S. Darko (2009)

Studio: 20^th Century Fox

DVD Release Date: May 11, 2009

Directed By: Chris Fisher

Cast: Daveigh Chase, Briana Evigan, Ed Westwick, Matthew Davis

Review By: Marc Patterson

It’s nearly impossible to review a sequel like S. Darko without making comparisons to the original film.  What’s especially precarious about reviewing S. Darko is that its predecessor from 2001 has acquired such a devout cult following over the past years that most of these die-hard fans have outright rejected this sequel prior to giving it an honest viewing.  As a self-proclaimed critic I don’t have that luxury.  Not that I need it.  That being said, I never fully understood the cult phenomena of Donnie Darko.  So, perhaps I might be a hair bit more qualified to review S. Darko with an unbiased opinion.  To be clear, it’s not that I disliked Donnie Darko.  Rather I thought it an okay film, and one with an interesting story, but one that really didn’t bring anything new to the realm of psychological and philosophical cinema. 

For me Donnie Darko was simply the 12 Monkeys and Mouth of Madness for a different younger generation of movie viewers and watching it gave me a sense that others had tread this ground before and done so with perhaps a bit more intelligence.  Ironically, a little over halfway through S. Darko there is a scene set at a movie theater where the featured attractions are shown on the marquis written backwards.  Pay attention.  They say “Twelve Monkeys” and “Strange Days”.  Two not so subtle nods to a couple of influential films.

S. Darko is a direct continuation of Donnie Darko.  It follows Donnie’s younger sister Samantha (Chase), who now several years older, finds herself equally alienated as Donnie.  She leaves home in Virginia with a friend Corey (Evigan) on an epic road trip.  They break down outside of a small southwestern desert town where fate brings them together with an odd group of people. Samantha, in a continual search for peace and meaning, spirals down the mind bending reality vortex, treading deeply into the dark ground of her older brother Donnie, a place she may never escape from. 

Immediately noticeable is that the film is wonderfully shot and beautifully directed, but the writing is clearly not as strong as the first film.  That’s not a comment aimed at the actors, or their delivery of what was smart and at times witty dialogue.  No, they all were wonderful.  It’s lack of depth in the writing that I’m talking about.  There was a clear deficit of the same level of intelligence seen from the original.  A sequel that does not take the brilliance of the original and build upon it only pays homage to its predecessor.  As the film continues, it’s obvious that this is smartly made film, yet homage may best sum up its parts. 

S. Darko retains the haunting ambiance of the first straddling the line between psychological terrors with the ethereal plane, a dimension of euphoric acid induced trippiness that fit Donnie Darko quite well.  A quiet haunting tone pervades the film, which is only complemented by the superb score.  The first film evoked powerful emotion from the score and here under the supervision of Ed Harcourt the result is a beautiful and rich weaving of soundscapes ranging from simple piano based tracks to full songs from bands such as Dead Can Dance and Whale.  The stirring and evocative the musical score becomes one of the shining highlights to this film. 

Excellent scenery, direction, and soundtracking aren’t enough to pull off a winner, especially when one is competing to play in the same court as Donnie.  With Donnie there was much attention given to sub-text and layering the film with subtleties that would not emerge until after several viewings.  S. Darko went after those elements but felt cold, dry, and lacking the depth.  Again it is apparent this film is more homage than seamless continuation of a story. 

In more stark contrast to Donnie this story continues to prevail in the same universe, but with a striking difference in backdrop.  Instead of setting the film in suburban America we are given the southwestern treatment.  Instead of making a statement about conformity, which fits better to the cookie cutter drabness of suburban America this film is set is a desert town full of odd characters, where standing out as something different is a bit more difficult to do.  Combined with Samantha’s pacifist nature this is a story less about lashing out against the status quo and dominant moral authorities, than it is a mind trip through time itself.  

Ultimately the question becomes not so much whether or this is as good as the first film but rather if S. Darko came first would it have gained the cult following that Donnie Darko did?  It’s a high probability that it would not have, though it certainly would have made a great cult flick.  It’s my opinion that if more fans of Donnie can get off their high horse long enough to give this film a shot they might find that there is some real entertainment value to be had.  Certainly S. Darko is not going to take the place of Donnie Darko, but let’s face it… a hell of a lot worse sequels have been made to cult favorites. 

Brutal As Hell Rating:

3 ½ out of 5