Donnie Darko

After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.

Richard Kelly's debut earned widespread admiration for its unsettling suburban atmosphere and Jake Gyllenhaal's central performance, but critics split sharply over whether its ambitions cohere: admirers find it bracingly original, while detractors see tonal inconsistency and a payoff that fails to justify the mystery it builds. Notably, Kelly's director's cut drew considerably more enthusiastic critical response than the theatrical version, even as devoted fans often prefer the original cut.