#14. Donnie Darko (2001)
(director: Richard Kelly; starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jenna Malone, Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze)
First-time director Richard Kelly wisely chose to set his debut feature film in the 1980’s, giving it immediacy with the teen movies (especially those by John Hughes) that dominated the era. Science fiction elements are even a frequent genre motif for the teen film, but it wasn’t until 2001 that the genre was stood on its head and finally explored the deep-seeded teenage existential angst that 80’s teen flicks hinted at but ultimately glossed over with superficial solutions. The story begins with protagonist Donnie Darko being summoned by a demonic bunny rabbit informing him that by the end of the month the world will come to an end. Donnie seems relatively open to accepting this fact… really, what teen doesn’t believe at some point that a failed class, failed relationship or family conflict signifies the end of the world for them? From an outsider’s perspective, teen angst might seem like all naïve fun (which is almost always is), but for those living through adolescence, it’s all very real and very threatening. The story devolves into some sort of Lynchian nightmare from there, Donnie becoming obsessed with time travel, perhaps because he thinks there’s an answer in it to help change the inevitable course of events, or just as a ‘way out’ of his scared, fractured psyche as he tries desperately to understand the underlying nature of his confusing suburban life. Some clumsy segues aside, Kelly writes a taut script that rewards new understanding upon each viewing, although trying to read too much into some of the events may prove futile and it is best to just approach it in the same way Donnie does: confused willing to go where events may lead us, comforted only by a belief than an answer exists somewhere even if we may never find it.
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