10 Movies Nobody Could Stop Thinking About

For many young film fans growing up in the early 2000s, Donnie Darko was their gateway drug to less-commercial, more challenging genre films that didn't simply spoonfeed viewers their narrative.

Like other films on this list, Donnie Darko wasn't really meant to be fully understood on an initial viewing, but the uniquely weird and offputting mood, sharp dialogue, and brilliantly unnerving lead performance from Jake Gyllenhaal combine to make Donnie Darko a heady trip like few others.

Once the film arrives at its elliptical ending, the story continues to live on in the viewer's head, as they ponder the finer details of its confusing-yet-enticing story.

Like any good mystery movie, Donnie Darko is a cinematic puzzle you'll want to keep returning to, and whether you first saw it as a kid or an adult, it's a movie that sticks firmly to the ribs, continuing to thrive in our collective subconscious almost 25 years (!) after its release.