest rabbit costume of all time, and may make you surprisingly tear up to a remake of Tears for Fears "Mad World."
Cast & Crew of
Donnie Darko
Directors & Credit Writers
... Director
... Script Supervisor
... Second Assistant Director
Cast
... Donnie Darko
... Gretchen Ross
... Frank
... Karen Pomeroy
... Kitty Farmer
... Elizabeth Darko
... Mrs. Rose Darko
... Eddie Darko
... Prof. Kenneth Monnitoff
... Dr. Lilian Thurman
... Jim Cunningham
... Samantha Darko
... Dr. Fisher
... Bob Garland
... Roberta Sparrow / Grandma Death
... Joanie James
... Cherita Chen
... Principal Cole
... Susie Bates
... Emily Bates
Produced By
Videos & Photos of
Donnie Darko
Videos ( 4)
Donnie Darko - Official Trailer
YouTube
Re-release Trailer
YouTube
Photos ( 70 )
Related Movies To
Donnie Darko
The Old Guard 2 (2025)
0 /10
Andy and her team of immortal warriors fight with renewed purpose as they face a powerful new foe threatening their mission to protect humanity.
Run Time: 1hr 47` . MMPA: R . Release: 01 Jul 2025
Director: Scott Bunce , Dan Bradley , Victoria Mahoney
Producer: Gina Prince-Bythewood , David Ellison , Lucy Bevan
Stars: Charlize Theron , KiKi Layne , Matthias Schoenaerts , Marwan Kenzari , Luca Marinelli , Veronica Ngo
Ice Road: Vengeance (2025)
0 /10
Big rig ice road driver Mike McCann travels to Nepal to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mt. Everest. While on a packed tour bus traversing the deadly 12,000 ft. terrain of the infamous Road to the Sky, McCann and his mountain guide encounter a group of mercenaries and must fight to save themselves, the busload of innocent travelers, and the local villagers’ homeland.
Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: R . Release: 27 Jun 2025
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Producer: Jonathan Dana , David Tish , Lisa Wilson
Stars: Liam Neeson , Fan Bingbing , Marcus Thomas , Mahesh Jadu , Bernard Curry , Michala Banas
The Legend of Catclaws Mountain (2024)
0 /10
Mindy adopts Angel, a high-spirited pony that—according to legend—will lead its owner to gold hidden in the nearby mountains. When Angel is kidnapped by a mad treasure hunter, Mindy and her school friends head into the hills to rescue the pony and hunt for the lost gold. But Mindy meets a mountain man that warns her the treasure is part of an ancient curse—if they remove the gold, they'll destroy the beautiful forest.
Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: PG . Release: 27 May 2024
Director: Ritchie Greer
Producer: Amber Wegner , Adrienne McQueen , Russell Brannan
Stars: Hayden Hishaw , James Duval , Robert Davi , Dee Wallace , Ilia Volok , Ricco Ross
Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)
0 /10
Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
Run Time: 1hr 50` . MMPA: R . Release: 14 May 2025
Director: Amanda Petura , Philip Nee Nee , Gary Hawes
Producer: Pete Chiappetta , Tara Mews , Alice Winton
Stars: Melissa Barrera , Tony Todd , Anna Lore , Renata Vaca , Quintessa Swindell , Mary Elizabeth Winstead
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
0 /10
When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG . Release: 20 Jun 2025
Director: Elizabeth Schantz , Maggie Kang , Sean Tadlock
Producer: Julia Kim , Agnes Jungah Lee , Alex Baskin
Stars: Arden Cho , Rolando Davila-Beltran , May Hong , Ji-young Yoo , Ahn Hyo-seop , Yunjin Kim
How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
0 /10
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
Run Time: 2hr 5` . MMPA: PG . Release: 06 Jun 2025
Director: Fraser Fennell-Ball , Lizzie Pritchard , Dean DeBlois
Producer: Roy Lee , David Cain , Lucy Bevan
Stars: Mason Thames , Nico Parker , Gerard Butler , Nick Frost , Julian Dennison , Gabriel Howell
F1 (2025)
0 /10
Racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.
Run Time: 2hr 36` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 25 Jun 2025
Director: Zoe Morgan , Lisa Vick , Toby Hefferman
Producer: Brad Pitt , Daniel Castle King , Toto Wolff
Stars: Brad Pitt , Damson Idris , Kerry Condon , Tobias Menzies , Lewis Hamilton , Javier Bardem
Utopia (2024)
0 /10
A soldier searching for his missing wife breaks into a high-tech facility, believing she's been caught in a human trafficking ring. But beyond its walls, he finds a surreal, futuristic fantasy park where reality and illusion blur. As he navigates this seductive and dangerous world, a shocking truth pulls him deeper into a deadly game where nothing is as it seems.
Run Time: 1hr 33` . MMPA: R . Release: 09 Dec 2024
Director: James Bamford
Producer: Steven Paul , Zuzana Martinková , Vladimir Karanikolov
Stars: Moe Dunford , Charlotte Vega , Michael D. Xavier , Daniel Bernhardt , Jason Flemyng , Wanda Banda
The Twisters (2024)
0 /10
A deadly patchwork of destructive cyclones is on an apocalyptic path of convergence at a populated Midwest city center. There, the twisters will merge into one mega tornado that threatens to obliterate the cities for hundreds of miles around.
Run Time: 1hr 27` . MMPA: . Release: 28 Jun 2024
Director: Michael Su
Producer: Kasia Szarek , David Rimawi , David Michael Latt
Stars: Kayla Fields , Mark Justice , Paul Logan , Curtis Strong , Tiffany , Sofia Riba
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
0 /10
Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve.
Run Time: 1hr 41` . MMPA: PG . Release: 31 Mar 2025
Director: Maddy Powell , Laura Hutton , Sophie Calver
Producer: Lydia Winters , Jaclyn Willens , Mike Daley
Stars: Jack Black , Jason Momoa , Matt Berry , Pauline Chalamet , Jennifer Coolidge , Danielle Brooks
Breathing In (2023)
0 /10
1901, South Africa. As the Second Anglo-Boer War rages on, a wounded General seeks refuge in the small home of a woman and her young daughter. As the hurt man settles in, he begins noticing that something is off about the two women, particularly the daughter, and before long, he’ll learn the real reason for why they’ve invited him and for how they’ve survived on their own for so long.
Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: . Release: 18 Oct 2023
Director: Jaco Bouwer
Producer:
Stars: Michele Burgers , Sven Ruygrok , Jamie-Lee Money , Lionel Newton
STRAW (2025)
0 /10
What will be her last straw? A devastatingly bad day pushes a hardworking single mother to the breaking point — and into a shocking act of desperation.
Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: R . Release: 05 Jun 2025
Director: Diann Malcolm , Nicholas Hiles , Kyler Griffin
Producer: Carole Wurst , Tyler Perry , Tony Strickland
Stars: Taraji P. Henson , Sherri Shepherd , Teyana Taylor , Sinbad , Rockmond Dunbar , Ashley Versher