Best Movies Like Donnie Darko + Summary

If you loved Donnie Darko (like me) and now are looking for movies like Donnie Darko, this post is for you! I’m going to introduce 15 movies that share the same vibe as Donnie Darko, falling into genres like Psychological Thriller, Sci-Fi, Surreal/Experimental, Horror, Mystery/Neo-Noir, Coming-of-Age (with a Dark Twist).

Top 15 Movies Like Donnie Darko

We’ve ranked these 15 movies from last to first, so make sure to check out the number one pick for the ultimate Donnie Darko-like experience. Stay with Cinelysium and enjoy the ride!

15. Daniel Isn’t Real (2019)

• 1h 40m
• Genres: Horror/Drama
• Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer
• Writer: Brian DeLeeuw, Adam Egypt Mortimer
• Stars: Miles Robbins, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sasha Lane
• Country: United States
• Summary: A troubled college freshman, Luke, suffers a violent family trauma. He then resurrects his charismatic childhood imaginary friend Daniel to help him cope, not realizing how dangerous Daniel is.

Luke, a young man, summons his childhood imaginary friend once again, but this time, the friend is much darker than he seems. Daniel Isn’t Real is a psychological thriller and horror film that captivates the audience with its unique narrative.

14. The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

• 1h 59m
• Genres: Horror/Mystery
• Director: Mark Pellington
• Writer: Richard Hatem, John A. Keel
• Stars: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, David Eigenberg
• Country: United States
• Summary: A reporter is drawn to a small West Virginia town to investigate a series of strange events, including psychic visions and the appearance of bizarre entities.

A journalist is drawn to a mysterious town after his wife’s accident, where the residents claim to have seen a supernatural being. Is it just an illusion, or a prophecy of an impending disaster? The Mothman Prophecies is an eerie mystery film based on real events.

13. Under the Silver Lake (2018)

• 2h 19m
• Genres: Thriller/Comedy
• Director: David Robert Mitchell
• Writer: David Robert Mitchell
• Stars: Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace
• Country: United States
• Summary: Sam, a disenchanted young man, finds a mysterious woman swimming in his apartment’s pool one night. The next morning, she disappears. Sam sets off across LA to find her, and along the way he uncovers a conspiracy far more bizarre.

A young unemployed man in Los Angeles searches for a mysterious girl who has suddenly disappeared. His quest leads him into a world filled with puzzles, symbolism, and hidden conspiracies. If you enjoy films like Mulholland Drive, this one is a must-watch.

12. Perfect Blue (1997)

• 1h 21m
• Genres: Horror/Mystery
• Director: Satoshi Kon
• Writer: Yoshikazu Takeuchi, Sadayuki Murai, Satoshi Kon
• Stars: Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji
• Country: Japan
• Summary: A pop singer gives up her career to become an actress, but she slowly goes insane when she starts being stalked by an obsessed fan and what seems to be a ghost of her past.

This psychological anime follows a pop singer who decides to become an actress, but gradually loses the line between reality and delusion. Perfect Blue is a groundbreaking work in the psychological genre, which even inspired Black Swan.

11. The Truman Show (1998)

• 1h 43m
• Genres: Comedy/Sci-fi
• Director: Peter Weir
• Writer: Andrew Niccol
• Stars: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney
• Country: United States
• Summary: An insurance salesman begins to suspect that his whole life is actually some sort of reality TV show.

Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) has spent his entire life in an ideal town, unaware that he is the main character of a 24-hour TV show. The Truman Show, with its beautiful and thought-provoking narrative, is one of the greatest philosophical sci-fi films, challenging the concept of reality.

10. Memento (2000)

• 1h 53m
• Genres: Thriller/Crime
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Writer: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan
• Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
• Country: United States
• Summary: Leonard Shelby, an insurance investigator, suffers from anterograde amnesia and uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife, which is the last thing he remembers.

Leonard, a man who has lost his short-term memory, is on a quest to find his wife’s killer. But how can one solve a mystery when they can’t remember anything? Christopher Nolan, with his non-linear storytelling, has crafted one of the brightest mystery films in history. If you enjoy complex and challenging narratives, don’t miss this film.

9. Lost Highway (1997)

• 2h 15m
• Genres: Thriller/Noir
• Director: David Lynch
• Writer: David Lynch, Barry Gifford
• Stars: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, John Roselius
• Country: France, United States
• Summary: Anonymous videotapes presage a musician’s murder conviction, and a gangster’s girlfriend leads a mechanic astray.

David Lynch creates a surreal and maddening nightmare with Lost Highway, a film that wanders between reality, identity, and time. The story follows a man who is accused of murdering his wife, only to mysteriously disappear in prison and transform into someone else. The haunting music, strange imagery, and mysterious atmosphere make this film one of Lynch’s unforgettable works.

8. Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

• 1h 53m
• Genres: Horror/Mystery
• Director: Adrian Lyne
• Writer: Bruce Joel Rubin
• Stars: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello
• Country: United States
• Summary: Mourning his dead son, a haunted Vietnam War veteran attempts to uncover his past while suffering from a severe case of dissociation. To do so, he must decipher reality and life from his own dreams, delusions, and perceptions of death.

Jacob, a Vietnam War veteran, returns home only to be plagued by terrifying nightmares and hallucinations that slowly unravel his mind. Is he experiencing a real conspiracy, or is everything a product of his imagination? Jacob’s Ladder is one of the most influential psychological thrillers, inspiring many films that followed, including Silent Hill.

