This film fills me with a profound sense of beautiful melancholy.

I think in the end of the movie, where Donnie is laughting at his bed, before smashed by the jetengine, is that he "knew", or think, that if he decide to jump out of the bed, and survive, he would end up being crazy, just like Mrs. Sparrow. As it's writen in the Chapter 12 (minute 18:42 of the video), he can have dreams about what happend in the Tangent Universe, "[...]Those who remember the journey are often overcome with profud remorse [...]" Thank you so much for the amazing explanation, this movie is totally mind blowing!

This is one of those movies you could watch 100 times and still catch things you never caught previously. An absolute gem.

One of the many scenes in this movie that stuck with me is the brief interaction between the teachers where they just mention his name, like they are in on this and somehow shepherding Donnie through the process. Really intriguing.

i love this movie its one of those movies where you have to do some research and reading and rewatching to really understand it which i love

from all the explanations that ive seen in youtube, reddit, etc, this was the best

Gee. Now I want a prequel with Grandma Death's story.

"He has transcended his own mortality." That is the finest explanation I have heard yet and is so succinctly and elegantly explained.

At the end of the movie, Donnie reflects on what Gretchen says about how you she wishes you could “replace all the times with pain and darkness with something good”. Donnie used his powers to go back in time with his present memories and accepts his fate.

The best and clearest explanation and analysis of "Donnie Darko", I have ever found in KZfaq. It was my absolute pleasure to watch this video. I really appreciate your work! Thanks a lot!

Watching this made me realize I understood most of the movie :D Unlike Primer where I understood nothing.

Donnie Darko is literally a gift that has kept on giving to me for over 15 years

I couldn't sleep last night trying to understand the implications of this film. I had lots of nightmares because everything seems possible and when it comes to the acceptance of your own fate is what really made me uncomfortable. A nice movie!

I thought it was strongly implied that Frankie Fiedler, who Donnie’s dad mentions, was also a Living Receiver. Alliteration in both names with FF and DD initials, and Frankie is also similar to the name Donnie. His dad said how Frankie was doomed, and he almost thought Donnie was also.

I never realized Deus Ex Machin part. I don't think I have ever know that's what he said. These videos are great. Keep up the great work.

@25 seconds has anyone else noticed that when they jump on the trampoline it resembles a clock going back in time. she is jumping counter clockwise as donnie acts as the force in the middle helping her go back in time.

Fat dude in the track suit had me rolling when I first saw this movie lmfaooo

this was by far the clearest and best explanation of the film I have come across in all my years of trying to understand this film. well done!

Donnie Darko is in my top 10 movies of all time list and I feel you did an amazing job explaining this movie. Well done.

what about the fact that the plane was called RED EYE and frank in the end had a bloody “red eye”

