2001’s Donnie Darko, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, has been making a bit of a comeback on the internet this year. We’re not sure if it’s due to millennial nostalgia/escapism or because the psychological thriller kind of reflects the puzzling insanity of 2020.In the last couple months, one format in particular has been popping up all over Instagram and Reddit. It’s from a scene in which Donnie Darko (Gyllenhaal) tells his psychiatrist, Dr. Thurman, about a new friend he’s made. Thurman asks if the friend is real or imaginary, and Donnie confirms that the friend does not actually exist. 

It’s a sad moment, and it’s no wonder that the memes it’s inspired are pretty self-deprecatingand depressing. They mostly riff on how difficult it is to make a real connection in this world – but some of them focus on how futile it is to try to make it as a musician. Others are just straight up shitposts about poopoo or peepee. This gallery boasts all of the above, and more. At the end of the day, these memes just make us yearn to go out into the real world and make friends like we used to. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.