Take Two is a series from reporters and movie buffs Fritz Freudenberger and Isabelle Curtis to review entertainment options in the region. This month’s pick is 2001’s “Donnie Darko,” directed and written by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal in his breakout role. The Cinema Clubhouse will host a free showing at the Harbor Theater Sunday, March 29 at 6 p.m. 

Like many millennials, “Donnie Darko” was a formative part of my movie experience as a youth. Smart, funny, and edgy, it checked many boxes for an angsty teenager. As I revisited this once-favorite, I was both surprised at how well it holds up decades later and a bit proud of myself for good taste early on.   

The movie follows the titular Donnie Darko (Gyllenhaal), a troubled high schooler struggling with a mental health crisis, as he navigates a twisted plotline speckled with crime, time travel, teenage drama, and a haunting rabbit. Even after watching it multiple times, I would be lying if I said I understood it. But that’s not the point. It’s a movie meant to leave viewers pondering, and doubting, what it’s about.   

It’s hard to review the movie’s details because, once you do, it’s easy to get dragged into a quagmire of nuance and fan theories. However, I have a few notes. First, the supporting cast is phenomenal. It’s filled with stars, to-be stars, and extraordinary character actors. Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Seth Rogan and Mary McDonnell, to name a few. Second, the script is tight and real. I had forgotten how many wonderful one-liners, turns of phrase, and solid examples of writing it had. The characters were, if not relatable, believable.    

I’m sure I could find critiques about the film if I thought hard enough. If we used a 100-point scale, I might take off some points. However, recognizing my inherent nostalgia bias, I think “Donnie Darko” is a masterpiece. If you want something smart, witty, and slightly disturbing, it's a must-watch.   

5/5 rabbits 

Is: I had two priorities once the credits rolled. One: Googling “Donnie Darko ending explained” to confirm that I had (mostly) understood the plot, and two: scrolling through online reviews so my thoughts could percolate. Cohesive analysis was having a hard time muscling past how disturbing I found the rabbit. I saw one user liken the film to “a nightmare on the end of consciousness,” and I couldn’t think of a more apt descriptor.   

While the viewer is left guessing about the mysterious events that surround Donnie until the very end, there is still an impending sense of doom as you watch them unfold. The narrative is barreling towards a predestined conclusion, and deviations will be course-corrected by the universe. Just because you’re aware you’re in a bad dream doesn’t mean that you can stop the monster from jumping out of the closet.   

Yet the movie manages to be startlingly funny. Donnie has some fantastic one-liners, but the comedic star was the Bible-thumping gym teacher Mrs. Farmer (Beth Grant), whose ridiculous assertions were delivered with such earnestness that you had to laugh.   

I imagine most criticisms of the film stem from its ambiguity, but that’s not one of mine. I enjoy media that leaves the audience with something to chew on. Rather, it’s Donnie’s archetype as the socially disaffected, angsty, too-smart-for-his-own-good teen boy (think “The Catcher in the Rye’s” Holden Caulfield) whose female companions exist to teach him or motivate him by suffering, that failed to entice me. Been there, seen that.   

This isn’t to say that films need perfectly moral protagonists. I love a good story about bad people, and Donnie is far from bad. He’s a sympathetic, tragic figure. The use of well-trodden story beats in an otherwise unique film just felt tired to me.  

4/5 rabbits