3) Donnie Darko (2001)
Few films deserve the title cult-classic more than Richard Kelly’s story of a troubled boy mixed up in the complexities of alternate dimensions amid a series of a bizarre hallucinations. Led by a spectral visitor in a bunny costume, Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) ventures through a plot so complicated it required a director’s cut to set any questions straight.
However, it is this complexity that seemed to be the draw for many fans of the film. The ambiguity has led to countless discussions on possible meanings which, in turn, garners more and more buzz for the indie flick, though this isn’t the soul reason for its success as a time travel piece. What Kelly does so well is balance the sci-fi elements in a very realistic setting – an idyllic neighborhood, a flourishing suburbia. Donnie’s descent deeper and deeper into Frank’s foreboding prophecy mirrors the route many teenagers go through as they mature. He experiences love, anger, mood swing, happiness – none of which come conventionally by any means. For this very reason, Donnie Darko found its place with a particularly passionate teenage audience on the verge of adulthood.
Don’t let this deter you though, no matter your age, there is something to be taken from Kelly’s masterpiece – even if it’s just the killer eighties soundtrack.
