Hi friends,
I watched Donnie Darko for the first time last night and I have so many thoughts. Donnie Darko stars an odd teenage boy who has mysterious sleepwalking fits which save him from being crushed by a falling jet engine that lands in his room. The movie is critically acclaimed and beloved by many, especially on Letterboxd. While I can understand some of the praise, in my humble opinion, the movie just isn't that good. It does a lot of things right but also a lot of things wrong. The main appeal of the movie seems to be the relatable teenage angst of the main character. However, I'm going to be honest, it's not written that well. The movie doesn't present anything interesting or new on the typical teenage boy tropes. He wants connection, he doesn't want to die a virgin, and he's generally detached and nonchalant about what he deals with in life. Yawn. He meets a girl and she's the only thing that makes sense to him and cuts through the confusion of dealing with Frank. Boring. Maybe I'm biased as a female viewer, but the premise just isn't that interesting nor well executed. The movie itself isn't much special. HOWEVER!! I do think the movie has a lot of redeeming qualities, as demonstrated by its cult following. Donnie Darko as a movie is incredibly easy to watch. Although parts of the movie, especially the ending, can be confusing and almost pointless because of how convoluted they are, the movie is palatable and an easy gateway into cinema and how deep it can get. Honestly, that's something I commend it for. The movie itself isn't very deep, but the (mostly teenage) viewers find it introduces the idea of a movie being, for the lack of better terms, deep and philosophical. In addition, Donnie Darko is absolutely a mood movie. Part of what makes it so enjoyable, and what made it enjoyable to me, is the consistent vibe both visually and in the characters. The atmosphere is unmatched in most films I've seen and the dialogue between characters feels both cheesy and interesting in a way that keeps you engaged and pleased. And, unlike many other coming-of-age movies starring guys, the movie doesn't overly sexualize or objectify its women characters. Granted there aren't many of them.
I like the movie for what it is, though it is by no means a masterpiece of intense deep meaning and genius. It stands to be engaging for almost its entire runtime and is generally enjoyable throughout. A major contributor to its fame and success is teenage angst, vibes and nostalgia.
I'd love to know what other people think about the movie! I know I have some unconventional takes but hopefully it makes sense.
See you guys next time!
P.S. I totally didn't proofread this so my apologies for any mistakes <3
