White Wall Cinema: DONNIE DARKO

Dir: Richard Kelly

It’s been 25 years since Richard Kelly’s directorial debut, Donnie Darko, opened in cinemas in the wake of 9/11, finding itself in the wrong place at the wrong time, only to steadily build a global following over the next decade and firmly cement its place as the key cult classic of its era. Still as potent as ever 25 years on, the hypnotic, poetic, nostalgic and yet joyously fresh sensibility of this miracle of a film remains firmly intact.

Set in the suburbs of Virginia in the late 1980s, Donnie is an awkward and troubled teenager who survives a freak accident, only to find himself having visions of a six-foot-tall bunny rabbit named Frank, who informs him that the world will soon end. As Donnie tries to unravel the mystery, a high-school bully, time tunnels, Halloween parties, a mysterious elderly neighbour and a burgeoning friendship with fellow troubled teen Gretchen all complicate matters.

The first cult film of the 21st century, Donnie Darko is a perfectly formed mini-masterpiece that allows itself to be funny, sincere, mind-bending, compassionate, melancholy, ethereal and outrageously cool all at the same time. Set during the Halloween period, the film’s eerie vibes provide the perfect viewing for this year’s final spooky special on Thursday, October 29th.