A cult film is usually one that that did not do well initially (though that is not necessary) but then achieves huge success in video or now, DVD sales. Usually these films are quirky and very different from mainstream studio movies. The core audience purchasing these movies are mostly teenagers and their word of mouth helps them achieve cult status. I will be discussing a different one of these movies every now and then, but the one that I had to start with is one of the most talked about of all - Donnie Darko.

Donnie Darko (2001) may be the most discussed because it is most loved, or because it is so hard to understand. I finally watched it myself recently after hearing my teens talk about it for years. It was bizarre but I loved it. I was glad I had read a little about it beforehand or I don't think I would have had a clue what was going on. I can see why it didn't do well initially when it first played in the theaters. You need some background which owning a DVD will provide.

The director of Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly, described the movie as a cross between The Catcher in the Rye and Philip K. Dick (science fiction writer). It is about Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal), a teenager in high school in 1988 and the strange things that happen during one month. The film might be dealing with schizophrenia, time travel and/or alterate universes. Most people that saw the movie would watch it more than once to try to figure it out. They would also discuss it with their friends or online.

In 2003, The Donnie Darko Book was published. It is written by the director Richard Kelly and helps explain the film somewhat. Then in May, 2004, a director's cut of the film was released. This also, did not do well in the theaters but was a hit on DVD. It includes 20 minutes of extra footage, an altered sountrack, the director's interpretation and visual excerpts from the book "The Philosophy of Time Travel". What is unusal about this book, is that it isn't a real book. It is a fake book that appears in the movie and was written just for the Donnie Darko website and then included on the DVD.

In May 2008 a sequel to Donnie Darko began filming. However the original director has nothing to do with it and there will be no Donnie. The working title is S. Darko and it will be about Donnie's younger sister Samantha.

If you want to see one of the top teen cult films than I highly recommend Donnie Darko. Entertainment Weekly ranked this movie 2nd in their list of Greatest Independent films of all time. In addition to Jake Gyllenhaal, who does the Holden Caulfield type perfectly (see The Good Girl), the movie also stars Jena Malone, James Duval, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Katherine Ross, Drew Barrymore, Noah Wyle and Patrick Swayze.

For more information and links to other pages see the Donnie Darko Wikipedia Page.

Have any of you seen it? What are your thoughts? Any choices for other cult movies for me to discuss?

See also: Top 12 Cult Movies for Teens

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