With its gothic tale of a troubled teen haunted by visions of a figure in a Halloween rabbit suit, Donnie Darko was among the first cult movie phenomena of the twenty-first century, making debut director Richard Kelly hot Hollywood property before he reached his thirtieth birthday. This study narrates the film's journey from box-office bemusement through word-of-mouth success to the subsequent director's cut of the film, and also discusses fans' reactions to the film's enigmatic conclusion, explaining how Donnie Darko gripped the imagination of Generation X teenagers across the world.