This film is currently unavailable
Donnie Darko
Richard Kelly's astounding debut feature is a mix of stylish eighties veneer and existential horror starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the troubled teen who is haunted by a giant rabbit prophesying the apocalypse.
Director: Richard Kelly
Overview
Blessed with the energy and style of a first time director given the opportunity to put his vision to screen, Richard Kelly has never bettered his stylish and enrapturing debut feature. In his breakout role as the titular character, Jake Gyllenhaal plays a teenager plagued by visions of a giant rabbit called Frank who forewarns him of the coming apocalypse. As Donnie seems to descend into madness, he meets Gretchen (Jena Malone), a timid girl who may hold the key to his redemption.
A dreamy phantasmagoria that blends coming-of-age fantasy, 80's pop culture, mind-bending sci-fi and existential horror, Donnie Darko is a cult classic that's worth regularly revisiting. Following a muted response to its initial US release, the film first acquired a devoted audience in the UK, bewitching those who discovered it with its mix of rich visuals, an indelible soundtrack and perplexing ambiguities. Anchored by an elusive yet magnetic performance from a young Jake Gyllenhaal and featuring a talented cast including Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze, Donnie Darko addresses timeless themes of alienation, growing up and how to deal when your best friend is a giant rabbit named Frank.
strong language, horrorRelated
Scum Scum
Drama 1979 97 mins Director: Alan Clarke
Director Alan Clarke examines the grim reality of borstal life in this searing remake of his previously banned television play.
The Kindergarten Teacher The Kindergarten Teacher
Drama 2018 97 mins Director: Sara Colangelo
Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance as a kindergarten teacher who finds herself in an ethical quagmire after discovering the poetic talents of a precocious student.
War Pony War Pony
Drama 2022 115 mins Director: Gina Gammell and Riley Keough
The lives of two Oglala Lakota boys interlock in this coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation.
Chocolat Chocolat
Drama 1988 100 mins Director: Claire Denis
Claire Denis' fully formed debut offers a child’s-eye-view of racial and sexual tension that bubbles with unspoken desires.
Eat the Night Eat the Night
Thriller 2024 107 mins Director: Caroline Poggi and Johnathan Vinel
Siblings find passion and peril online and in the real world, in this visually electric French drama.
God's Own Country God's Own Country
Drama 2017 105 mins Director: Francis Lee
A troubled young sheep farmer falls for a hired hand in this stunning debut from Francis Lee.
Enemy Enemy
Drama 2013 91 mins Director: Denis Villeneuve
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as doppelgängers in this dark, pulsating thriller from Denis Villeneuve.
Scum Scum
Drama 1979 97 mins Director: Alan Clarke
Director Alan Clarke examines the grim reality of borstal life in this searing remake of his previously banned television play.
My Favourite Cake My Favourite Cake
Romance 2024 97 mins Director: Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha
Life begins at 70 for Mahin, who decides to shake her life up in this charming, quietly subversive tale from Iran.
The Kindergarten Teacher The Kindergarten Teacher
Drama 2018 97 mins Director: Sara Colangelo
Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance as a kindergarten teacher who finds herself in an ethical quagmire after discovering the poetic talents of a precocious student.
The Living Wake The Living Wake
Comedy 2007 92 mins Director: Sol Tyron
Accompanied by his faithful assistant Mills (Jesse Eisenberg), self-proclaimed genius K. Roth Binew (Mike O’Connell) decides to go out in style following a terminal prognosis – staging a living wake.
War Pony War Pony
Drama 2022 115 mins Director: Gina Gammell and Riley Keough
The lives of two Oglala Lakota boys interlock in this coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation.
Chocolat Chocolat
Drama 1988 100 mins Director: Claire Denis
Claire Denis' fully formed debut offers a child’s-eye-view of racial and sexual tension that bubbles with unspoken desires.