Richard Kelly's cult 2001 sci-fi film "Donnie Darko" is now available to watch for free on YouTube, giving new viewers a chance to discover one of its era's most beloved and bewildering films without paying for it. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled teenager who is visited by a man in a sinister rabbit costume warning him the world will end in 28 days, sending him on a strange journey through time travel and alternate realities. Its ambiguous, hard-to-explain plot has made it a favourite for repeat viewing and debate, and it has endured as a defining cult favourite of its generation.

The film boasts a notably strong cast for its genre, including Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Seth Rogen and Mary McDonnell. Its free release comes as the film nears its 25th anniversary and as director Richard Kelly prepares a sequel novel, "The Philosophy of Time Travel", due later this year, set 14 months after Donnie's death and told through documents from his parents. Kelly reportedly hopes the book could eventually spawn an animated or motion-capture adaptation followed by a live-action film; a previous spin-off, 2009's "S. Darko", was made without his involvement and was poorly received.