Director: Richard Kelly
Notable Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott,
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Justin Timberlake, Mandy Moore, Miranda Richardson,
Wallace Shawn, Nora Dunn, John Larroquette, Jon Lovitz, Janeane Garofalo, Will
Sasso, Zelda Rubinstein
When Donnie Darko miraculously found its audience on
home video after an abysmal initial release, it put director and writer Richard
Kelly on the map. His street cred skyrocketed as a bold voice in early 00s
cinema and producers seemed incredibly willing to give him a blank check for
his next film, Southland Tales. Even with its relatively low budget of $17
million budget, the film found disaster in the box office and in the reviews
from critics and audiences. It was quickly relegated to the cinematic
consciousness as a bold and utter failure and has been relatively buried
despite its small but dedicated cult fanbase.