Donnie Darko
28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, 12 seconds... that is when the world will end.
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Directed by Richard Kelly · Fantasy · Drama · Mystery · 114 min · 2001
Trailer
Director
Richard Kelly
Studio
Flower Films / Pandora Cinema
Release
2001-01-19
Runtime
114 min
Genres
Fantasy, Drama, Mystery
Cast & Characters
Gretchen Ross
Jena Malone
Frank
James Duval
Karen Pomeroy
Drew Barrymore
Kitty Farmer
Beth Grant
Elizabeth Darko
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Did You Know?
Critical Assessment
Donnie Darko holds 7.8/10 on TMDb (13813 votes). IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic scores will populate automatically via the site's daily refresh once available.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of October 7, 2026
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on TMDb's aggregated score (7.8/10 on TMDb (13813 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Donnie Darko good? What are critics saying?+
Donnie Darko holds 7.8/10 on TMDb (13813 votes). IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic scores will populate automatically via the site's daily refresh once available.
How long is Donnie Darko?+
Donnie Darko has a runtime of 114 min.
Who directed Donnie Darko?+
Donnie Darko was directed by Richard Kelly.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The movie "Donnie Darko" has been widely praised for its thought-provoking and complex storyline, with many reviewers noting that it requires a reading of the original idea to fully understand it. Some critics have also complimented the film's visual impact and cast, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Interesting movie with several readings. As with 2001: A Space Odissey, it is needed a reading of the actual explanation for the events to fully understand the original idea ... if you are interested in such explanation ...
Andres Gomez · 7/10***Cult flick with sophisticated themes, great cast, but meh story*** Released in 2001 and written/directed by Richard Kelly, "Donnie Darko" is a drama/fantasy starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled California teen dogged by apparitions of a man in an evil rabbit suit who manipul…
Wuchak · 6/10A complete mind-bender of a movie that put Jake Gyllenhall on the map, introduced the creepiest rabbit costume of all time, and may make you surprisingly tear up to a remake of Tears for Fears "Mad World."
Repo Jack · 9/10**A strange film, with a strong visual impact and a script with wild theories, but which fulfills its objective very well and is enjoyable to watch.** I saw this film very recently, and I have to agree with all those who label it “strange” or “bizarre”. Directed and written by Ri…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 6/10Jake Gyllenhaal is the eponymous teenager who just doesn't really fit in. Ever since he was a young child, he has struggled and it's only "Gretchen" (Jena Malone) who has anything to do with him. It's maybe on the psychiatrists couch that he seems most able to relax - under hypno…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
"Sometimes I question your commitment to Sparkle Motion!"
@greyeyed123 · 21 likesI CAN SEE HIM RIGHT NOW
@sleepofgiants5956 · 10 likesThe soundtrack is one of my favorites ever. Both original and licensed songs are perfect in the movie.
@lakdjfbdixjf2305 · 22 likesI watched this like 7 times in the theater, I was in college, it was my fav movie ever for a while. Really touched on the zeitgeist, very postmodern, I remember a mysterious website or sites with clues and stuff relating to the movie, was like a full experience and not just a mov…
@nnslg · 2 likesPeople like to bag on Kelly and it’s true that his post DD efforts have paled in comparison but he still made DD and it’s a bonafide classic. And I love that we have 2 versions of the film to choose from even if the theatrical cut is definitely the better release. The “director’s…
@VFRZen · 2 likesMagnifique.
@warlockofwordschannel7901 · 6 likesOne of the absolute bests
@ehyouman · 1 likesCan't wait, been sleeping to this movie all year.
@drewdolce · 1 likes
