Donnie Darko (2001) - Movie Review
What the hell did I just watch?!
This was probably the most confusing movie I've seen. So much happens, and very little explanation is given. Yet I felt like this was still a 10/10 even though it wasn't clear as to why. I simultaneously thought "man, I'm glad I avoided spoilers so that I could witness this mindscrew in its entirety" and "man, I wish I had gotten spoilers so that I could understand what the hell is going on".
The film follows a troubled teen, Donnie Darko, in 1988, when he is saved from a strange accident involving an airplane thanks to his sleepwalking. What follows is part dark comedy, part coming of age, and part WTF as a man in a disturbing bunny suit compels Donnie to commit seemingly random acts of crime over his town. There's also a subplot with some guy who claims he can get rid of your fear, discussions on time travel and alternate universes, and an imminent end of the world in twenty-eight days.
As you can see, a lot happens in this film, and it's all done fairly well. The high school parts were surprisingly good, and the dark comedy was perfect. I caught this in the Cult Classic Screening in Academy Cinemas, and almost every joke on screen was met with near-unanimous laughter from the audience. The mindscrew elements, like the existence of the bunny rabbit (named Frank) and the discussions on time travel, on the other hand, are very, very confusing. From what I understand, there is still discussion as to what the movie is about.
But despite all that, the ending somehow leaves you with a sense of closure. You somehow feel satisfied despite nothing really making sense or being clear. I think I was the only person going, "Can someone tell me what I just watched?" as I walked out, mind blown by the story. And the more you think about the story and everything you saw, the more it hits at how surprisingly coherent it is. This is a story you need to analyze to understand everything, but once you do, it's like it's the only way it could've happened. Although it mostly comes from reading (or watching) about the meaning of Donnie Darko.
Despite my inherent confusion, it was a 10/10, and still is now.
