Donnie Darko: Tangent Edit

The director's cut of Donnie Darko is one of my favorite films of all time but I find myself conflicted upon the addition of the philosophy of time book, you can't just expect that stuff like the manipulated dead and the trap for the chosen will be understandable to the audience without even mention those things but the way it was done does hurt the film.
This edit helped me see the movie in a new light because the meaning of Donnie Darko isn't uncovering the mystery behind it, but rather learning to accept what we did in our childhood and learn that our mistakes weren't our fault, and when you remove the scenes about the mystery, the focus now is more on the themes, and that is where the soul of Donnie Darko is, plus it also more fun for theorize.

This is the Definitive Edition of Donnie Darko for me

Description, conveys precisely the main motif of this edit.

An extended theatrical cut of sorts.

The omission of the whole time-travel inserts from DC, makes the movie feel less, as if it is going on a straight line from A to B, and more as a meditation on the whole process and events. Ambiguous is the word that defines it well.

As for the quality, I've felt like it had too heavy of film grain, that although looked good on Frank and other dark scenes, sometimes muddied, the faces of main characters, in bright scenes. However don't get me wrong, the quality is indeed very high, it's more of a nitpick.

All in all, since I remember the frustration that Director's Cut gave me, the first time I've watched it, and how it was a "slow-burner" for me to start liking it, I would recommend this version to the people who want to suggest the film to their friends, who never watched it, or to people who never liked the DC, and want to re-watch the film, but in it's "superior" form, both visually and structurally.

Best version of Donnie Darko. While I heard two extremely minor audio anomalies, they were probably from the original source mix. catferoze chose so well what to include from each version of this film to make it a perfect hybrid cut. No text inserts from the DC explaining time travel. Left the best music from the TC. The chest bubble doesn't grow a finger and tell Donnie come here. Used the meaningful deleted scenes like the father son talk but didn't bother with the many goofy/unnecessary ones. I like this better than both the Theatrical Cut and the Director's Cut. Thanks!