Donnie Darko 2001

Donnie Darko, a troubled teenager living in suburban Virginia, shares a chaotic life with his family: his parents, Eddie (Holmes Osborne) and Rose, along with his sister Samantha (Daveigh Chase). Struggling with his mental health, Donnie often finds himself in therapy, as he frequently awakens outside his home with no recollection of how he got there. His tense relationship with his sister, Elizabeth, adds to the family drama.

On October 2, 1988, everything changes when Donnie encounters a mysterious figure named Frank, dressed in a horrific rabbit costume, who ominously reveals that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. Upon returning home after this eerie encounter, he discovers that a jet engine has inexplicably crashed into his bedroom. To his surprise, the FAA investigators, led by Bob Garland (David St. James), are baffled because the engine’s serial number is untraceable.

After the family is temporarily relocated to a hotel while repairs are made, Donnie unexpectedly becomes a high school celebrity, connecting with the popular kids. He begins divulging his frightening experiences with Frank to his psychotherapist, Dr. Thurman (Katharine Ross), revealing not just his hallucinations but the unsettling events that unfold under Frank’s influence. As chaos ensues, Donnie acts out, flooding the school on October 6, leading to its closure, and leaves a message, “They made me do it,” carved into a school sculpture.

In this turbulent backdrop, Donnie begins a relationship with Gretchen Ross (Jena Malone), a new girl at school escaping a troubled home. After defending her from bullies, their connection deepens, yet the impact of imaginative storytelling in class sparks controversy when Kitty Farmer (Beth Grant) blames Donnie for the flooding, linking it to the short story “The Destructors.”

As October progresses, Donnie becomes entranced by the concept of time travel introduced by his science teacher, Dr. Kenneth Monnitoff (Noah Wyle), leading him to Roberta Sparrow (Patience Cleveland), a seemingly senile woman with wisdom beyond her years. Her book theorizes a possible wormhole phenomenon that may explain the bizarre happenings surrounding him.

On October 18, a disturbing revelation from Dr. Thurman diagnoses Donnie’s visions as symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, propelling him to seek out a darker path. As relationships and tensions intensify, Donnie commits impulsive acts that culminate in tragedy when Gretchen is fatally struck by a car driven by a classmate, Frank Anderson (James Duval), leading Donnie down a path of fury and despair.

In the climactic moments, as the world faces impending doom, Donnie confronts the fallout of his choices, witnessing the vortex of time collapsing around him. Ultimately, the narrative unfolds in reverse as Donnie reverts to the early hours of October 2, mirroring his fatal fate. The haunting end leaves a lingering mystery among those who remained, as characters interact and reminisce about the profound impact of Donnie’s life and tragic conclusion, encapsulating a poignant tale of fate, choice, and existential inquiry.