Donnie Darko

I really enjoyed this, although I was confused at first. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the self-titled Donnie Darko, a high-school boy who is (seemingly) having mental health struggles, seeing visions of a mysterious bunny man named Frank who narrates in his head to commit acts at night, such as sleepwalking, flooding the school, and committing arson. On October 2nd, we are shown an accident where the engine of a plane crashes into Donnie's room, which would've killed him but Frank had woke him and he sleptwalk at night, in a trance. Donnie is told by Frank the world is ending in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. The next 28 days sees Donnie having both gains and losses. He falls for new girl Gretchen, played by Jena Malone, celebrates his sister Elizabeth's (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) acceptance into Harvard, and sets fire to child porn collector Jim Cunningham, played by Patrick Swayze, who had been a local celebrity for his inspirational videos on facing your fears. At the same time, Gretchen is killed on October 30th by the real Frank, Elizabeth's boyfriend, after he accidentally runs her over, and Donnie's mother Rose (played by Mary McDonnell) and sister Samantha are killed in a plane crash on the way home from Samantha's dance competition as part of her troupe Sparkle Motion. The film features significant discussion on time travel, with notable scenes with the science teacher (played by Noah Wyle). There are these bubbles that flow out of people that represent such travel. In the end, Donnie time travels back to October 2nd, reversing the 28 days such that in an alternative universe Donnie had died by the incoming engine, saving Gretchen, Rose, and Samantha from their deaths. The film is about selflessness, looking at the tragedy of knowing you are going to die but putting others over the center of your own universe. The performances of the cast are solid, but Jake Gyllenhaal really gives an excellent performance, really nailing the emotions and complexity of the role as a teen suffering from significant angst. The cinematography is great, the score is solid, and the soundtrack is so good, really nailing the 80s nostalgia. Such great pairing of sound to scene, especially with the opening scene, "Head Over Heels", and "Mad World". The movie definitely feels like a teenage, maybe less ambiguous, version of a David Lynch project but is really good.