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We are comparing our thriller opening to Donnie Darko as we think it has many similar qualities. It is about something thats there...but isn't really. Its in depth and really makes you think about the plot of the story as it develops into a film.

Donnie Darko is about a teenage boy who has strange hallucinations of a large rabbit named Frank, which manipulates him to commit crimes and strange doings after escaping near death. It came out in 2004 and stars Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal. It was directed and written Richard Kelly.

They are both psychological as the thing they fear is not actually there, and it is all in their head. Donnie Darko has Frank the rabbit, whereas our thriller, Guilt Trip, has the unknown creature stalking our characters every move, yet she does not know it. As the film progresses you find out that the creature affects a lot more people than just Poppy. Donnie Darko over powers his 'conscience' by killing Frank because it was overpowering him, however Poppy's conscience takes over her and ends up killing her.

The Machinist is another psychological film that twists the mind into confusion. It was released in 2004, directed by Brad Anderdson, written by Scott Kosar and features Christian Bale as Trevor Reznik, a man who hasn't slept in a year and is starting to doubt his whole life and sanity. He sees people no one else can see and feels as if a conspiracy is being plotted against him and in his mission gets two women involved in it.

This is like Guilt Trip because Bales character takes over his mind just like Poppy's conscience does to her. They both become paranoid and anxious about what is happening and no one else can see what they see. The conscience of both of them start to deteriorate as the film progresses and you see them fall apart in front of you.