Donnie Darko

Play trailer

1:35

Donnie Darko

R

In Theaters Oct 2

1h 53m

Drama

Sci-Fi

Fantasy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

125 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

In a funny, moving and distinctly mind-bending journey through suburban America, one extraordinary but disenchanted teenager is about to take Time's Arrow for a ride. After surviving a freak accident, Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) begins to explore what it means to be alive, and in short order to be in love, he uncovers secrets of the universe that give him a tempting power to alter time and destiny.

Coming Soon

In Theaters Oct 2

Notify Me

Critics Consensus

Richard Kelly's debut feature Donnie Darko is a daring, original vision, packed with jarring ideas and intelligence and featuring a remarkable performance from Jake Gyllenhaal as the troubled title character.

Read Critics Reviews

Richard Kelly

Director

Jake Gyllenhaal

Donnie Darko

Jena Malone

Gretchen Ross

Drew Barrymore

Ms. Karen Pomeroy

James Duval

Frank

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Elizabeth Darko

The Zero Theorem

49%

43%

The Zero Theorem

Watchlist

4:44 Last Day on Earth

48%

19%

4:44 Last Day on Earth

Watchlist

Slipstream

27%

29%

Slipstream

Watchlist

Dark City

78%

85%

Dark City

Watchlist

Equilibrium

40%

81%

Equilibrium

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Justin Chang

Los Angeles Times

03/31/2017

The movie feels perfectly timed to coincide with our nation's latest flirtation with the apocalypse.

Go to Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

01/10/2017

5/5

Donnie Darko rightly made a star of Gyllenhaal.

Go to Full Review

Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

12/29/2016

The script makes variable sense, but so does life.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Mar 22

3.5/4

Like Being John Malkovich and 2001: A Space Odyssey and too few others, this is one of those mind-melting cinematic achievements.

Go to Full Review

Paul Kanieski

KSQD Community Radio

07/21/2023

Jake Gyllenhaal, with an impish grin that exudes boyish charm, gives a breakout performance as Donnie Darko.

Go to Full Review

Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

03/29/2023

One of the best homages to Back to the Future. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Logan Bushaw

03/27/2025

MORE RE-RELEASES PLEASE

See more

rylee

03/23/2025

i love this movie so much. 🤍

See more

Jasmine W

@jasniquejewels 1d

one of the best psychological thriller films oat. donnie darko is really good and finding the meaning of the concepts my perspective changes with every rewatch. this made me laugh way more than it should of.

See more

Cinema S

@cinema_sensei Aug 23

This constantly had me questioning what was real and what was actually happening. The mix of time travel, alternate realities, mental illness, and teenage alienation creates a genuinely mind-bending sci-fi experience. The VFX can look cheap or a little silly today, but considering it came out in 2001, that never bothered me much. The atmosphere, mystery, and ambitious concept kept me fully engaged. It's complicated and not every idea is perfectly explained, but that's also part of what made the experience so interesting for me.

See more

Remington B

@RemingtonBallenger Aug 23

Donnie Darko is one of my favorite movies I’ve ever watched. From beginning to end, I was completely invested, and I genuinely enjoyed every second of it. It’s one of those movies that doesn’t just entertain you—it actually makes you stop and rethink life, time, reality, and the choices we make. The story, atmosphere, characters, and mystery all come together in a way that kept me thinking long after the movie ended. There are so many things to interpret and question, which makes it a movie I feel like I could watch multiple times and still notice something new. It even had me going out of my way to watch other peoples opinions on YouTube, to try and fully rap my head around this wonderful movie. Overall, Donnie Darko left a huge impression on me. It made me think differently about life while still being an incredibly entertaining movie. Definitely one of my all-time favorites and a movie I’ll never forget. 10/10 would recommend

See more

Brent H

@hbrent Aug 14

Absolute classic. How movies should be made. Every scene and every line is gold. So so so well done!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Watch Online: Mindhunter, Talladega Nights, and More on Netflix and Amazon Prime

Jake Gyllenhaal’s 10 Best Movies

Richard Kelly Tells Southland Tales of Love and Devotion

Donnie Darko: Re-Release Trailer

1:35

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In a funny, moving and distinctly mind-bending journey through suburban America, one extraordinary but disenchanted teenager is about to take Time's Arrow for a ride. After surviving a freak accident, Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) begins to explore what it means to be alive, and in short order to be in love, he uncovers secrets of the universe that give him a tempting power to alter time and destiny.

Director: Richard Kelly
Producer: Sean McKittrick, Nancy Juvonen
Screenwriter: Richard Kelly
Distributor: Newmarket Film Group
Production Co: Adam Fields Productions, Flower Films, Pandora Cinema, Gaylord Films
Rating: R (Some Drug Use|Language|Violence)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2001, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 2, 2026
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 25, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $205.8K
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Dolby SR, Surround, Dolby Stereo, Dolby A
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings