One of my greatest joy’s of parenthood, was telling my son at like 12, “Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion,” and never explaining it to him. Like 10 years later he came up to me laughing hysterically about it. I then said,….“Time-Travel!” And we both laughed for like 10 minutes. He then promised to do the same to his own kids. Nobody’s gonna doubt my commitment!
A damn shame there is no version of this masterpiece in my language. Any attempt to translate this line to use it on my kids would probably not be recognized by them years later😂
@@Auggievf I can't hate him too much because he was in Dirty Dancing, Road House and Point Break. He also died of pancreatic cancer at relatively young age.
@@Auggievf though i always saw it as his travel through time left marks on the the people that were alive, hopefully meaning cunningham turns himself in etc.
@@Auggievf There was a sequel to this movie, where something similar happens to Donnie's younger sister. I thought it was mentioned that he was still caught, but it's been awhile so I could be wrong.
@@darkfate666 The original is more youthful and angsty and the Gary Jules version is very moving. I like both versions but the original edges it for me. Probably because I grew up with that version.
Kat did admirably. The mishmash of ideas in this movie is difficult to parse and people have spent a lot of time picking it apart. I think it's an early version of the now overused "multiverse" idea which has taken over the Marvel universe as a tool of writers to deal with overlapping plots and timelines.
HAHAHAHA!!! This made me laugh so hard. My uncut full outro was a pretty fun journey... I had to cut a lot of it for time but my theories got PRETTY OUT THERE. LOL. Thank goodness for the explanations in the comments!!! KAT:D
Fun Fact: The linguist that Drew Barrymore mentioned who said that the most beautiful combination of words is "Cellar Door", is none other than J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "The Lord of the Rings". Also, the "Head Over Heels" and "Under the Milky Way" sequences in this are some of my favorite scenes of all time. Plus, the whole soundtrack is fantastic.
The soundtrack saves the movie. It's kind of a convoluted mess and some of the side stories are annoying (the Swayze thing in particular, but Drew Barrymore's also).
Kat, Donnie Darko had lived the future as he survived the jet engine crashing into his room and killing him as he wasn't there, in that future the consequences of him not dying had led to the death of his then girlfriend and the shooting Frank, also his mother's death because him accidentally outing Patrick Swayze's character by setting fire to his place meaning his mother was on that plane which she wasn't on originally so, he made the decision to sacrifice himself allowing others to live by his death. It's a profound and beautiful film in many ways, it didn't get received well in America initially but did well in the U.K. and in Europe, it later developed a cult status. Drew Barrymore was a producer and backer of it.
A lot of interpretations go really nuts and say that Donnie is in a tangential universe. The plane engine is what caused the split between the “normal” universe and the tangential universe. Look it up online and you’ll see what I mean.
@@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.those interpretations don’t say he’s not the hero or not even that he’s not aware of what’s happening on some level. If you look at the other characters at the end they’re emotionally impacted as well but don’t know why.
I think he is also happy because he is realising that we are not bound by destiny and we get to make choices that matter even if his choice is in a very non-linear journey. Unless of course, he was destined to live the future and change the past because time is non-linear (evidenced by the portal/engine) and so is Donnie's predetermined path...
As a teenager, I would always dig through the bargain bin of dvds at Walmart and pull out random movies. Most of the time you’d get crap…but one day I found this movie. That was a good day.
The way I see it, he saw the portal opening up and understood that was where the jet engine (from his Mother's return plane trip, 28 days from now) came from, but now Gretchen was dead. Thinking about what she said, he realized he could deviate from the future destiny completely if he didn't survive the accident to begin with. He may have never met Gretchen and had his somewhat happy existence but she would still be alive. So he went back home and stayed in his room this time and when he died the timeline shifted and everyone who was involved experienced the entire movie as if waking up from a dream. Which is why it all affected them so much as if it were a memory. I like to point out that had Donnie delivered the letter to Roberta Sparrow, Gretchen may have lived because she wouldn't have been in the middle of the road when Frank was driving down it causing him to swerve and hit Gretchen instead. However, Donnie couldn't go back to that point because the wormhole opened up on October 2nd. If he wanted Gretchen to live, he had to die. In fact the whole reason this happened is because Donnie deviated from his path and crossed over into an unstable universe when he met future Frank. If Donnie didn't die and re-align the timeline, the whole world was going to end. THAT is what Frank meant because an unstable universe is doomed to collapse on itself. The reason he could see the timelines out in front of everyone is because they were on their path to death and Donnie knew this, so he could see it. This isn't really a horror movie but it has a cult following among the horror movie enthusiasts so good choice! One of my all-time favorite movies - ever.
@@johnnyboy7144 Thank you, I mean really it isn't anyone's fault. It just so happened that Donnie unfortunately crossed over into an unstable universe. I can't explain why other than maybe his mental condition in the beginning of the movie might have something to do with how he perceived reality enough to be able to make a conscious choice to cross the threshold between universes...? Then when he started taking his medication it cut off his ability to see alternative routes and he got trapped in this one, but at the end he made the selfless decision to sacrifice himself to save the life of an innocent, of the girl he loved. There is a concept in new age circles that says; on manifestation, that alternate universes are constantly around us. If we want that reality where we are happy and successful, and in love, then we need only visualize it and then make the right decisions that would support that reality. I think that was what he was doing before he started taking the medication.
The only part I don’t get is why Frank seemingly leads Donnie out of bed, then subsequently spends the rest of the movie trying to get Donnie back in that bed
@ I had to think on this and I don't think that was what Frank was trying to do. I think it was all Donnie's decision. I think Donnie realized that if he doesn't get crushed by the jet engine, he would seemingly live in a never ending loop of 28 days etc. where he meets, falls in love with and eventually witnesses the death and loss of Gretchen and by extension murder Frank. Knowing that I would opt for oblivion too. Donnie died happy. Having gotten the chance to know Gretchen as long and as intimately as he did, and also knowing that she will live this time around by having never known him in the first place. However both Frank the Rabbit (not the boyfriend) and Gretchen the Girlfriend (not the one on the bike at the very end) are both what is known as Manipulated Dead. That is they are both ghosts or echoes of the person who died during the events that they are trying to prevent from happening again. The only way for the loop to end is for Donnie to die on October 2nd.
The gist of the plot is this: the jet engine from nowhere puts the world in an alt universe. Donnie has to choose to complete the paradox/causality loop at the end by sending the engine back in time, if he doesn't, the universe spirals out of control and everyone dies. Donnie sets the universe right in the end bc he knows it'll save Gretchen. The world has returned back to normal at the end though no one will ever be able to explain where the engine came from. It's a paradox that's unexplainable to everyone else. Except Donnie and the audience. It's why the music at the beginning is so great and cues us into Donnie's journey: "fate, up against your will."
This makes sense and fries my brain at the same time. If we assume this is accurate the film provides a lot of misdirection and plot elements that have nothing to do with the paradox or Donnie’s mission. It’s hard to say if thats intentional or simply a bad script. I still think the latter is true.
Grechen's future is not assured, though. Sure, she doesn't get run over by Frank, but her dad's still out there. And Cunningham will be able to carry on. But if even a kid with as much to deal with as Donnie can want to make the world a bit better, then we may be OK.
@@suedoughnim6665 It's because Richard Kelly wanted to make a movie that was sort of a darker John Hughes type thing -- something that younger audiences would connect with more so than heady older audiences. It's a case of Kelly put a lot of time and thought into the rules/plot, but having most of it in the background. On top of that, he had to cut down a lot of extra scenes for the theatrical cut, which I actually think made the film better and more ambiguous. The director's cut of the movie kinda sucks but it goes into more detail about the "tangent universe" and all the rules of how it works.
There's an explanation for it all in the DVD, which consists of the book about time travel that Donnie reads. You have to reconcile the "paradox" or the world will end. The paradox was that Donnie survived the jet engine when he was supposed to die. Frank is trapped, unable to move on, because he died in the paradox universe. Frank created the "trap" by killing the girl Donnie loved, leaving Donnie only one choice , to go back in time to the moment of the paradox and choosing to die. This resolved the paradox and saved the world because when Donnie survived it created a BRANCH (paradocx) universe, one that was unstable and only able to last for a few weeks. Whenever a "BRANCH" universe is created, it can potentially destroy the main universe because two objects can't exist in the same space. So by choosing to die Donnie sets everything right and the branch universe fades away. But the last line of the book is that in their dreams everyone will remember what happened in the alternate universe, which is why they all wake up at the end..
I discovered and loved so much music via this movie - "Under the Killing Moon", "Notorious", "Head Over Heels", "Under the Milky Way". The opening scene is so perfect - apparently they couldn't get the rights to "Never Tear Us Apart" which was Richard Kelly's initial choice. I've seen a directors cut with this in place and I don't think it works as well. Also the Sparkle Motion dance was originally to "West End Girls" but they couldn't get the rights and the scene was re-edited to "Notorious." This is the movie that made the slow version of "Mad World" popular and it was used in everything - it's re-imagined from an up-tempo electronic track also by Tears for Fears.
Absolutely. It shows more pages and quotes from The Philosophy of Time Travel that really clears a lot up. One page in particular completely clears up the ending as it talks about the instability of tangent timelines and how they are essentially doomed to collapse in on themselves.
Directors cut was kind of bad tho imho. I thought that their need to tell to much ruined a lot of ahtmosphere. If I had watched that version first, I would have hated Donnie darko. I loved that movie to death but I hated the directors cut so much I took it to goodwill lol
growing up, friends and I would say, "sometimes, I doubt your commitment to sparkle motion" when someone couldn't hang out or whatever. it's such a good line to pull out whenever you need.
You know what this movie reminds me of the most? Twin Peaks. Seriously! The unusual manners of speech. The way the real meshes with the surreal. The complex yet out there characters. Jump into the Twin Peaks franchise if you haven't already, Kat, and you'll see those similarities, too!
😱 Katherine Ross?!? No wonder she looked so friggin familiar! All these many years, and I never truly recognized her! I loved her performances back in the '70s, when she had that long, glorious straight hair. Her most memorable role for me was as the main character in the original *The Stepford Wives.*
It may also be useful to mention, that the operative word in Roberta Sparrows book title is "Philosophy". Her book wasn't the "Science" or "Physics" of time travel. So it's less about "how" and more about "why'. I know some people watching can get bogged down in trying to work out the mechanics of what happens...rather than the ideas of fate and predetermination which are the more important concepts to think on when unpacking the events of the film.
I love several different aspects of this movie: The acting, the storyline, the directing and also the fantastic score! The film music / score in this is absolutely amazing!
I saw this film at the cinema. At the time i had an ear infection. It made it feel like Frank the rabbit was talking inside my head. It really spooked me!
It does a pretty good job at capturing the 80's vibe, but Drew Barrymore's character was a bit of an anachronism. Teachers didn't act like that back then. They do now though!
@@EwigeSchlangenkraftYou're speaking for all teachers in the 80's? How bold of you. I had my first inspirational teacher in 1990. Two years after this film is set. Just because you didn't get one doesn't mean they didn't exist.
One of my all-time favorite movies! I was working at Best Buy when we got it on DVD. A buddy handed me a copy and said "buy this", and I was like "I've never heard of it", and he replied "if you don't like it, I'll buy it from you". I watched it that night after work and couldn't sleep at all that night. Kept thinking about it. I think I watched it every night the rest of the week. It's really something special.
"Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion" is totally the line from this movie my friend and I still quote to each other. This is one of my favorites with the stacked cast, glorious soundtrack (both the songs and the incidental music) and mind-blowing concepts. Drew Barrymore was actually a major factor in getting this film produced. Thanks for reacting to this!
I can't put my finger on it, but something about you keeps me watching your reaction. You're feeling more and more like an old friend. Entertaining reaction.
Just found your channel and, I love it, your enthusiasm is infectious and, even though you proclaim to not like horror films, your expressions seem to say otherwise, you seem to be really enjoying them....subscribed.
This is just one of many films that pay a little nod to the great classic film “Harvey”, in which the protagonist carries on a relationship with an invisible rabbit. Harvey is also referenced in Field of Dreams, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Shawshank Redemption.
Well if we are LITERALLY examining that character as a LITERAL parallel to the screenplay in Harvey, the puca/pooka is an Irish fae creature that can be both benign or malignant- it just depends on the story. I don’t think that’s really needed, though.
The cast the soundtrack the setting the whole movie is amazing this movie makes me tear up every time god I love it 37 year old man and this movie gets me every time phenomenal job
Back when the movie came out I had so much fun with the companion website. It was interesting to read through The Philosophy of Time Travel and learn about the manipulated dead and manipulated living. It was a treat to go back and watch the movie afterward.
Thanks for this reaction. This is one of my favorite movies. Not many have reacted to it. Stories with time travel always lead to paradoxes, so you shouldn't think too much. I just like he decides to sacrifice himself to save the girl he loves. Now you should watch another horror film Angel Heart, that no one has reacted to yet, as far as I know. It has a surprise at the end too.
It's so awesome that you've finally seen this film. Now that you have, the door is now opened to watch even more bizarre films. I'd recommend "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" by David Lynch from 1992. Be prepared to say, "Avert your gaze" more than once. It's a film that will twist your brain. It's essentially the prequel "Director's Cut" version of the approved for TV version that was a miniseries of 30 shows that rocked people's world back then. Another film by David Lynch that will do the same is "Mulholland Drive". Twin Peaks would be a great start for you when it comes to movies designed to mess with your mind.
5:25 - Not only is that Drew Barrymore, but the man beside her is Noah Wyle from the television show ER, which you may be too young for, but he was a heartthrob at the time.
This movie is so fascinating because there are so many ways one can interpret it. Be careful of those who say they know exactly what was portrayed because those are the people who don't have a clue. I won't tell you that, because it is my belief that everyone should formulate their own belief about what happened. That's the beauty of true art, which is what this movie is.
Yes, it is a closed "bootstrap" loop. The magical appearence of the jet engine created a paradox that needed to be resolved. Donnie is influenced to survive the first time so he can resolve the paradox by sending the engine back to the main timeline. Having witnessed that both Fate and something like Ghosts exist, he concludes that it is part of "the Plan" for him to be killed as part of closing the Loop. "Doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!" became a huge meme back at the time.
There are few films, very few, that lie at the essence to my love for film making. This is one of those films. I watched it for the first time in 2001, at age eleven. Since that first viewing I have never been able to truly, TRULY explain how essential MUSIC is in films without bringing this film into the conversation. This story, direction, acting, and sound design is masterclass. It also was produced by Drew Barrymore, a true artistic talent.
My favourite part of this movie is how _FLAWLESS_ the dialogue is in capturing the genuine banter of slightly upper middle class suburban Christian American environment. It's just so ridiculously quotable.
@Aeroldoth3 "Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!" When I was a kid I heard adults get worked up over seemingly benign or unimportant things like this, or just blowing trivial things out of proportion. The crazy lady thinks that a dance competition for 8 year olds is a pivotal and important moment in the girls' lives when in reality it's highly unlikely it would matter even a year later. Even if they won it wouldn't be a guarantee they would go on to be successful dancers/performers but because it's important to her she gets all bent out of shape over it. Oh and the trope of Christians defending pedophiles that are close to them because they're just "silly allegations" or "sick pranks" that someone is leveling at a person they perceive as trustworthy or important.
@@me12342123 well, Christians defending pedophilia is nothing new, they do that across all economic lines and races. Of COURSE they're going to defend their own while SCREAMING about anybody else. Christians gonna pedo. I think the aggrandizing of tiny school events though, is a middle-class thing, not really a christian thing. But thank you for your reply.
@@me12342123 Many people will automatically defend authority figures accused of things like paedophilia, because if they don't, they have to confront the fact that they supported a paedophile. The cognitive stress means it's easier to dismiss or ignore the evidence and continue believing the more palatable view.
Possibly the weirdest thing about this film is the whole contention that the teacher isn't allowed to discuss the issue of a god, when he's teaching at not only a private school, but a Christian school. There's a cross on the bloody roof, which we see twice, right above the abbreviation "IHS," which means Iesus Hominum Salvator, which means Jesus, savior of Man. He'd be more likely to get in trouble for discussing evolution.
Though largely forgotten now, “sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion,” became a meme back when this movie came out. I still trot it out every once in a while, mostly to blank stares.
Took me several viewings and at least a moderate amount of natures relaxant to almost feel like I had a grip on it. Absolutely one of my top 10. Thanks Kat!
Thanks for your great video Kat the director of Donnie Darko confided that this film is about change, without spoiling the film: at the end of the Reagan years, Donnie is almost an adult and will meet a student in his class who has moved away because of a breakup between his parents and... strange things he'll see
Love your content Kat! Appreciate you sharing with us 😉🤘🏻 Rewatched Donnie Darko & saw a few interesting things I hadn’t noticed. Frank’s red Firebird drives by Donnie on his bike in the beginning. Plus, his mother is drinking wine while reading when Donnie comes home in the morning in the beginning of the movie. That tells me she was up all night waiting for him to get home. 🤔 The directors cut delves into the chapters of the book given to Donnie & explains everything so much better. FYI 😉
24:35 In '97, the original Star Wars trilogy was re-released in theaters. My brother took his girlfriend at the time because she'd never seen any of them somehow! He was so excited to be able to share the experience. They went to see A New Hope. During the finale, X-Wings are making the Death Star trench run, music is blaring, my brother's sitting up and white knuckled with excitement. He looks over to her to see if she's digging it too...and she'd fallen asleep. He broke up with her the next day over it. There were other reasons, but falling asleep during Star Wars was unforgivable!
Falling asleep during Star Wars is certainly a sackable offence. I can't imagine anyone falling asleep during The Evil Dead, at very least into a seemingly peaceful slumber.
Donnie Darko has been a favorite movie of mine since I was in middleschool back in the early 2000s this was a treat Kat, thank you. My recommendation is the original Suspiria
@@r.n.8337 After watching thousands of movies, Brazil is still, to this day, my favorite. Where the protagonist "kills" the woman of is dreams in order to save her. Pretty simple actually. It's a love story. One that could really scramble her eggs would be Southland Tales. By the same director as Donnie Darko. But it's not a horror movie per say
If you like time travel movies and want to be left confounded, while not inherrently a horror film Primer is excellently done and one of the most plausible time travel stories I've ever come across.
This film uses a double loop style of time travel. It is a never-ending cycle of Frank and Donnie taking turns going back in time, leading to each others' deaths. First loop we followed through this film, where Frank went back and saved Donnie from the accident. Second loop starts when Donnie goes back after Frank's death and will end when Frank goes back to save Donnie. It is unknown what event started the double loop, possibly something unrelated to both Frank and Donnie.
Short & simple explainer: The Tangent Universe (TU) split from the Primary Universe (PU). This causes all objects to be copied, with 1 copy in the PU and 1 copy in the TU. This time, a glitch occurred: an extra (3rd) jet engine, that ended up in the TU. The TU now has 2 copies of a jet engine, whereas the PU has only 1, as it's supposed to. Normally, the TU collapses after a while, and the PU continues to exist. However, the presence of an extra jet engine in the TU, makes it so unstable that, when it collapses, it will take the PU with it. Most of the movie, from the beginning, takes place in the TU. Donnie's objective, even if he doesn't know it, is to send the extra jet engine back in time, and make it land in the PU, which is stable enough to be able to process this glitch. In the TU, people who die become time traveling spirits. All people in the TU, called the Manipulated Living & Manipulated Dead, will say and do things to make Donnie Darko, the Living Receiver, undertake all actions required to use his special (received) power to make everything alright. At the end of the movie, you see Donnie sending back the jet engine through time. Back to the point where the TU split from the PU. This time, he makes it land in the PU. The movie now switches to the PU. In the PU, there are no time traveling spirits. There is of Frank to lure Donnie out of his room. Donnie sits in his bedroom and laughs rather hysterically, as if he knows something. Shortly after, the jet engine falls straight on top of him, killing him. The TU safely collapses. The PU is saved. But Donnie paid the ultimate price. The survivors of the whole ordeal also experience some sort of vague awareness, that they can't quite put their finger on. Nobody in the PU will ever find out about any of the events that occurred in the TU. This was all preordained. Nobody never got to choose a path. Donnie Darko was doomed from the start.
None of this is spelled out in the movie, but this is the director's explanation for how it works. I think that's what made it cool is you can tell there' are rules and a structure despite it being incomprehensible on initial viewing. If they sat and paged through the book for five minutes to explain it would lose some of its enigmatic and melancholic quality. And as said before, this move is immensely rewarding to re-watch knowing how the pieces ultimately fit together.
That might be the director's explanation but; what an incoherent load of bollocks 🤣Based on "southland tales" and that explanation I feel the dude just lucked into making 1 good movie because he conveyed his idea of what was going on so badly people could make up their own, better, more coherent narratives.
@@mcgfnEven if you watch the directors’ cut several times there’s no way anyone can reach such a convoluted interpretation without additional help and/or research.
@@hanonondricek411there is way too much going on in this movie to understand it in its entirety without research or help. It’s a great watch but it’s a bad script.
Welcome into the club. This film isn't a horror movie, at least not in the traditional concept. I suggest observing the man in the track suit during the kiss that didn't happen as a starting point. This film will force you to rewatch it over and over to find every nuance for each character. This one will always continue forever to be in my list of top five films.
One of my greatest joy’s of parenthood, was telling my son at like 12, “Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion,” and never explaining it to him. Like 10 years later he came up to me laughing hysterically about it. I then said,….“Time-Travel!” And we both laughed for like 10 minutes. He then promised to do the same to his own kids.
Nobody’s gonna doubt my commitment!
Perfect.
A damn shame there is no version of this masterpiece in my language. Any attempt to translate this line to use it on my kids would probably not be recognized by them years later😂
BEST THING I'VE READ IN A LONG TIME!😆😆
EPIC!❤🔥❤🔥
GOAT
This is a terrible lie but good story tho
Sometimes I doubt Kat's commitment to sparkle motion. That's the real horror of this movie.
The real horror of this movie is that Cunningham is now unexposed.
@@AuggievfI was just thinking about that.
@@Auggievf I can't hate him too much because he was in Dirty Dancing, Road House and Point Break. He also died of pancreatic cancer at relatively young age.
@@Auggievf though i always saw it as his travel through time left marks on the the people that were alive, hopefully meaning cunningham turns himself in etc.
@@Auggievf There was a sequel to this movie, where something similar happens to Donnie's younger sister. I thought it was mentioned that he was still caught, but it's been awhile so I could be wrong.
Gary Jules rendition of Mad World is just... spectacular.
During COVID, Curt Smith of Tears for Fears and his daughter did a duet of Mad World. They used the Gary Jules version.
Original is still better.
You can't dance to it like you can to the far-better Tears For Fears version.
I didn't think anyone could do a cover of a Tears For Fears song and make it better, but I have to say I prefer Jules' version a little bit more.
@@darkfate666 The original is more youthful and angsty and the Gary Jules version is very moving. I like both versions but the original edges it for me. Probably because I grew up with that version.
I am so glad I didn't have to figure out the plot of Donny Darko on camera in front of thousands. 😂
Genuinely that would be the real horror
Kat did admirably. The mishmash of ideas in this movie is difficult to parse and people have spent a lot of time picking it apart. I think it's an early version of the now overused "multiverse" idea which has taken over the Marvel universe as a tool of writers to deal with overlapping plots and timelines.
HAHAHAHA!!! This made me laugh so hard. My uncut full outro was a pretty fun journey... I had to cut a lot of it for time but my theories got PRETTY OUT THERE. LOL. Thank goodness for the explanations in the comments!!! KAT:D
@@KatWatchesHorror Please watch the movie Mulholland Drive movie 👍
@@KatWatchesHorror listen....I'm not saying we need that as an extra easter egg thing....but....WE NEEDS IT
This film will live in your head rent free for the rest of your life now.
🐰
Or not. It's kinda crap.
@smiffy68 yet here you are.....
I know the soundtrack lives in my head rent free
@@smiffy68 What a bland life you must have to have that shit of a taste.
Fun Fact: The linguist that Drew Barrymore mentioned who said that the most beautiful combination of words is "Cellar Door", is none other than J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "The Lord of the Rings".
Also, the "Head Over Heels" and "Under the Milky Way" sequences in this are some of my favorite scenes of all time. Plus, the whole soundtrack is fantastic.
The soundtrack saves the movie. It's kind of a convoluted mess and some of the side stories are annoying (the Swayze thing in particular, but Drew Barrymore's also).
I loved that Head Over Heels scene. Great use of scenography to introduce a vast number of characters in a short amount of time.
@@neil2444 The music was very deliberately picked for its meaning, and its no coincidence that one of the bands was "Echo and the BUNNYMEN"
I always wondered why I found the Elvish word "Siladur" so beautiful... now I know ;)
@@EwigeSchlangenkraft you don't get it and it annoys you 😏
Kat, Donnie Darko had lived the future as he survived the jet engine crashing into his room and killing him as he wasn't there, in that future the consequences of him not dying had led to the death of his then girlfriend and the shooting Frank, also his mother's death because him accidentally outing Patrick Swayze's character by setting fire to his place meaning his mother was on that plane which she wasn't on originally so, he made the decision to sacrifice himself allowing others to live by his death.
It's a profound and beautiful film in many ways, it didn't get received well in America initially but did well in the U.K. and in Europe, it later developed a cult status. Drew Barrymore was a producer and backer of it.
A lot of interpretations go really nuts and say that Donnie is in a tangential universe.
The plane engine is what caused the split between the “normal” universe and the tangential universe. Look it up online and you’ll see what I mean.
@@suedoughnim6665 I've seen some of them, to me this makes the most sense, that's why he's happy before the jet engine lands and kills him.
@@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.those interpretations don’t say he’s not the hero or not even that he’s not aware of what’s happening on some level. If you look at the other characters at the end they’re emotionally impacted as well but don’t know why.
@@suedoughnim6665 I'll have to look into them more, I still think that the simplest idea is usually right. What's your opinion, Sue?
I think he is also happy because he is realising that we are not bound by destiny and we get to make choices that matter even if his choice is in a very non-linear journey. Unless of course, he was destined to live the future and change the past because time is non-linear (evidenced by the portal/engine) and so is Donnie's predetermined path...
As a teenager, I would always dig through the bargain bin of dvds at Walmart and pull out random movies. Most of the time you’d get crap…but one day I found this movie. That was a good day.
this was the first movie someone described to me as 'better on each subsequent viewing'
The way I see it, he saw the portal opening up and understood that was where the jet engine (from his Mother's return plane trip, 28 days from now) came from, but now Gretchen was dead. Thinking about what she said, he realized he could deviate from the future destiny completely if he didn't survive the accident to begin with. He may have never met Gretchen and had his somewhat happy existence but she would still be alive. So he went back home and stayed in his room this time and when he died the timeline shifted and everyone who was involved experienced the entire movie as if waking up from a dream. Which is why it all affected them so much as if it were a memory. I like to point out that had Donnie delivered the letter to Roberta Sparrow, Gretchen may have lived because she wouldn't have been in the middle of the road when Frank was driving down it causing him to swerve and hit Gretchen instead. However, Donnie couldn't go back to that point because the wormhole opened up on October 2nd. If he wanted Gretchen to live, he had to die. In fact the whole reason this happened is because Donnie deviated from his path and crossed over into an unstable universe when he met future Frank. If Donnie didn't die and re-align the timeline, the whole world was going to end. THAT is what Frank meant because an unstable universe is doomed to collapse on itself. The reason he could see the timelines out in front of everyone is because they were on their path to death and Donnie knew this, so he could see it. This isn't really a horror movie but it has a cult following among the horror movie enthusiasts so good choice! One of my all-time favorite movies - ever.
Perfect explanation
@@johnnyboy7144 Thank you, I mean really it isn't anyone's fault. It just so happened that Donnie unfortunately crossed over into an unstable universe. I can't explain why other than maybe his mental condition in the beginning of the movie might have something to do with how he perceived reality enough to be able to make a conscious choice to cross the threshold between universes...? Then when he started taking his medication it cut off his ability to see alternative routes and he got trapped in this one, but at the end he made the selfless decision to sacrifice himself to save the life of an innocent, of the girl he loved. There is a concept in new age circles that says; on manifestation, that alternate universes are constantly around us. If we want that reality where we are happy and successful, and in love, then we need only visualize it and then make the right decisions that would support that reality. I think that was what he was doing before he started taking the medication.
The only part I don’t get is why Frank seemingly leads Donnie out of bed, then subsequently spends the rest of the movie trying to get Donnie back in that bed
@ I had to think on this and I don't think that was what Frank was trying to do. I think it was all Donnie's decision. I think Donnie realized that if he doesn't get crushed by the jet engine, he would seemingly live in a never ending loop of 28 days etc. where he meets, falls in love with and eventually witnesses the death and loss of Gretchen and by extension murder Frank. Knowing that I would opt for oblivion too. Donnie died happy. Having gotten the chance to know Gretchen as long and as intimately as he did, and also knowing that she will live this time around by having never known him in the first place. However both Frank the Rabbit (not the boyfriend) and Gretchen the Girlfriend (not the one on the bike at the very end) are both what is known as Manipulated Dead. That is they are both ghosts or echoes of the person who died during the events that they are trying to prevent from happening again. The only way for the loop to end is for Donnie to die on October 2nd.
The gist of the plot is this: the jet engine from nowhere puts the world in an alt universe. Donnie has to choose to complete the paradox/causality loop at the end by sending the engine back in time, if he doesn't, the universe spirals out of control and everyone dies. Donnie sets the universe right in the end bc he knows it'll save Gretchen. The world has returned back to normal at the end though no one will ever be able to explain where the engine came from. It's a paradox that's unexplainable to everyone else. Except Donnie and the audience. It's why the music at the beginning is so great and cues us into Donnie's journey: "fate, up against your will."
This guy gets it
This is the best and most simple explanation that I can never seem to convey when trying to tell people about this movie 😂
This makes sense and fries my brain at the same time. If we assume this is accurate the film provides a lot of misdirection and plot elements that have nothing to do with the paradox or Donnie’s mission. It’s hard to say if thats intentional or simply a bad script. I still think the latter is true.
Grechen's future is not assured, though. Sure, she doesn't get run over by Frank, but her dad's still out there. And Cunningham will be able to carry on.
But if even a kid with as much to deal with as Donnie can want to make the world a bit better, then we may be OK.
@@suedoughnim6665 It's because Richard Kelly wanted to make a movie that was sort of a darker John Hughes type thing -- something that younger audiences would connect with more so than heady older audiences. It's a case of Kelly put a lot of time and thought into the rules/plot, but having most of it in the background. On top of that, he had to cut down a lot of extra scenes for the theatrical cut, which I actually think made the film better and more ambiguous. The director's cut of the movie kinda sucks but it goes into more detail about the "tangent universe" and all the rules of how it works.
There's an explanation for it all in the DVD, which consists of the book about time travel that Donnie reads. You have to reconcile the "paradox" or the world will end. The paradox was that Donnie survived the jet engine when he was supposed to die. Frank is trapped, unable to move on, because he died in the paradox universe. Frank created the "trap" by killing the girl Donnie loved, leaving Donnie only one choice , to go back in time to the moment of the paradox and choosing to die. This resolved the paradox and saved the world because when Donnie survived it created a BRANCH (paradocx) universe, one that was unstable and only able to last for a few weeks. Whenever a "BRANCH" universe is created, it can potentially destroy the main universe because two objects can't exist in the same space. So by choosing to die Donnie sets everything right and the branch universe fades away. But the last line of the book is that in their dreams everyone will remember what happened in the alternate universe, which is why they all wake up at the end..
Never question my commitment to Sparkle Motion!!!
Never forget Building 7.
I can always rely on Kat to tell me to keep my ass in this chair to watch more reactions. What if I wanted to go for walk?
NO WALKS FOR YOU!!!!! ONLY VIDEO AFTER VIDEO OF HORROR MOVIES WITH MEEE!!! MWAAAHAAHAAAA!!!!!! KAT:D
The Gary Jules "Mad World" video for this fit the vibe for this perfectly !
Wonderfully weird movie, Patrick made a good strange bad guy !
