9 Ways To Break Out Of A Time Loop (According To The Movies)

5. Let A Jet Engine Kill You (Donnie Darko)

In 1988, troubled, medicated teen Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is led from his house to safety by a man wearing a warped bunny costume €“ his name is Frank €“ before a jet engine falls from the sky into his bedroom. Frank tells Donnie that the world will end 28 days from now and, sure enough, an apocalyptic storm forms in the skies 28 days later. It's revealed that the jet engine fell from a plane with Donnie's family aboard; suddenly, Donnie travels back in time to 28 days earlier, to his bedroom, at which point the engine falls into his room once again, this time killing him. There are multiple theories regarding Donnie Darko and its 'time travel'. Ultimately, Donnie might stand a chance of breaking out of his 'time loop' if he just took his meds. But if we're to take a more literal view of the film and accept that the character is stuck in a real loop, all Donnie has to do to break out is let himself be crushed to death by the falling turbine from a jet plane. It's a grim conclusion, but this way Donnie saves his family and friends from certain death and doesn't have to put up with any more visits from some giant, haunting rabbit.