Donnie Darko is a 2001 American science fiction film written and directed by Richard Kelly. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell, and depicts the reality-bending adventures of the title character as he seeks the meaning and significance behind his troubling Doomsday-related visions. The film was initially slated for a direct-to-video release before being picked up by Newmarket Films. Budgeted with $4.5 mill ...