I discovered and loved so much music via this movie - "Under the Killing Moon", "Notorious", "Head Over Heels", "Under the Milky Way". The opening scene is so perfect - apparently they couldn't get the rights to "Never Tear Us Apart" which was Richard Kelly's initial choice. I've seen a directors cut with this in place and I don't think it works as well. Also the Sparkle Motion dance was originally to "West End Girls" but they couldn't get the rights and the scene was re-edited to "Notorious." This is the movie that made the slow version of "Mad World" popular and it was used in everything - it's re-imagined from an up-tempo electronic track also by Tears for Fears.
I think this movie is far easier to understand in the Director's Cut. Still not easy, but ... a lot better.
Absolutely. It shows more pages and quotes from The Philosophy of Time Travel that really clears a lot up.
One page in particular completely clears up the ending as it talks about the instability of tangent timelines and how they are essentially doomed to collapse in on themselves.
Oh, so she didn't do the Director's Cut. Great. Then I can continue watching her reaction. :)
Directors cut was kind of bad tho imho. I thought that their need to tell to much ruined a lot of ahtmosphere. If I had watched that version first, I would have hated Donnie darko. I loved that movie to death but I hated the directors cut so much I took it to goodwill lol
Worthy of note: The little girl who plays Donnie's little sister is the Girl in the Well in the American remake of The Ring.
Now that's a horror tidbit I didn't know. Thank you. Wow. Girl is freakin' royalty!
Very interesting! Didn't she also reprise her role for the terrible straight to DVD sequel S. Darko? Or did they cast somebody else?
@@Dylan_Platt It's her. That movie was terrible though.
She's also Lilo in Lilo and Stitch. Her name is Davina Chase
Also, English Dubbed Chihiro in Spirited Away!!! I prefer the subbed version but still, pretty cool.
growing up, friends and I would say, "sometimes, I doubt your commitment to sparkle motion" when someone couldn't hang out or whatever. it's such a good line to pull out whenever you need.
You know what this movie reminds me of the most? Twin Peaks. Seriously! The unusual manners of speech. The way the real meshes with the surreal. The complex yet out there characters.
Jump into the Twin Peaks franchise if you haven't already, Kat, and you'll see those similarities, too!
The great Katherine Ross who played Etta in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the Psychologist. An amazing actress.
😱 Katherine Ross?!? No wonder she looked so friggin familiar! All these many years, and I never truly recognized her!
I loved her performances back in the '70s, when she had that long, glorious straight hair. Her most memorable role for me was as the main character in the original *The Stepford Wives.*
@ the graduate too.
It may also be useful to mention, that the operative word in Roberta Sparrows book title is "Philosophy". Her book wasn't the "Science" or "Physics" of time travel. So it's less about "how" and more about "why'. I know some people watching can get bogged down in trying to work out the mechanics of what happens...rather than the ideas of fate and predetermination which are the more important concepts to think on when unpacking the events of the film.
This is straight up my favorite movie of all time. Love the unconventional storytelling and emotional performances
It's sad that the PTA meeting scene is still so relevant all these years later.
That tears for fears scene during the hallway… one of the best cinematic scenes I’ve ever seen in my life
You're my favorite reactor, Kat. Perceptive, funny, and thoughtful: You got the whole package. Great job!
I love several different aspects of this movie: The acting, the storyline, the directing and also the fantastic score! The film music / score in this is absolutely amazing!
Your reactions are AMAZING. Some folks wear their hearts on their sleeves but you wear yours in your fantastic facial expressions.
Fun Fact: J.R.R. Tolkien was the linguist that said "Cellar Door" was the most beautiful phrase in the English language.
I saw this film at the cinema. At the time i had an ear infection. It made it feel like Frank the rabbit was talking inside my head. It really spooked me!
It does a pretty good job at capturing the 80's vibe, but Drew Barrymore's character was a bit of an anachronism. Teachers didn't act like that back then. They do now though!
@@EwigeSchlangenkraftYou're speaking for all teachers in the 80's? How bold of you.
I had my first inspirational teacher in 1990. Two years after this film is set. Just because you didn't get one doesn't mean they didn't exist.
I got to see it once on a big screen in a park, as summer night was falling. That was a great evening.
I’m glad you mentioned the score, every bit of music in this movie is incredible
One of my all-time favorite movies! I was working at Best Buy when we got it on DVD. A buddy handed me a copy and said "buy this", and I was like "I've never heard of it", and he replied "if you don't like it, I'll buy it from you".
I watched it that night after work and couldn't sleep at all that night. Kept thinking about it. I think I watched it every night the rest of the week. It's really something special.
"Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion" is totally the line from this movie my friend and I still quote to each other. This is one of my favorites with the stacked cast, glorious soundtrack (both the songs and the incidental music) and mind-blowing concepts. Drew Barrymore was actually a major factor in getting this film produced. Thanks for reacting to this!
The Directors cut definitely helps to understand it more and it is easier to understand from the 2nd viewing onwards
The guy driving with Frank is Marty from Cabin in the spooky woods
All these years and I never knew that was Fran Kranz!
Wild! He's great, was really good on Dollhouse.
i thought there'd be stars......
“Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion” Iconic! … used many many times in my life 😆
“I told you where to put it”
You ma’am, have earned my subscription
I can't put my finger on it, but something about you keeps me watching your reaction. You're feeling more and more like an old friend.
Entertaining reaction.
Oh come on..., she's not that old.
Valid point. It may be her conversational style. I'm a fan.
shes an actress
Just found your channel and, I love it, your enthusiasm is infectious and, even though you proclaim to not like horror films, your expressions seem to say otherwise, you seem to be really enjoying them....subscribed.
This is just one of many films that pay a little nod to the great classic film “Harvey”, in which the protagonist carries on a relationship with an invisible rabbit.
Harvey is also referenced in Field of Dreams, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Shawshank Redemption.
Harvey is a pooka. What is Frank? Harvey is more benign.
Well if we are LITERALLY examining that character as a LITERAL parallel to the screenplay in Harvey, the puca/pooka is an Irish fae creature that can be both benign or malignant- it just depends on the story. I don’t think that’s really needed, though.
I can't quite place it but I think it popped up 'A Beautiful Mind' as well. Something Nash said towards the end, maybe?
god i havent seen this movie in 20 years, such a treat having u see it for the first time.
We're getting into existential horror territory here.
She left sticking to horror movies long ago.
@@martinboyle9163 What are you talking about. The only other non horror movie I've seen is Terminator.
