Donnie Darko

By Mal -

9 out of 10

As a rule, I hate films I can’t explain. Donnie Darko is a nice exception to that rule. The film tells the story of a teenage boy who cheats death by sleepwalking when a jet engine crashes onto his house. What follows this, while firmly bedded in the sci-fi genre, is a whole world of Just Plain Weird™. Told by a 6-foot rabbit named Frank that the world is due to end in 28 days, Donnie, played brilliantly by Jake Gyllenhaal, is slowly drawn into uncovering the meaning behind it all.

Now, I’ve seen the film at least twice and, were it not for reading FAQs on the web, I still wouldn’t have got it. In fact, I felt happier before I knew the explanation — let that be a word of warning. Until I found out, the film had real replay value. Now, I feel I’ve spoiled it for myself.

Anyway, it’s still a great film and it’s easy to see how it gained its cult status. Not your average story, good actors, good acting, nicely shot, perfectly restrained use of CGI and a pervasive weirdness. Good stuff.

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