25 Cult Movies You Must See Before You Die
2. Donnie Darko
Richard Kelly looked like he would become a modern David Lynch, until it turned out he just made films that were weird for weird's sake and borderline unwatchable (glorious mess though Southland Tales is). Unfortunately he never made good on the promise of his debut, but that doesn't stop Donnie Darko from being one of the best cult films ever.
So long as you skip Kelly's terrible Director's Cut, anyway. Stick with the original and you've got a brilliantly odd suburban sci-fi story with Jake Gyllenhaal as a depressed, disconnected eighties teen who has weird dreams about Frank, a guy in a rabbit mask who makes him do things in his sleep and talks about the end of the world.
Jena Malone is Gretchen, the new girl at school who inspires an ultimate sacrifice from Donnie; Patrick Swayze the local motivational speaker with a dark secret; Drew Barrymore as producer and Donnie's inspiring English teacher who loses her job; Tears For Fears as the best soundtrack to a doomed-teen-drama ever; and hey, Seth Rogen!