Excellent breakdown of the movie. I enjoyed very much. I 'd like to argue one point though. Almost all people who analyze this film agree on the religious subtext of the movie; Donnie's acceptance of a predestined path (Destiny) set forth by divine intervention (God), to be more precise. However, from my own analysis, this does not seem to be the intended symbolism of the religious subtext. In fact I think it may be the contrary; coming to terms with the fact that there is no predetermined path, we are the masters of our own destiny. For example, Donnie's science teacher explains that a predetermined destiny cannot exist, the reason being that if we were able to see our own destinies we would be given a choice to betray said destiny, therefore making the future an unknown variable since the ability to choose one's own destiny overrides the existence of said destiny as a predetermined one. Donnie is time traveling into the future. He experiences and sees what would happen if he were to make certain choices (He is able to see his future). In the end, he ends up "changing history" by sending the jet engine back into the primary universe (He betrayed his supposed predetermined destiny). Keep in mind the last words spoken by Donnie and the science teacher: "I will not be able to continue this conversation" Which, by the way the conversation is played out, seems to indicate restrain from the professor (Not wanting to spoil the answer to Donnie's questions), rather than ignorance of the subject (Not knowing) or forceful restrain (School politics). What this means, is that the science teacher's words end up predicting the entire ending of the movie and the answer to the question "Is there a divine intervention (God) behind it all?". I think this may have been a subtle hint from the movie's director. Another hint is the religious imagery in the movie itself. Jim Cunningham is a false prophet. Throughout the movie he spreads his ideology and "law", aka, his Love and Fear doctrine, akin to what a false prophet would do. He has an altar in his house, which reveals the way Jim Cunningham sees himself as; a theocratic individual/cult of personality. Kitty Farmer is a religious fanatic. She blindly follows Cunningham's doctrine, ignores all logic and reason when her beliefs in Cunningham are challenged, and opts to ignore factual evidence of her idol being false (The newspaper with Cunningham's expose) in favor of continued support of Cunningham. Notice she is wearing a "God is Awesome!" shirt when explaining she is talking to Donnie's mother and explaining she is going to support Cunningham's defense. Now, this next part might be a stretch, but bare with me. Karen, the art teacher, and the science teacher are the polar opposites of Kitty, the religious fanatic, and Jim Cunningham, the false prophet. Jim Cunningham (He represents religion) offers answers to all of life's questions through an elaborate code of conduct which, as we all know, turns out to be false and too unreal for the complexity that is existence; Life, being so diverse and complex cannot simply be explained by a set of two polar opposites (Love and Fear). This stands in contrast to the science teacher (He himself represents science). The science teacher offers knowledge (hands a book to Donnie), challenges his students (When questioning Donnie about his science project), and restrains from giving answers in favor of letting Donnie figure things out by himself. Kitty represents any person blinded by religion. We see her blindly following Cunningham's doctrine, praising Cunningham himself, dismissing logic and reason when questioned about her beliefs, and outright attacking any other forms of thought that directly affect her beliefs or her idol (When telling Karen to go back to grad school in the PTA meeting). In polar contrast, we see Karen who represents art itself and/or subversion by artistic expression. She is worried about losing young minds to a "prescribed nonsense" (Religious indoctrination as a placebo for the masses), she tries to encourage her students to look past the obvious literal meaning of things and find a deeper or higher meaning in things (The book she reads out loud to the class and questions students about), and we see her pay the ultimate price, she is fired, when those in power (The principal) fail to acknowledge the importance of art as a means of enrichment and liberation. In the end, we see Cunningham and Kitty, the false prophet ,and the religious fanatic, in an unfavorable position when Cunningham is sent to jail, and Kitty is under heavy stress leading her to pursue a fruitless endeavor. Donnie ends up acknowledging the uselessness of pursuing a divine destiny, and instead opts for making those around him happier by leaving them with a life changing lesson (Replacing the memories people have by happier ones), and returning to the past. Ultimately, Donnie doesn't need to die in order for order to be restored, but he chooses to do so, because he knows what will happen already. He experienced first hand the events that could happen if he were to survive (The whole movie itself). He also knows that he could survive, and by not doing what he "supposedly needs/wants to do" (The acts of the movie), he could also change history. However, he chooses to change history AND die. Probably because he has learned to not fear dying alone (So dying now or in 50 years is ultimately pointless for him). Or maybe because he sees dying as a sacrifice for the greater good; remember the conversation he and Gretchen had when they first met "What kind of name is Donnie Darko? Sounds like a super hero" "What makes you think I'm not?". Maybe Donnie sees himself as a hero and chooses to die as a symbolic gesture. In summary: All the religious symbols in this movie are portrayed as misleading, false, unfulfilling, or harmful (Cunningham's dungeon and the dancing girls) while science and art are portrayed as misunderstood, exciting or enticing, and enlightening. So, rather than accepting God's predetermined destiny for Donnie, he opts for a free, self-made destiny. I hope I can get a reply from you @LondonCityGirl

I've seen about 3 videos and yours is BY FAR the best explanation. Thank you so much. Plus, your accent/voice was a pleasure to hear.

This woman does the best job of explaining the complexities of this Movie.

We found your channel through Primer Explained and just watched Donnie Darko. We literally started screaming when we saw this video pop up bc we loved the first video so much! 7 years later and this video is still helping us out! Thank you London City Girl!!

After watching this . I’m amazed at the writers and directors genius making this movie .

There are many parts about frank that I still have doubts about, practically, "Frank" is killed by donnie and he time travels back into time, to save donnie from being killed by the plane engine in the tangent universe. So, we can conclude Frank essentially got the power to go back in time due to donnie killing him. However, in timeline 1: if the plane engine infact does fall on donnie in the tangent universe then frank shouldn't have existed, he shouldnt have been able to go back in time. I am unable to comprehend Frank's existence.

