Hello and welcome to the blog series “Movie Reviews for Teens,” where I, Ms. Kate, review movies you teens might enjoy! For this edition, I will review this star-studded cult classic, Donnie Darko, which debuted in 2001. The movie takes place in 1988 and follows high schooler Donnie Darko, who sleepwalks and meets a grotesque rabbit named Frank, who warns him that the apocalypse will come in 28 days.
I can understand why Donnie Darko has become a favorite. It is a very well-done movie with a great cast, script, and subject matter. Donnie Darko, the middle child and only son of the Darko family, is a person who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, providing a peek at what a patient and family can feel like after the diagnosis. There is some creativity behind Donnie’s schizophrenia, as he sleepwalks/goes into a trance numerous times throughout the movie and meets Frank, who warns him about the end times. Frank also instructs Donnie to complete other tasks that affect life outside of their “reality.”
I totally see why this film became a “cult classic” (a term used for movies that gained a large following, usually after it is released on VHS/ DVD/Blu-Ray.) The director, Richard Kelly, had a vision and stuck with it in his debut film. The cast is amazing and full of actors that have shaped my childhood (for example, Ashley Tisdale, who stars in Suite Life and High School Musical, and Jerry Trainor, who plays Spencer in iCarly). The story is enjoyable, and the soundtrack is perfectly early 2000s.
If you are someone who enjoys sci-fi, high school epics, and early 2000’s fashion, you will enjoy this film!
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