I mean, Kat did watch Void a couple weeks ago
@@tremorsfanI would argue the first terminator is definitely a horror movie. Basically a slasher flick with a cyborg haha
28:38 Your eyes! I have never laughed harder or more at any of your videos, and I already think you’re hilarious! 😂😂🤣
Never considered Donnie Darko as a horror movie but happy to see it anywhere.
The cast the soundtrack the setting the whole movie is amazing this movie makes me tear up every time god I love it 37 year old man and this movie gets me every time phenomenal job
Kat: as a subscriber/fan of your channel almost from day one, I can honestly say I've never once doubted your commitment to Sparkle Motion!❤❤❤
THANK YOU ANNA!!!!!🥹🥹🥹 -KAT!!!
Yes. The theatrical release is by far the best and it's hard to come by these days so glad you watched it.
Back when the movie came out I had so much fun with the companion website. It was interesting to read through The Philosophy of Time Travel and learn about the manipulated dead and manipulated living. It was a treat to go back and watch the movie afterward.
43:06
"And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying, are the best I've ever had"
I'm SUPER happy that you enjoyed this movie so much! This one always has an effect on me. Such a great watch!
Thanks for this reaction. This is one of my favorite movies. Not many have reacted to it. Stories with time travel always lead to paradoxes, so you shouldn't think too much. I just like he decides to sacrifice himself to save the girl he loves. Now you should watch another horror film Angel Heart, that no one has reacted to yet, as far as I know. It has a surprise at the end too.
Donnie Darko is one of my all time favorite movies and gets better every time you rewatch it ❤
It's so awesome that you've finally seen this film. Now that you have, the door is now opened to watch even more bizarre films. I'd recommend "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" by David Lynch from 1992. Be prepared to say, "Avert your gaze" more than once. It's a film that will twist your brain. It's essentially the prequel "Director's Cut" version of the approved for TV version that was a miniseries of 30 shows that rocked people's world back then. Another film by David Lynch that will do the same is "Mulholland Drive". Twin Peaks would be a great start for you when it comes to movies designed to mess with your mind.
5:25 - Not only is that Drew Barrymore, but the man beside her is Noah Wyle from the television show ER, which you may be too young for, but he was a heartthrob at the time.
This is your brain on Donnie Darko *cracks an egg on a frying pan*
Kat's facial expressions and smile are the best!
I hope you watch The Box also (also directed by Richard Kelly). That's another psychological horror movie with family drama.
Oh this movie's a lot of fun! I love the use of Head over heels by tears for fears during the beginning of the school day sequence.
This movie is so fascinating because there are so many ways one can interpret it. Be careful of those who say they know exactly what was portrayed because those are the people who don't have a clue. I won't tell you that, because it is my belief that everyone should formulate their own belief about what happened. That's the beauty of true art, which is what this movie is.
The more I watch this movie, the more I love it. There's so much stuff you notice on the second and third watch! Such an amazing movie!
Not only a great production, but a banger of a cast and soundtrack.
Donnie Darko is the only movie that I don't fully understand and yet I still get full body chills when I see it, it's so disturbing.
Yes, it is a closed "bootstrap" loop. The magical appearence of the jet engine created a paradox that needed to be resolved. Donnie is influenced to survive the first time so he can resolve the paradox by sending the engine back to the main timeline. Having witnessed that both Fate and something like Ghosts exist, he concludes that it is part of "the Plan" for him to be killed as part of closing the Loop.
"Doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!" became a huge meme back at the time.
There are few films, very few, that lie at the essence to my love for film making.
This is one of those films.
I watched it for the first time in 2001, at age eleven. Since that first viewing I have never been able to truly, TRULY explain how essential MUSIC is in films without bringing this film into the conversation.
This story, direction, acting, and sound design is masterclass.
It also was produced by Drew Barrymore, a true artistic talent.
My favourite part of this movie is how _FLAWLESS_ the dialogue is in capturing the genuine banter of slightly upper middle class suburban Christian American environment. It's just so ridiculously quotable.
Can you point out a few examples?
@Aeroldoth3 "Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!"
When I was a kid I heard adults get worked up over seemingly benign or unimportant things like this, or just blowing trivial things out of proportion. The crazy lady thinks that a dance competition for 8 year olds is a pivotal and important moment in the girls' lives when in reality it's highly unlikely it would matter even a year later. Even if they won it wouldn't be a guarantee they would go on to be successful dancers/performers but because it's important to her she gets all bent out of shape over it.
Oh and the trope of Christians defending pedophiles that are close to them because they're just "silly allegations" or "sick pranks" that someone is leveling at a person they perceive as trustworthy or important.
@@me12342123 well, Christians defending pedophilia is nothing new, they do that across all economic lines and races. Of COURSE they're going to defend their own while SCREAMING about anybody else. Christians gonna pedo.
I think the aggrandizing of tiny school events though, is a middle-class thing, not really a christian thing. But thank you for your reply.
@@me12342123 Many people will automatically defend authority figures accused of things like paedophilia, because if they don't, they have to confront the fact that they supported a paedophile. The cognitive stress means it's easier to dismiss or ignore the evidence and continue believing the more palatable view.
Possibly the weirdest thing about this film is the whole contention that the teacher isn't allowed to discuss the issue of a god, when he's teaching at not only a private school, but a Christian school. There's a cross on the bloody roof, which we see twice, right above the abbreviation "IHS," which means Iesus Hominum Salvator, which means Jesus, savior of Man. He'd be more likely to get in trouble for discussing evolution.
A truly original and vastly layered film that requires several viewing to get everything (and even then good luck). Great reaction :D
Though largely forgotten now, “sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion,” became a meme back when this movie came out. I still trot it out every once in a while, mostly to blank stares.
The song playing during the movie theater scene is so good. It makes it feel like Donnie is undergoing some Biblical prophet arc.
10:43 your comment made me laugh loud enough for the neighbors to look up from their porch. 😂😂
Ooh watching the theatrical version I see. Just started your vid but I’m praying for you 😂🙌
Kat, there are thousands of videos here on RUclips that break down the movie. Gets pretty deep. Loved this movie when I first saw it.
I ❤️ your terrifying bunny sandwich almost as much as your commitment to Sparkle Motion! Wonderful review of a.true cult classic movie.
Took me several viewings and at least a moderate amount of natures relaxant to almost feel like I had a grip on it. Absolutely one of my top 10. Thanks Kat!
Watching Kat develop an Anya-level fear of bunnies was almost as fun as watching the film itself.
10/10 for your commitment to the omlet metaphor amidst processing the movie.
