'Donnie Darko,' directed by Richard Kelly and released in 2001, is a complex, psychological sci-fi thriller that plunges audiences into the realm of parallel universes and the mysteries of destiny.
The film is set in 1988 and centers on the life of the eponymous character, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), a troubled teenager in suburban America. Donnie is intelligent and charismatic but suffers from episodes of sleepwalking and visions, all while under medication and regular therapy.
The story kicks off with a bizarre incident where Donnie sleepwalks out of his house and wakes up at a local golf course. A menacing, six-foot-tall rabbit named Frank appears in a vision and informs him that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. As Donnie is led away by Frank, a jet engine mysteriously crashes into his bedroom.
Upon his return home, the incident propels Donnie's life into a realm of strangeness and chaos. He begins to commit a series of increasingly destructive acts, manipulated by the spectral Frank, which range from flooding his school to setting a motivational speaker's house on fire.
In the midst of these events, Donnie embarks on a romantic relationship with a new student, Gretchen Ross (Jena Malone). Gretchen provides a sense of comfort and companionship for Donnie, acting as a beacon of light amidst his growing darkness.
Meanwhile, Donnie becomes fascinated with the concept of time travel after his science teacher, Prof. Kenneth Monnitoff (Noah Wyle), gives him a book called 'The Philosophy of Time Travel' written by Roberta Sparrow, a former science teacher at his school now known as 'Grandma Death'. The book suggests the possibility of alternate dimensions and predestination, which ties directly to Donnie's ongoing experiences.
As the film progresses, Donnie continues to grapple with his ominous visions of Frank and the dire prophecy. He experiences hallucinations about wormholes and explores theories of time travel, contemplating his existence and the nature of reality. He also discovers that Frank is, in reality, Gretchen's boyfriend's sister's boyfriend, who accidentally kills Gretchen during a confrontation on the night the world is prophesied to end.
In the climax, distraught over Gretchen's death and desperate to rectify the tragedies his actions have caused, Donnie drives to a hill overlooking town. He watches as a vortex forms over his house, coinciding with a plane carrying his mother and sister flying overhead. At this moment, the jet engine detaches and travels through the vortex, creating the event that started the film.
Donnie, realizing the cyclical nature of the events and understanding that he can alter time, guides the engine through a wormhole, sending it back in time to the primary universe. This reset means the engine falls on the house as before, but this time Donnie stays in bed, laughing at the absurdity of the universe, and is killed.
When the primary universe timeline resets, various characters wake up from uneasy dreams, implying a sense of residual, subconscious memory from the events of the alternate timeline.
'Donnie Darko' is an enigmatic exploration of destiny, time travel, and parallel universes. It melds psychological thriller and science fiction elements to create an intriguing, surreal narrative that captivates audiences with its abstract storytelling and philosophical undertones. The film leaves viewers pondering the nature of their existence and the intricate fabric of the cosmos.