This video was so on point. I’ve watched this movie a million times and it makes a little more sense each time but I’ve never seen it done side by side with the book like this. Thank you so so much 🙏🏼

I already loved this film, but re-watching it again after this explanation is gonna be incredibly fascinating

This is by far the best explanation of Donnie Darko that i have found on the internet.Thanks!

One of the best explanations I've heard. Just rewatched this movie last night. One thing I just noticed, which is possibly a foretelling of events to come, is during the video introduction of Jim Cunningham's video. After the woman talks about her son wetting the bed, there's a shot of Jim hugging the boy. Right after the hug, Jim slaps the little boy's butt. Knowing his secret makes that pat take on a totally different meaning. Thoughts?

absolutely amazing discription. I have tried over and over to explain this film to others....after watching it over 10xs to actually get a handle on it, but with zero success. This is perfect and exactly what I believe to be what the film is about!

VERY well done "CityGirl"! You took your time and explained things very well. Your explanation / breakdown is the best on KZfaq (I watched them all.) For me, this movie is a classic, since the viewer is not "spoon fed", and the viewer must think and reason their way through the movie. I own the director's cut and I'm going to show to my family. But first, I wanted them to watch your video, so they can really enjoy the movie even more. Yes, some things will be given away, but this is one of those rare movies in which it is better to get an understanding and know the principles of the movie, before you watch. Once you get a feel of what is happening, you can really appreciate how incredible this movie is. Once again, good job!

probably the best ive seen good job !

hooray you're back. and excellent breakdown of the movie

Gosh, thank you for this! I have watched Donnie Darko probably 50 times, for almost 20 years and the more I watch it the more I understand, but the more confused I become. Thank you for the enlightenment!

Shame on everyone else’ lazy 5 minute summaries of this movie . This movie is too complex for that . I just sat here and got the best breakdown ! Thank you for taking all the time to give us this I’m sure it took awhile ! ❤️

Please, please, please for the love of all that is holy, please make an explanation for Mulholland Drive.

Hi LondonCityGirl, that was amazing. Thank you very much. I would like for you to analyze "Inception" if you can. Keep up the good work!

I could not leave without a comment. This is a perfect explanation of the movie. Great job!

This is the only correct and the best unraveling of Donnie Darko in youtube. Good job!!!

This and Primer are two of my favorite films. I love these explanation videos that really break down every moment of these confusing and complex movies.

This is what happens when you read quantum physics while on LSD. Don't do that kids...

Of all the explanations over various platforms, this is by far the best.

thank you so much for this!! all of my friends were so confused about what was happening so I showed them this.

This amazing complexity is why Donnie darko is my favourite movie of all time :}

Thank you for this and answering a 15 year question about this movie.

thank you so much for this video, it's far better explained than any other video or post on the internet. that's rlly all I needed to understand this movie thoroughly

This was so helpful , I loved this movie, but your insight and commentary made me like it even more, cannot wait to watch it again with the new view :)

The best explanation on youtube for that movie. Thank you

This movie is just about accepting death in the metaphysical sense rather than running from it and how if a person runs from difficult things in life they box themselves into an unstable collapsing situation or "universe". It is a metaphor you see.

This is the best video explanation I've ever seen for this movie. Thanks for the post!

This was a really amazing analysis. Thank you .... I can appreciate it in a more direct way now. Well done. Liked and shared!

Your channel is great -- KEEP GOING!!

Hey, I'm a huge fan of this. I realize that doesn't qualify me (because I have a bone to pick with your analysis) as an authority in any sort of way. But there's no suggestion whatsoever that the jet engine from the primary universe was some sort of "extra copy" of the original jet engine. I think that's most easily suggested at the very end of the movie as Donnie Watches an airplane, the same one carrying his mother and sister. Feel free to watch it again but the Jet engine NOT being a duplicate actually fits more coherently within your analysis. Otherwise, I think this is great! It's too bad there aren't more movie which actually provoke more emotion and conversation. Keep it up!

Great video. This movie, like a good album, i could watch over and over. No joke, there was a time when i watched it like 4 nights in a row, each time picking up more details.

The best explanation of this movie. I've always loved this movie but never completely understood it. Thank you so much!

Damn I love your videos! You have a nice and clear voice, and you are also great at explaining stuff thoroughly. It's a crime that you only have 15k subs :( Anyway keep up the great work and you will have 1 million subs in no time.

