The need for weird movies
I've been mulling over this notion in my mind for a while now; the need for 'weird' movies. At a recent outing with friends, we were discussing David Lynch (20th century film director), and one of my friends remarked something along the lines of "the films I've seen of his say nothing, they're nihilistic in a way". But it got me thinking: yes, some movies do seem pointless and lacking in substance, but I think there's a space for such films, especially if you're an awkward, reclusive teenager.
One such movie is Donnie Darko by Richard Kelly. It's one of my favourite movies because I saw it at a time where I was that awkward, reclusive teenager, and it resonated so much with me that I watched it numerous times. Somebody in an online gaming forum I used to frequent (thank you Iceman) recommended the movie to me. I was 15 years old, in the midst of teenage angst, easily irritated, but overall a happy kid when I was left alone. I found it difficult to relate to any of my friends at the time, so a movie about a teenager in high school, in a seemingly similar reclusive state, gave me this feeling of "it's all gonna be okay".
The circumstances under which I ended up seeing the movie always made me wonder whether there was some 'guiding force' conspiring for it all to happen the way it did. It was a Saturday night, and I happened to have the entire house to myself, which meant I could watch it completely isolated with none of my family at home. Watching it felt transformative in some way, I couldn't explain it at the time, but looking back, I think seeing something so different from the 'mainstream' emphasised how something can still be meaningful. It showed challenging conventional storytelling can be done in a way that is still enjoyable. The movie also featured some scary, eary scenes, and being easily scared, watching it all alone on a Saturday night definitely added to the experience.
Donnie Darko was released in 2001, after which it kinda assumed a cult film status. Though not immediately obvious, it's a movie about time-travel, although that's just one of the themes. Set in 1988, Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the lead character, Donnie Darko, who's presented to us as a peculiar teen. The movie begins with him waking up in a golf course, and upon making his way back home, he discovers that a jet engine has crashed into his bedroom, right onto his bed. There's no plane though, which sets up the initial mystery. (Side note: staying true to the era, the movie is replete with great 80s music)
Another mystery element is the introduction of Frank; a person in a freakish-looking rabbit costume. We don't know the identity of Frank, except that he appears to Donnie in these visions, and gives him instructions to commit various crimes. In a defining scene, Frank tells Donnie the world will end in 28 days, six hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. The entirety of the movie falls within this timeline, although what happens at the end of it? I won't spoil the movie, but I'll give my personal reflection: it's a bit of a sad ending overall, but it turns out to be for the best.
There's a lot of Christian allegory in the film (which, admittedly, I didn't recognise at 15), coupled with science-fiction, and philosophy, it infuses all these different themes into a peculiar, deep movie that at various moments feels dream-like. A substantial part of the movie takes place at his Catholic high school, where he's quite close with his English teacher (played by Drew Barrymore). In one scene she's teaching "The Destructors", a 1954 short story by Catholic fiction writer Graham Greene about a group of boys who destroy an old home. A notable line from the story "destruction is a form of creation" resonates with Donnie, which describes his life at the time, and establishes a theme for various scenes.
Donnie's parents have him see a hypnotherapist, where their sessions involve discussions about philosophy and atheism. During one hypnosis session, he reveals how he receives instructions from Frank to commit the crimes that have occurred in the movie. It's unclear whether these visions are divine or demonic, but they indicate a Christ-like character who experiences reality on a different medium. The end of the movie further embeds the Christian themes prevalent throughout the movie, and without spoiling it, it comes back to the idea of sacrifice for the salvation of others.
In another defining scene, Donnie is on a movie date with Gretchen, the new girl at his school, and he's given another vision of Frank. There's a few exchanges between them, after which Frank takes off the costume to reveal his face, showing a gouged out eye. Frank asks Donnie: "Have you ever seen a portal?" whereupon a portal opens on the cinema screen, showing a house to Donnie, after which Frank says: "Burn it to the ground". He leaves the cinema and burns the house of a motivational speaker (played by Patrick Swayze), whom he's clashed with at school. The police investigation reveals a collection of illicit pornography, saying to us that Donnie is this prophet-figure, guided by visions to reveal the falsehoods and challenge the established order of his time.
The philosophy of time travel is as prevalent as the Christian theme. In a scene where Frank appears before Donnie, he asks him: "Do you believe in time travel?" This question urges Donnie to ask his science teacher about the topic, who gives him a book titled The Philosophy of Time Travel by Roberta Sparrow, a former science teacher at the school, but now lives a reclusive life, seemingly senile and derided by teenagers as "Grandma Death". This part of the movie resonated with me, because at the time I was having conversations with my science teacher about physics, the nature of the universe, etc. And it's where my rabbit-hole journey into time travel started.
All the events of the movie come to a peak as the timeline prophesied by Frank nears its end. A Halloween party takes place to celebrate Donnie's sister's acceptance into Harvard. Donnie and Gretchen share an intimate moment, but it's cut short by his realisation that Frank's end of the world timeline is hours away. They go to Roberta Sparrow's house, hoping for some guidance, but encounter the local high school bullies. There's a fight on the road, after which Gretchen is run over by a car. The driver turns out to be Frank, his sister's boyfriend, but as a normal person. Donnie shoots him with a gun in the eye, and carries Gretchen's body (whose imagery is reminiscent of the Pieta statue) into town. As he returns home, a vortex appears over his house, signalling the end of 28 days, six hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. What happens next? Well, you'll have to watch it yourself to find out.
In the tapestry of cinema, films like Donnie Darko, with their unconventional narratives and deep-seated allegories, provide a mirror to those moments of life that are too complex for straightforward storytelling. For the awkward teenager, the introspective adult, or anyone who has ever felt out of sync with the world, these movies offer more than just an escape; they offer a form of validation. They remind us that it's okay to be different, to question, to seek meaning in unconventional places.