James Richard Kelly (born March 28, 1975) is an American filmmaker and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing the sci-fi psychological thriller film Donnie Darko (2001). While the film did poorly at the box office, it went on to become a cult classic.
Kelly's next film, Southland Tales (2006), was a more ambitious project that he was more enthusiastic about. While reviews were polarizing upon its initial release, the film also became a cult classic.
Kelly’s most recent film to date is The Box (2009) and after that film performed poorly, he hasn't made another film ever since.
In spite of his latter two films receiving divisive reviews, Richard Kelly's vision as a filmmaker has been praised, with Kevin Smith stating that Kelly has the potential to be one of our greatest filmmakers
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Filmography (as writer and director)
- Donnie Darko (2001)
- Southland Tales (2007)
- The Box (2009)