I believe Donnie died in the end because there was not Frank to wake him up and save him. After he sent the jet engine back in time, the Tangent Universe closed and we are back in the Primary Universe. Donnie probably doesn't remember his experiences in the Tangent Universe clearly enough or doesn't have enough time to escape. Him laughing is probably at the feeling of saving the universe. I'd be pretty stoked if I literally saved the universe in a dream.

This video finally explained me everything I couldn't understand otherwise. Big thank you!

Excellent video, one the most comprehensive explanations I've seen about this movie. What an incredible film!

Very interesting interpretation of one of the best films of the 2000s

saw your video about quantum mechanics two nights ago because i was playing bioshock infinite and wanted to know a little more , already had tiny knowledge about quantum mechanics before but never knew about the measurement problem and learning about it changed my view on things/universe forever from then , I'm a 3rd year Medical Student but now for the past three days I'm completely hooked on learning about quantum physics instead of studying my actual medical subjects xD , it's just like how you said in your video - the springboard ..... Thank you . and is it a coincidence that you are back in youtube right after a few days you changed a man's entire view on life and universe ? aaaaaand as i just read - according to your response in a comment , you are of my homeland - Bangladesh .... 2 coincidences ..... the probabilities are ..... idk what to say really xD Keep up the good work :)

WOW!!! This is by far the best hypothetical explanation and certainly the most interesting explanation to the meaning of Donnie Darko.

This is amazing. I've just fallen in love with this film again. Thank you x

Excellent explanation ! every question answered.. But, some still remains.. *) How did Grandma Death know that she would recieve a letter ? if she had, she might have known that the tangent universe has been created, and she's in it...

I think that the entire movie is somehow „Looped". Let me explain this: all of us seen the ending, (SPOILER) Donnie is dead, everyones cry. But what if...What if He's not dead, but he again awakes on this road from the beggining of the entire movie, and everything repeat infinitely, but in different, infinite universes?

Awesome analysis, first one I've watched where I understood everything presented and it finally clicked.

Best Donnie Darko explanation video on youtube! Just Perfect!

You got a subscriber girl ...seriously love the explanation of donnie darko ..:) surely will spread the word.. thumbs up :)

My favorite movie of all time! It's almost as if the movie was made specifically for me (obviously I don't believe that). I consider everything from the plot, location and characters as perfect...I also share an almost identical personality with Donnie, which I've never previously encountered. If you come across this comment and have any recommendations, please share.

This is amazing. This video has a bunch of theory content I've agreed with for a long time, while having a bunch more i wasn't sure about, but now after watching, agree with/ can see agreeing with. You're channel,just from watching this one video, is waaaay underrated!

My first search and this first video .. provided me the clearest explanation of DDarko. Great content 👍 Thanks.

So, time corrupts, creates a tangent universe with an extra artifact, then a hero uses fire, water, and telekinesis to create a time portal to send the artifact back and prevent the destruction of everything. That's pretty intense. On a side note, the receiver was said to have mind control powers. There was no point that ever happened, was there? It seems strange that they would mention it and not use it (unlike each other part).

I'm absolutely obsessed with the concept of time .

thank you absolutely the best and most easy to understand explanation on DD I've ever seen!

I completely underestimated this movie. The philosophy behind it is profound and it captures the comings and goings of people's lives that we take for granted.

i think i need to watch this movie 2nd time with more focus..

what about in the theater when frank tells donnie that he is the son of frank?

london city girl , great video , im glad he wasn't just crazy. your explanation makes me realize all the facets that made up this deep film that went unnoticed by most when the film played in the early 2000s. The scientific and theological concepts seemed lost at the time in the mtv fluff of this adolescent suburbia. still remains a favorite of mine because of the era. thx for the in depth probe.

very well-constructed movie analysis. Thank you for this, I love the film and the characters.

I thought it was made pretty clear that Donnie sacrificed himself because his survival of the engine crash is what kicked off all the terrible events so he decided to close that loop He would die so that everyone he loved could live specifically his girlfriend

so why couldn't the science teacher be God then.... -he says "I'm not going to be able to finish this conversation", "because I could lose my job' - (IE he cannot continue to discuss his role as the manipulator with Donnie, as this may affect the time continuum or the events as they unfold or Donnie's understanding of the events, possibly changing the events ) given their conversation, the fact that he gives hints, and the fact that he gives Donnie the time travel book -could suggest that he is God (the manipulator) taking a pivotal role in his master plan

Best explanation of this movie. I love your Illustrated explanations. Would love to see more movies explained this way.