7. The Butterfly Effect (2004)

• 1h 54m
• Genres: Thriller/Sci-fi
• Director: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
• Writer: J. Mackye Gruber, Eric Bress
• Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Melora Walters
• Country: United States, Canada
• Summary: Evan Treborn suffers blackouts during significant events of his life. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life by reading his journal.

Evan (Ashton Kutcher) discovers that he can travel back in time by reading his journals and change the past, but every change leads to unexpected consequences. The Butterfly Effect is an exciting sci-fi thriller that explores the “butterfly effect” through an emotional and suspenseful narrative. If you enjoy films like Donnie Darko and Memento, this movie will leave you astonished.

6. Southland Tales (2006)

• 2h 40m
• Genres: Sci-fi/Comedy
• Director: Richard Kelly
• Writer: Richard Kelly
• Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott
• Country: France, Germany, United States
• Summary: During a three-day heat wave just before a huge 4th of July celebration, an action star stricken with amnesia meets up with a porn star who is developing her own reality TV project, and a policeman who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.

Southland Tales is one of the strangest and most adventurous sci-fi films, presenting a wildly chaotic vision of a dystopian future with a complex narrative and dark humor. Richard Kelly, director of Donnie Darko, delves into a story full of political conspiracies, social crises, and bizarre characters. If you enjoy unconventional films filled with ambiguity, this one is for you.

5. Melancholia (2011)

• 2h 16m
• Genres: Sci-fi/Drama
• Director: Lars von Trier
• Writer: Lars von Trier
• Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland
• Country: Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany
• Summary: Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.

Lars von Trier’s Melancholia offers a poetic exploration of depression and the end of the world. The film tells the story of two sisters who react differently as a mysterious planet approaches Earth. Kirsten Dunst’s performance in the film earned her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. If you’re drawn to slow, philosophical, and emotional films, Melancholia will provide a deep and thought-provoking experience.

4. The Thing (1982)

• 1h 49m
• Genres: Horror/Sci-fi
• Director: John Carpenter
• Writer: Bill Lancaster, John W. Campbell Jr.
• Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David
• Country: United States, Canada
• Summary: A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

At a research station in Antarctica, a group of scientists encounters an extraterrestrial creature capable of mimicking any living being. The fear and doubt over who is still human create an intense, breathless tension. The Thing, directed by John Carpenter, is one of the greatest sci-fi horror films in history, and with its practical special effects and unparalleled atmosphere, it remains as terrifying and influential as ever.

3. Triangle (2009)

• 1h 39m
• Genres: Horror/Mystery
• Director: Christopher Smith
• Writer: Christopher Smith
• Stars: Melissa George, Joshua McIvor, Jack Taylor
• Country: United Kingdom, Australia, United States
• Summary: Five friends set sail and their yacht is overturned by a strange and sudden storm. A mysterious ship arrives to rescue them, and what happens next cannot be explained.

A sea voyage turns into an endless nightmare when a group of friends encounters a mysterious ship. Strange events unfold, and Jess (Melissa George) realizes she’s trapped in a time loop. Triangle is one of those films that continuously surprises you, with a new twist each time you think you’ve figured out the story’s secret. If you enjoy films like Memento and Coherence, this movie is made for you.

2. Black Swan (2010)

• 1h 48m
• Genres: Horror/Drama
• Director: Darren Aronofsky
• Writer: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin
• Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
• Country: United States
• Summary: Nina is a talented but unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her artistic director and a seductive rival, Nina’s grip on reality slips, plunging her into a waking nightmare.

Natalie Portman, in her role as Nina, a talented and sensitive ballerina, becomes consumed by the darkness of her mind in her pursuit of performing the role of a lifetime. With the arrival of a new rival, her obsession and paranoia intensify, blurring the line between reality and delusion. Directed brilliantly by Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan tells a psychological and terrifying story that earned Portman an Oscar for her lead performance. It’s a surreal and beautiful nightmare that every fan of psychological cinema must experience.

1. Coherence (2013)

• 1h 29m
• Genres: Thriller/Sci-fi
• Director: James Ward Byrkit
• Writer: James Ward Byrkit, Alex Manugian
• Stars: Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon
• Country: United States, United Kingdom
• Summary: Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.

On a special night when a comet passes through the sky, a group of friends at a dinner party begins to notice strange and unexplainable events. The boundary between reality and illusion collapses, and they suddenly find themselves caught in a dangerous game with alternate versions of themselves. Coherence is one of the most intelligent indie sci-fi films, creating a thrilling and mentally complex experience with its low budget and exceptional screenplay. If you enjoy multiverse stories and mind-bending puzzles, don’t miss this film.

These were 15 movies similar to Donnie Darko that I’m sure you’ll love if you give them a watch. Since you’re a fan of Donnie Darko, you’ll definitely enjoy all these films, which include:

• Coherence (2013)
• Black Swan (2010)
• Triangle (2009)
• The Thing (1982)
• Melancholia (2011)
• Southland Tales (2006)
• The Butterfly Effect (2004)
• Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
• Lost Highway (1997)
• Memento (2000)
• The Truman Show (1998)
• Perfect Blue (1997)
• Under the Silver Lake (2018)
• The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
• Daniel Isn’t Real (2019)

If you know any other similar movies to Donnie Darko that weren’t on this list, be sure to share them in the comments so we can add them! And don’t forget to share this list with your friends.