10 Great Movies That Were Almost Ruined By Bad Editing

When Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko was released in cinemas in 2001, it pulled in a measly half million dollars, a return that amounted to a little over a tenth of the total budget. In the few years that followed, however, word of mouth created a cult following that led this dark sci-fi romance flick back into theatres.

A director's cut was released in 2004 and before long Frank was the most popular costume at Halloween parties. The film wound up Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 85% rating, and it is certainly worth the plaudits - this was a memorable directorial performance from a filmmaker who imposed an otherworldly mood and a sense of intrigue on audiences from beginning to end.

That said, when was the last time you actually watched Donnie Darko? Fifteen years on from its initial release, mistakes that you never noticed seem far more apparent, perhaps because you can watch the film without first being influenced by cult hysteria. The first thing you find yourself thinking as Mad World begins to play and the movie wraps up (apart from how insufferable a performance Drew Barrymore gives) is how the film badly needed a better editor.

Donnie Darko is very much a debut movie, in that it comes across as a bunch of separate ideas that Richard Kelly has had over the years. The problem is that they don't seem to fit together.

The film plays like a series of set-pieces; a rogue jet engine crashing through the house, laser-beams protruding from chests, a giant imaginary Bunny - these are all plot devices that were never woven together in a way that made them seem important to one another. The film works despite it, but could have flown a lot smoother with a master in the cutting room.