Donnie Darko - Explain This Movie....I Dare You...

[*TonyMontana*]

From what I remember, two dimension crossed hence which is why they couldn't where the plane engine came from because it was from another dimension. The crazy lady was a time traveler/dimension traveler and she wrote a book about it. There was a vortex that opened due to the two dimension criss crossing Donnie must send everything back to the old dimension or else the dimension he's in will be sucked. Because he two dimensions have crossed Donnie gets this flashback and dreams from the other Donnie in the other dimension.

Cool but how was the rabbit able to wake him up in the first place?

[COVID-19]

It's basically about a guy with mental health problems.

[E10Rifle]

Cool but how was the rabbit able to wake him up in the first place?

Because he is the chosen manipulated dead from the tangent universe and is therefore able to commune with the Living Receiver (primary universe Donnie).

It’s... complicated.

[MaD RoBoT]

watch the director's cut

it includes the explanations of every plot point in that scene, it's more like a manual

[EdWins]

i never ever understood the hype or appeal of this movie, still don't to this day... but that 80's centric soundtrack is lit tho

[flipbjefrox]

Cool but how was the rabbit able to wake him up in the first place?

According to the time travel book in the movie, the dead people who were directly affected by explosion of time which created the alternate universe have the power to guide Donnie the time traveler. The two dead people were his girlfriend in the alternate universe and the rabbit who ran her over. They are his subconscious guide. Something about subconscious criss crossing as well can't remember what that was. That's why in the end, people in the real universe after Donnie was crashed by engine had this dream/epiphany on what took place in the alternate universe. Didn't that Pedo guy killed himself in the end because after Donnie saved the universe he kinda had a realization yah he's an evil person.

basically every person dead and alive in the alternate universe are there to help Donnie realized that he must save the world because the alternate world is only temporary but if he doesn't return the jet engine to the real world then the real world will explode.

It's kinda like Interstellar time travel paradox or to the the terminator where future guy inpregnated past woman and the baby saved the future.

The bunny as a dead guy must travel back in time in the alternate univerrse to convince or help Donnie save the world. The way I explained definitely sound more like the terminator time travel paradox