Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko is a true cult film. Having premiered at Sundance back in 2001, it was released to theatres via a small company called Newmarket Films, and given that it opened in the wake of 9/11, it came and went with nary a trace. In fact, the company came close to sending it direct-to-video, but in the end, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, who had made Memento for the company, pushed them to give it a release. While it barely made any money in theaters, something interesting happened once it hit VHS/DVD – it started to sell – a lot. People would rent the movie, lured in by the intriguing cover art and the presence of Drew Barrymore and Jake Gyllenhaal (then best known for October Sky and Bubble Boy), and watch it over and over. Indeed, word began to spread through college campuses and online about this weird sci-fi flick set in the 80s, and a genuine cult sprang up around the film. The cult only intensified once Kely was able to go back and issue his director’s cut, although which version of the film is better remains a bone of contention among fans.
Indeed, the movie would eventually become Kelly’s ticket to the big time, with his follow-up films, Southland Tales and The Box, more expensive and highly ambitious. Both movies would flop with critics, audiences and many fans, although loyal cults would spring up around both, Kelly hasn’t made a movie since The Box, but Donnie Darko remains a perennial hit (which got a rip-off sequel called S. Darko that Kelly wasn’t involved in). He’s been teeing a legit sequel for a while now, and in this episode of WTF Happened to this Movie, we dig into the movie’s lasting cult appeal. This episode is written by Jake Dee, narrated by Mathew Plale and written by Diane Baldwin.
Do you think Donnie Darko stands the test of time? Let us know in the comments!