Cult Classic Sci-Fi Thriller With 88% RT Score Is Leaving Netflix Soon

Jake Gyllenhaal‘s popular sci-fi thriller Donnie Darko, which has become a cult classic, is set to leave the streaming platform Netflix soon. Written and directed by Richard Kelly, the movie was released in theaters on October 26, 2001. It stars several A-list stars like Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, among others.

Donnie Darko is leaving Netflix this month

Jake Gyllenhaal’s cult classic movie Donnie Darko is leaving Netflix on January 18. 2026, giving subscribers only a few weeks to enjoy the film on the platform.

The Richard Kelly movie wasn’t an instant hit at the box office upon its release, but gained a huge following when it arrived on home video a few years later. According to a report by Box Office Mojo, the movie opened with a collection of $110K. In the domestic market, its collection was around $1.4 million, and it earned close to $5.9 million in the international market.

Despite not being a hit at the box office, it was heavily praised by critics and audiences and became a cult classic. On Rotten Tomatoes, Donnie Darko earned a score of 88 percent on the Tomatometer based on 124 critic reviews. On the Popcornmeter, the film’s score stands at 80 percent based on multiple audience reviews.

The description of the R-rated movie on the 20th Century Studios website states that it focuses on the character of Donnie Darko, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who encounters an otherworldly figure in a rabbit costume as he starts sleepwalking and goes out of his house one night. The figure also tells Donnie that the world is about to end soon, creating a sense of tension throughout the story, which follows Donnie’s life and personal problems. The film deals with many hallmarks of the coming-of-age and sci-fi genres in a unique way, all set to an iconic soundtrack.