The cult film Donnie Darko

When Donnie Darko first was released in 2001, few people visited the theatres, and the film was considered a flop.

In Norway the cinemas re-released it in 2004, three years after the premiere in the USA. Soon, Donnie Darko was considered a cult film. The mix of high school movie, drama, fantasy and sci-fi made melted one’s hearts. Even though 20^th century fox had tagged it as drama, it was like a pot of different genres melted into a new genre. People were discussing it trying to find out what really happened during the two hours the film lasted. Some claimed Donnie had mental problems, and that everything was just imagination.

A cult film is a film that in certain communities-cults- is regarded unique, incredible and a work of art. Endless discussions around it make it a religious phenomenon that has an extremely high status.

What I think is the reason for the many communities of fans is the mysteries of the film. People nowadays are watching boring and plain films like American Pie, The Princess Diaries and so on. These films are entertaining, but they do not challenge, fascinate or scare us in the way films like Donnie Darko does. The first time I watched it, I did not understand anything, and I was desperate to figure it out. I searched web-sites and read. Even though it kinda annoyed me that I couldn’t understand, it also excited me. Finally, I could watch a film without knowing what the next line was. It was a whole new experience, an experience that I have never felt before. Donnie Darko made me another person. A person that allowed herself wondering.