DONNIE DARKO is a film hard to classify. Some might pass it off as a routine teen flick but they'd be mistaken. It has all the trappings of adolescent movies, from soul-searching teenage talk to parent problems and plenty of intrigue and simmering violence at the local high school, but it goes a lot further than that.

The base of the story involves a paradox in time, and it is set in an alternate universe packed with imaginative effects and a really creepy guy in a rabbit costume who goes by the name of Frank. I can't really say any more, except that this is the film that brought THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW star Gyllenhaal to fame, and he is excellent, as is the rest of the cast – including Patrick Swayze in a very surprising change of character.

This is one of those movies with a plot that doesn't make much sense until the end, where a couple of twists or three make what has come previously crystal clear. It's a good trick, and one you won't tire of. Add onto that an '80s setting and plenty of cool Tears for Fears music (which could almost have been written for this movie) and you have an emotional thriller with a heart and a brain. It might leave you scratching your head, but repeat viewings should remedy that.

"Donnie Darko" is a mind-bending film that is VERY hard to rate or even review. It's incredibly strange and watchable...but also confusing and open to MANY interpretations. My advice is just watch it and see what you think.

The weirdness of this film doesn't surprise me that much since it stars Jake Gyllenhaal, an actor who seems to love taking chances with mind-bending and provoking scripts. Think about it...this actor hasn't just made one weird film but many...such as "Source Code", "Nightcrawler", "Brokeback Mountain", "Love and Other Drugs" as well as "Accidental Love"....all VERY unusual and difficult to categorize films. He certainly is a risk-taker....and I really appreciate that and seek out his films because of this.

The story is "Donnie Darko" is hard to describe....but I'll try. Donnie (Gyllehaal) is a disturbed high school student who apparently is in therapy after an incident involving arson. As the movie progresses, several things become obvious: he's brilliant, he can see the hypocrisy and bull around him, he's obsessed with time travel AND he's psychotic and dangerous. And, as the film progresses you see the world as he does...filled with all sorts of apparent delusions, including an imaginary friend dressed as a demonic rabbit, Frank. You KNOW all this will lead to something horrible...but what, you can't predict. What also is odd is that despite being highly disturbed, Donnie is, somehow, on to something...but what?!

The film is a mind-bending experience. I didn't love it, but I really respect it for trying to do something unique. I film you will probably either love or hate...I think it's worth your time.

It's 1988 upper class suburb Middlesex, Virginia. Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a disturbed kid who talks to a giant creepy bunny called Frank and disappears at night. His parents (Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne) have him talking to psychiatrist Dr. Lilian Thurman (Katharine Ross). Frank tells him that the world is ending in 28 days. A jet engine crashes into his room while he's away sleepwalking. No one knows where it came from. He falls for new student Gretchen Ross (Jena Malone). The school is flooded and English teacher Karen Pomeroy (Drew Barrymore)'s assignment is blamed. Gym teacher Kitty Farmer (Beth Grant) begins to teach lessons from motivational speaker Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze). His science teacher Dr. Kenneth Monnitoff (Noah Wyle) gives him a time travel book written by local mad woman Roberta Sparrow.

I love the weird moody style. It's got a surreal suburbia that feels more like the small town in Blue Velvet. It's a beautiful place on the surface hiding an ugly core. Frank is just weird and Jake Gyllenhaal plays off of it with a disturbing performance. There is the crazy sci-fi element. All of it mash together in one of the most unique blend. The 80s music is terrific. I also didn't notice Seth Rogen was in this until watching much later. The final ending is a little bit confusing and I'm not sure what it all means. I would have preferred one that wraps up with more sense.