DONNIE DARKO (2001)
Richard Kelly | United States | English audio and subtitles
25 Year Anniversary
In DONNIE DARKO, the countdown to the end of the world begins in October 1988 and leads directly to Halloween night. Richard Kelly's remarkable debut combines science fiction, psychological horror and teenage alienation in one of the most enduring cult films of the 2000s.
Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled teenager living in suburban Virginia. One night, he narrowly escapes death when a jet engine crashes into his bedroom. His survival is linked to Frank, a mysterious figure wearing a grotesque rabbit costume, who tells Donnie that the world will end in exactly 28 days, six hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. As Halloween approaches, Donnie begins experiencing disturbing visions and questioning the nature of time, fate and reality.
Kelly was just 25 when he directed DONNIE DARKO, shooting the film in only 28 days with a modest budget. Drew Barrymore helped bring the project to the screen through her production company and also appears in the film. The result is an unusually ambitious first feature that moves between suburban satire, teenage romance and existential dread without offering easy explanations.
Released in October 2001, just weeks after the September 11 attacks, the film struggled commercially. Its imagery of a falling jet engine made the timing particularly unfortunate. But DVD releases, word of mouth and midnight screenings gradually transformed DONNIE DARKO into a cult phenomenon, inspiring years of debate about its mysteries and meaning.
Set against the shopping malls, classrooms and Halloween parties of late-1980s America, the film captures both the absurdity and loneliness of adolescence. Gyllenhaal's performance gives its increasingly strange events a genuine emotional centre, while a soundtrack featuring Echo & the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears and Gary Jules's haunting rendition of Mad World has become inseparable from its identity.
FOMO presents DONNIE DARKO as part of CINEMA OF THE DAMNED, our alternative Halloween cinema programme. Few films capture the uneasy atmosphere of Halloween quite like this one, where a familiar suburban holiday becomes the deadline for something terrifying.
FOOD AND DRINK POLICY: SHEREKILEBI Bar in FOMO Cinema opens 1 hour before the first screening of the day and closes at 01:30, serving a wide selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic refreshments, as well as fresh hot popcorn! Outside food is allowed in the bar butnot in the cinema. No alcohol or drinks from outside allowed. All guests are invited to arrive early and stay late!
LOCATION: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.
HOW TO FIND FOMO: Enter Bazari Orbeliani via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left to Level 1. Signage on the door. You can also check our Instagram story highlights for a video showing exactly how to find us: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTMzMTA2Mjk0MDI5MjM1
REFUND & CREDIT POLICY: If FOMO cancels a screening, all ticket holders will receive a full refund. If your plans change and you can no longer attend, we’ll issue you a credit for the value of your ticket if you let us know 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. The credit an be used for any FOMO film screening within the following 30 days.
TICKETS are also available to purchase over the bar if not sold out.
FOMO Secret Cinema • Bazari Orbeliani, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
