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Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut
Newmarket Film Group

Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut reviews


8.3

based on 15 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 80 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: R for language, some drug use and violence

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Drew Barrymore, Noah Wyle, Patrick Swayze, and Katharine Ross

This Director's Cut from writer/director Richard Kelly features 20 minutes of never-before-seen footage.

GENRE(S):	Drama \| Fantasy \| Mystery \| Sci-fi
WRITTEN BY:	Richard Kelly
DIRECTED BY:	Richard Kelly
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: February 15, 2005 Theatrical: July 23, 2004
RUNNING TIME:	133 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Village Voice Dennis Lim

Obsessives will be familiar with the "new" material (almost all available on the original DVD), which elaborates on the time-travel metaphysics and tightens the emotional screws. Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) shares one additional tender exchange with each family member

100

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

The director's cut of this 2001 cult fantasy is a deliriously subtle exploration of storytelling possibilities, and a deliciously wry teen-pic to boot. Brilliant.

100

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

“Donnie Darko" was one of the best pictures released in 2001. Now that it has returned in a 20-minute longer--and richer -- director's cut, it seems sure to be ranked as one of the key American films of the decade.

100

Dallas Observer Gregory Weinkauf

In this bolder, longer new cut, characters are allowed to finish scenes previously left as DVD extras, effects are creepier, and the theories of "the Tangent Universe" are explored in greater depth. Friends and neighbors, this is a Great American Movie.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Contains about 10 additional minutes and is as fabulous and enjoyable as ever. To be honest, I didn't even notice the new material, having not seen the original film since its 2001 release. I just saw a film that works beautifully and has held together well.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

If Kelly felt it necessary to add the new material, that's all to the good. It just means there's more to love.

Chicago Tribune Robert K. Elder

With 20 additional minutes of screen time, the director's cut of Richard Kelly's genre-splicing "Donnie Darko" offers new viewers a second chance to discover his mind-bending masterwork.

Boston Globe Leighton Klein

The director's cut has been getting a much warmer critical reception than the original release, but not necessarily because it's significantly better.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

The longer film makes Donnie's intentions clearer, explains the time-travel theme better and also leaves us in no doubt as to Frank's identity.

Empire Dan Jolin

If you're returning for more Donnie, you'll still have tears in your eyes come the sublime Mad World conclusion. If it's your first viewing, you should still be wowed by an astounding masterpiece. But this is undoubtedly the lesser of the two cuts, and since you have the choice, you should stick with version one.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

This surreal, subversive teen drama tanked at the box office but has since become a cult favorite, prompting this new release with 20 minutes of additional footage.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The director's cut adds footage that enriches and extends the material but doesn't alter its tone. It adds footnotes that count down to a deadline, but without explaining the nature of the deadline or the usefulness of the countdown.

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

Longer cut's slapdash additions make a cool, ambiguous film more literal; original 2001 version is far better.

San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego

To members of the Darko cult, this may not be an improvement, but it could help this compelling and extremely moving film find the audience it deserves.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Immensely moving and strikingly original, Kelly's story of a brilliant, disturbed teen (Jake Gyllenhaal) drowning in the cultural morass of the 1980s now feels bloated.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 80 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Al P. gave it a10:
There is a nobility to this film which moved me greatly- More than any other film in recent memory. Unfortunately, it is apparently missed by a great many. Quite simply the most surprisingly brilliant film of it's year and in my top 5 films of all time.

chris m gave it a1:
Not a good movie, once more the wooly rabbit suit is pulled over our eyes.

Doug E. gave it a10:
Any film that demands multiple viewings (not just to get at the nooks and crannies of the plot, but also to fully realize its emotional depth) gets a 10 in my book. Initially frightening and disorienting, upon subsequent viewings, Donnie Darko hits a surprising emotional pitch. Watch the director's cut first, and then I suggest taking in the original theatrical version for its tightness and pacing.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Probably one of the best movies I have seen.

Wayne H. gave it a2:
Did I miss something?

Goose G gave it a9:
Solid in every facet.

Daw S. gave it a9:
Whether or not you prefer the original or the director's cut depends largely on whether you like your sci-fi to be a little ambiguous and not too literal, or whether you prefer it to be unshamedly speculative. It's possible to make a "psychological" interpretation of the original, but the director's cut leaves no doubt that this is a sci-fi film - essentially about time travel. This is a masterpiece.

Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut Newmarket Film Group

Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut
Newmarket Film Group