Review of Donnie Darko (2001) by Jed G — 20 Nov 2013

Let's begin by saying that I am ENORMOUS sucker for films like Donnie Darko. Thrillers that slowly build up tension with quiet atmosphere, haunting music, and character development, and throw in themes of science fiction and romance without ruining the tone. And Donnie Darko meshes these elements very well, making for a damn fine film with good thrills and good scares. Let's take a look at the pros and cons.

The character of Donnie Darko is extremely well set-up, and the movie gives us time to get to know him and truly follow him. He is a dark and haunted child with emotional problems and social anxieties. How much more identifiable can a kid get? Jake Gyllenhaal also performs the role phenomenally, in one of his better performances from his already great career. The character's interactions with Frank are pure terror, as there is a true sense of atmosphere that consistently makes you wonder what in the heck is happening. And Frank himself is extremely ghoulish and scary, with the voice of HAL and a lot of nerve-racking subtlety to his character. Best quote: "Why don't you take off that stupid human mask?" It gives me shivers. The film's buildup is extremely efficient; throughout the entire movie, you are guessing what will happen when the doomsday clock stops ticking, and it consistently keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. And the music is knuckle-biting, going from creepy synth, to some average pop, to demonic chants. It's genius.

But the film is not without its flaws. While the doomsday buildup is great, I was not entirely satisfied with the payoff. I don't know, I guess I expected something a little... bigger. It was tragic enough, just rather uneventful and abrupt. Also, the regular dialogue was not the sharpest, often resorting to bland stereotypical high school gags that feel tired and overused. I also thought that the Drew Barrymore character was VERY underused; she didn't seem to have any real impact on the story whatsoever, she was just a little subplot that felt highly unnecessary. Her character could have used a touchup.

But all things said, Donnie Darko is a perfectly serviceable thriller that has original concepts, fantastic atmosphere, and good development. You're never going to look at a rabbit the same way again.