By Diya Ahuja, 20 April, 2020
Donnie Darko is a 2001 American science fiction psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katherine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Daveigh Chase, and James Duval.
“28 days…6 hours…42 minutes…12 secs. That is when the world will end”. This quote caught me up since the very beginning of the movie. It was a lot to take in after the movie. The main factor of this confusion was its ambiguity and the only way you could figure that out would be when you get into some deep research after watching it.
Donnie Darko is a story about a mentally unstable teenager who receives a visit from a 6 feet tall rabbit (Frank). Then some strange things start happening. The crash of the jet engine in Donnie’s room leaves every one haywire. If Donnie wouldn’t have been sleepwalking, then he would be probably dead. The crash of the jet engine is where the twists and turns start.
This movie explored the themes of time travel, the tangent universe, and its powers and mental health on some level. Time travel unravels the concept of primary and the tangent universe more clearly.
Donnie, the protagonist has symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. This movie also gives an insight into the topics of alienation and mental health. He believes that there are more emotions and perspectives to something than just right or wrong and love and fear. It feels like he doesn’t fit in this world with just two extreme concepts.
The color palette for the movie was dark to add to the mystery and the thrill. It had a certain level of grain in every scene which gave an exact feel of the time it was shot in.
The mystery and confusion that is created in this movie will make you want more of it and it’s a cherry on top if you’re into conspiracy theories. That will make this movie a must-watch.
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