Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut

Troubled, but super-intelligent teen Donnie (Gyllenhaal) is visited by 6-foot tall time-travelling bunny Frank, who saves his life before telling him of the world's imminent demise. Not sure if he's a connection to the future or just insane, Donnie's increasingly erratic - if creative - behaviour comes to a head as the final day draws closer. Boosted by an extra 20 minutes to the original theatrical cut, this version of Richard Kelly's mini masterpiece expands on the science fiction elements of the story, and gives Donnie more scenes with his family and girlfriend Gretchen (Malone).Quite simply, Donnie Darko is one of the best independent American movies of the past ten years. Packed to the brim with ideas from everything from philosophy to metaphysics to religion, it's fundamentally a love story at heart, and a beautifully told one. This version though, feels like it's come from a more retrospective place than a blurring of the director's original vision. Expanding on themes that were fine to begin with it - adding extracts from the Philosophy of Time Travel - it deviates slightly, taking from the emotional impact, to simply expand on an idea. Nonetheless, Donnie Darko will blow you away. If you've already seen and loved the theatrical cut, this version is most definitely worth revisiting; but if you're a newbie to the world of Donnie Darko, watch the original version first. Outstanding.