January means new beginnings for several facets of life. For Netflix and Jake Gyllenhaal, however, it looks a lot like horror-filled goodbyes in a 2000s style.

Released on October 26, 2001, Jake Gyllenhaal's Donnie Darko rose slowly, but surely, to horror prominence. The film was added to Netflix's carefully picked roster, maintaining an on-and-off slot since 2014.

In 2026, however, the to-date cult classic is preparing to go off Netflix's lineup, come January 18, as per Netflix Tudum. The film will leave Gyllenhaal's Netflix portfolio, with movies like Okja, The Covenant, The Guilty, End of Watch, and more.

Jake Gyllenhaal is joined by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Drew Barrymore in the flick departing, according to Netflix Tudum. Donnie Darko was initially director Richard Kelly's independent project. This was until Drew Barrymore's Flower Films and Pandora Cinema agreed to produce alongside him.

Donnie Darko's initial days were quite reminiscent of its name, until one day, it had an unbreakable fan following.

The days of Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko follows a teenager, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who survives a mishap because of his sleepwalking. Dotted with tightly tied prophecies and plot twists, Donnie Darko has risen to be recognized as a cult classic today, despite its dry beginnings.

Director Richard Kelly has even tried to expand the universe with a sequel titled S. Darko, centered on Donnie's younger sister. Kelly has revealed that he is working on a bigger project for the story's continuation, as per his interview with The Playlist in 2021.

Donnie Darko, however beloved today, is scheduled to be removed from Netflix. As Richard Kelly supposedly works on more of the Darko's stories, the audience can anticipate, but with some reservations.

Will you watch or rewatch Donnie Darko before it leaves Netflix? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Written by

Adiba Nizami

Edited by

Hriddhi Maitra