What Does The Ending Of Donnie Darko Really Mean?

Or, perhaps, a divine vision. There are references to Christianity aplenty in Donnie Darko: Miss Farmer and Jim Cunningham are firm believers ("our path through life must be righteous"), Donnie and Doctor Monnitoff discuss "God's channel" and how God relates to time travel, while the cross atop the school is a recurring visual motif.

The town of Middlesex, Virginia is even presented like a sunny, flourishing Garden of Eden, despite it being the middle of autumn - check that opening vista of Middlesex's resplendent neighbouring forest, for one. And what film is playing when Donnie and Gretchen go to the movies, but Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation Of Christ.

There are also apocalyptic storms and a false prophet - Jim Cunningham, who Donnie describes as the antichrist. Then there's what could be seen as a real prophet being given divine tasks - that would be Donnie, who begins to have miraculous visions and develop supernatural powers of foresight.

It's not that Donnie Darko is based on one single story from Christian lore, then, but a whole mess of them, like a greatest hits package of the Bible. As mankind's saviour, Donnie is like Noah; he's also Job, punished by God for no reason but to test his devotion. And then, ultimately, like Christ, Donnie sacrifices himself for the good of mankind.