NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE THEATRICAL RELEASE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE DIRECTOR'S CUT



Well you definitely finish this movie with the words, "What the...?" in your head. I don't mean I don't understand what they are trying to do here. I mean it doesn't make sense. Sure the acting is good and the directing is great and the imagery is deep, but in the end this supposed to be a movie. Call me dense but I felt like being lead on a trail that goes nowhere but back to square one.



This movie is VERY cerebral. So if you are used to be lead by the hand through the plot and everything else that develops in the movie you are out of luck. This is definitely a thinking person's movie. Only that shouldn't be an excuse for vagueness. I had to keep asking myself what's going on only to hope that by the end of the movie all of the pieces will fall into place and all the questions will be answered. When I finally got to the end of the film that didn't happen. Sure some pieces did fall into place and some of the bigger questions were answered, but when you get to the point of asking why all this stuff happened in the first placed there is no appropriate answer. There are also lots of little things that never get answered. Small events and plot points that don't fall into place either. In the end I have to ask what was the point of all this? Yeah, yeah, I know. There is all the social commentary and metaphors and stuff seething throughout the movie, but if I only wanted to get social commentary I would watch 60 Minutes. If I wanted only wanted metaphor I would read a poem. I expect more from my movies.



The conceptual stuff in this movie regarding time travel are kinda cool, although they really don't get into it as much as I would have liked. The special effects for this movie will definitely look low budget compared to other movies, but somehow that doesn't make a difference. It might even have helped enhance the movie in both an artistic and practical point of view. The 80's soundtrack was cool too what with all the alternative music played. As I said before the acting is well done and the movie does get deep with the imagery, but I wished there was more to it than just that.



Donnie Darko feels more like an art film with all the shortcomings you get from them in regards to the mainstream viewer. If you are into heavy metaphors and a movie that makes you think then this could probably catch your eye as long as you don't mind the pointlessness of it all. Action and drama fans can forget it because you really don't get either. Most casual Sci-Fi fans might want to avoid this one as the science fiction aspects are few while the art house style is in abundance.