The Film (4/5)

    Richard Kelly's debut film Donnie Darko can now be considered the first true cult classic of the 21st century. This is a title I've reluctantly held back calling the film in the years following it's release, as I've always said the title classic should only be used for a film that is at least a generation old and holds its own against an onslaught of the cinema that might perchance to obscure its memory. Donnie Darko, however, since its 2001 release has survived and certainly does have a cult following that gets larger by the year.

     MGM released a sub-par Blu-ray release of the film early in the format’s life cycle utilizing an older HD master that satisfied almost no one, though some critics charged that since the film was low budget it probably could not look much better. Those fine folks at Arrow Video have decided to prove those naysayers wrong and released a 4k scanned restoration of the film into theaters, and on to Blu-ray first in the UK last year, and now at long last last in the U.S.

    Donnie Darko follows the titular character played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Describing him as a troubled young man would be underselling him. However, he is a teenage boy going to high school, and suffering from some deep psychological problems for which he is seeing a professional, and being medicated for. Neither of which is helping him from seeing a 6 foot man in a bunny costume named Frank (James Duval), who is telling him to do bad things. Frank, one night  tells Donnie to leave his house and go to a golf course just as jet engine is set to crash into his bedroom and kill him. This sets into motion a series of events involving Donnie and his friends that grows increasingly darker as time passes.

    Donnie Darko was initially described as David Lynch-lite, but in reality I do think it stands well on its own. It plays in a world of teenage angst, and sci-fi weirdness that creates a delicious cocktail that is utterly rewatchable, and complex enough to give fans and cinephiles room to debate the film and its going on for decades to come. The film has a charming visual style that crosses noir with the poppy 80's world of John Hughes. The performances are absolutely pitch perfect. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Donnie as a very complex angst ridden teen with the weight of a world on his shoulders, and amplifies it to 11. The rest of the cast have an enormous chemistry, and feel very fleshed out in their roles whether they are the cliché overtly religious 80's mom (Beth Grant as Kitty Farmer), or playing out some TV preacher Jim Bakker stereotype (Patrick Swayze).

Audio/Video (4.5/5)

    Arrow Video doing their usual fantastic work took a film that some said couldn't be improved upon at the prior Blu-ray release, and made it look brilliant. Arrow did a 4k scan from the original negative and did a transfer in the films original 2:35:1 aspect ratio. The transfer is presented in a 1080 AVC encode. Everything here looks highly natural and very well detailed. Blacks are inky and deep, colors are natural and well reproduced, and grain is natural, but not overwhelming. There is some minor instances of softness in certain exteriors, but these are a facet of the production and not a result of the transfer itself.

    Audio is presented DTS-HD MA 5.1 in English, and everything sounds really fantastic here. Dialogue, score, and ambient effects sound fantastic and clear, and are well separated. I did not detect any issues.

Extras (5/5)

    Most of the extras from the release are ported over from the already stacked prior release. However, Arrow did bring 2 new to the package, and they are stellar. We get a 96 minute documentary called Deux Ex Machina: The Philosophy of Donnie Darko that goes behind the scenes into the film with its cast and crew and is absolutely fantastic. We also get The Goodbye Place a 9 minute short film from film student Richard Kelly.  There is also a hardback booklet of liner notes in the LE, these are in depth, and fantastic.  The rest of the collection is ported over from the prior DVD and Blu-ray release and includes commentaries, documentaries, production diaries, interviews, trailers and more. This is an absolutely stunning release.

Overall

    Arrow Video has finally given fans the Donnie Darko release they deserved. The Blu-ray looks and sounds incredible, and is loaded with extras new and old. If you are a fan of the film, this is a must buy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.