You are amazing at doing analyses like this. Thank you!

This is the first video of this length thar I've watched till the very end. Thank you so much! I was so confused I couldn't process the film. I think one problem layman viewers are going to have with this film is that this film isn't obvious about its narrative or the situation it keeps in front of the viewers. It's almost as if the viewers have to connect dots themselves and maybe watch videos like this to understand the layers. Looking at Jake's acting I was no way sure about him controlling the activities. As I said, the film could be a little more generous with the storytelling but otherwise it's a total mindfuck!!!

I can't help but feel that if Donnie had left his house for any other reason than Frank leading him out, the entire story would make sense but because Frank time traveled to make Donnie survive in order to go on and later kill him it makes absolutely no sense, even with everything else that happens.

Ive read and heard a lot of explanations of this film and this is the best one ive seen it was put together really well and everything made sense and added up. Ive just watched the film again a few minutes ago and it really gets you thinking its not the type of film you watch and just daze off and when it finished i found myself searching the net to find out what other people thought of the film and what it ment.

A very well thought out analogy of one of my favourite films. Thanks for untangling the web that I have never found before that has gone into such important detail elsewhere. 👌🏼👍

This movie is actually easier to follow than I expected, I could figure out most of the things explained without the need for the extended cut. If the first time you watch the movie and get to the fisrt time they mention time travel... its easy to assume everything might be an alternate univers or at least a dream after the jet engine scene.

Just one note about the end of of the video where Donnie did not decide to save himself. Donnie has two decisions . 1. Put the artifact somewhere it will not kill him and live. Or 2. Die. In opt 2 giving his own life he saves Gretchen. That is why Donnie is happy and laughing before his death.

Great Explanation !! thank you so much for the hard work putted in the video... the video deserves more views and likes

thank you for making these explanation video illustrations! they are so helpful! Ive seen Primer and Donnie Darko but didn't understand them the first time around. Im glad I ran into your explanations! they are so detailed and well scripted! (especially the Primer video) Hope you continue making more sci-fi, time travel video explanations in the future, you have a new subscriber!

But, why do the Manipulated (Living and Dead) remember the tangent universe after Donnie’s death? I swear a guy can go cross eyed thinking about this shit! Lol

Has anyone else had the dreams of the alternate universe happen to them? When I was 14 or 15, I don't remember which specifically, I woke up going about my life but feeling like everything was on fast forward, but living the best life I could have asked for. I had a family, and financially stable, with a wife and 2 kids, I think both daughters but was cut short when a burglar broke into my house and I die of a gunshot wound defending my family. I tell my wife with my dying breath, it's alright, and I was happy with the life I lived as its all temporary anyway. Then suddenly I woke up back as a teenager around 3 to 4 in the morning with cold sweat and still feeling the gunshot wound in my chest. Then I took several deep breaths and realized it was a strange dream, but an extremely detailed one, almost like a virtual reality simulation. If anyone has had some weird shit like this happen to them please share it, cause I can't be the only one who has had this happen...

This is the best explanation of the movie I've seen on the Internet. Thanks

This is the only explanation you need to watch! Thank you! 😍

I think Donnie laughing in the end is solely that he thought he had dreamed all of this and was humored by it. He then felt a sign of relief and went to sleep thinking the outcome in the dream wasn't real when in fact it was

Sorry I'm confused about one thing. Donnie is able to shoot Frank in the tangent universe because he was saved by Frank earlier. Frank was only able to save him because he was killed by Donnie (manipulated dead). Frank saving Donnie allows him to kill Frank later in the movie (which in turn allows Frank to go back in time and save Donnie). Frank wouldn't be able to save Donnie if he was never killed by Donnie in the first place, but Frank being dead is the only reason he is able to go back and save Donnie.

Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze are total scene stealers in this movie. Both deliver wonderful performances. I also love the version which has Echo and the Bunnymen at the beginning - a great band from my hometown. Check out their back catalogue- it’s amazing 😊

These illustrations helped. Thank you !