Thanks for your great video Kat
the director of Donnie Darko confided that this film is about change, without spoiling the film: at the end of the Reagan years, Donnie is almost an adult and will meet a student in his class who has moved away because of a breakup between his parents and... strange things he'll see
Highly recommend a re watch. You start picking up on things once you know the whole story.
Love your content Kat! Appreciate you sharing with us 😉🤘🏻
Rewatched Donnie Darko & saw a few interesting things I hadn’t noticed. Frank’s red Firebird drives by Donnie on his bike in the beginning. Plus, his mother is drinking wine while reading when Donnie comes home in the morning in the beginning of the movie. That tells me she was up all night waiting for him to get home. 🤔 The directors cut delves into the chapters of the book given to Donnie & explains everything so much better. FYI 😉
i would use the commitment to sparkle motion line in less serious situations. not waiting for betrayal
This is one of my all time faves!
Anytime someone starts talking about "fear vs love" I just come back to this movie.
It's basically It's A Wonderful Life in reverse. And since IAWL stars Jimmy Stewart, they threw in a giant bunny, like in the film Harvey.
24:35 In '97, the original Star Wars trilogy was re-released in theaters. My brother took his girlfriend at the time because she'd never seen any of them somehow! He was so excited to be able to share the experience. They went to see A New Hope. During the finale, X-Wings are making the Death Star trench run, music is blaring, my brother's sitting up and white knuckled with excitement. He looks over to her to see if she's digging it too...and she'd fallen asleep. He broke up with her the next day over it. There were other reasons, but falling asleep during Star Wars was unforgivable!
Falling asleep during Star Wars is certainly a sackable offence. I can't imagine anyone falling asleep during The Evil Dead, at very least into a seemingly peaceful slumber.
@ Right. I think some mystic weirdness from Frank was at work, maybe.
Sometimes I doubt the girl's commitment to George Lucas.
The bunny is played by James Duval, and Jerry Trainor was an extra in this, yes Spencer from iCarly played the Lanky Kid
Donnie Darko has been a favorite movie of mine since I was in middleschool back in the early 2000s this was a treat Kat, thank you. My recommendation is the original Suspiria
Looking forward to this one! What a movie. The shot where the camera moves through school whilst playing Tears For Fears is an all time fave.
Hills Have Eyes 2006 version. I love your videos! I have never doubted your commitment to Sparkle Motion!
A non-horror yet still rather terrifying movie you should watch is Terry Gilliam's Brazil
That'll really scramble her eggs!
@@r.n.8337 After watching thousands of movies, Brazil is still, to this day, my favorite. Where the protagonist "kills" the woman of is dreams in order to save her. Pretty simple actually. It's a love story.
One that could really scramble her eggs would be Southland Tales. By the same director as Donnie Darko. But it's not a horror movie per say
LOVES IT! PLEASE WATCH THE SUBSTANCE
Kat, I love how responsive your expressions are. It would be entertaining to see you in a Poker tournament. 🙃
If you like time travel movies and want to be left confounded, while not inherrently a horror film Primer is excellently done and one of the most plausible time travel stories I've ever come across.
I like your reactions! This is a cool channel.
I don't doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!
Asleep in the middle of the road again. Classic.
This film uses a double loop style of time travel. It is a never-ending cycle of Frank and Donnie taking turns going back in time, leading to each others' deaths.
First loop we followed through this film, where Frank went back and saved Donnie from the accident. Second loop starts when Donnie goes back after Frank's death and will end when Frank goes back to save Donnie.
It is unknown what event started the double loop, possibly something unrelated to both Frank and Donnie.
Start your morning with a delicious bowl of Donnie Dark-O's.
I've never seen Kat have more fun with a movie than this.
Well… I don’t understand it any more than when I first saw it… but, I still like it. You’re the best, Kat. 👍
Short & simple explainer:
The Tangent Universe (TU) split from the Primary Universe (PU). This causes all objects to be copied, with 1 copy in the PU and 1 copy in the TU.
This time, a glitch occurred: an extra (3rd) jet engine, that ended up in the TU.
The TU now has 2 copies of a jet engine, whereas the PU has only 1, as it's supposed to.
Normally, the TU collapses after a while, and the PU continues to exist.
However, the presence of an extra jet engine in the TU, makes it so unstable that, when it collapses, it will take the PU with it.
Most of the movie, from the beginning, takes place in the TU.
Donnie's objective, even if he doesn't know it, is to send the extra jet engine back in time, and make it land in the PU, which is stable enough to be able to process this glitch.
In the TU, people who die become time traveling spirits.
All people in the TU, called the Manipulated Living & Manipulated Dead, will say and do things to make Donnie Darko, the Living Receiver, undertake all actions required to use his special (received) power to make everything alright.
At the end of the movie, you see Donnie sending back the jet engine through time. Back to the point where the TU split from the PU. This time, he makes it land in the PU.
The movie now switches to the PU.
In the PU, there are no time traveling spirits. There is of Frank to lure Donnie out of his room.
Donnie sits in his bedroom and laughs rather hysterically, as if he knows something. Shortly after, the jet engine falls straight on top of him, killing him.
The TU safely collapses. The PU is saved. But Donnie paid the ultimate price.
The survivors of the whole ordeal also experience some sort of vague awareness, that they can't quite put their finger on.
Nobody in the PU will ever find out about any of the events that occurred in the TU.
This was all preordained. Nobody never got to choose a path.
Donnie Darko was doomed from the start.
None of this is spelled out in the movie, but this is the director's explanation for how it works. I think that's what made it cool is you can tell there' are rules and a structure despite it being incomprehensible on initial viewing. If they sat and paged through the book for five minutes to explain it would lose some of its enigmatic and melancholic quality. And as said before, this move is immensely rewarding to re-watch knowing how the pieces ultimately fit together.
@@hanonondricek411 almost all of this IS spelled out in the director's cut of the movie
That might be the director's explanation but; what an incoherent load of bollocks 🤣Based on "southland tales" and that explanation I feel the dude just lucked into making 1 good movie because he conveyed his idea of what was going on so badly people could make up their own, better, more coherent narratives.
@@mcgfnEven if you watch the directors’ cut several times there’s no way anyone can reach such a convoluted interpretation without additional help and/or research.
@@hanonondricek411there is way too much going on in this movie to understand it in its entirety without research or help. It’s a great watch but it’s a bad script.
Your reaction cracked me up 🤣
Incredible film. And yeah, the cast is awesome. Very talented bunch.
Welcome into the club. This film isn't a horror movie, at least not in the traditional concept. I suggest observing the man in the track suit during the kiss that didn't happen as a starting point.
This film will force you to rewatch it over and over to find every nuance for each character. This one will always continue forever to be in my list of top five films.