An atmospheric psychological thriller, S. Darko is eminently fascinating (though a bit inexplicable). Seven years after her brother’s death Samantha Darko runs into Roberta Sparrow’s grandson while traveling to L.A., and is called upon by forces from the beyond to help him close a tangent universe that threatens to destroy the world. The film does an interesting role reversal by taking the perspective of the Manipulated Dead; as it’s the spirit of Dead-Samantha that guides Sparrow. And, in keeping with the Samantha character, the tone and visual style incorporates a fantasy-esque theme. Starring Daveigh Chase, Briana Evigan, Ed Westwick, and Elizabeth Berkley, the casting is fairly good. However, the script is poorly written, and lacks the sophistication and cleverness of the original. Additionally, while the soundtrack complements the mood and tone of the film, it doesn’t feel characteristic of the mid-90s. S. Darko is a stylish and intriguing thriller, but it tries too hard to compete with Donnie Darko and ends up being overly convoluted.