‘Donnie Darko’, That Movie That Covers That ‘Riverdale’ Song, Is Now On Prime Video

Gird your loins, psychological thriller fans, because Donnie Darko is now on Prime Video, just in time for Halloween. I would tell you to watch it, but truthfully, I have never seen Donnie Darko. I’m not avoiding watching Jake Gyllenhaal play a hot, moody dude (is that what it’s about? I have no idea!), I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. But do you know who has seen Donnie Darko? Archie Andrews and Veronica Loge in Riverdale. The teenage couple loves Richard Kelly’s 2001 movie so much that they reference it in one of the show’s most batshit scenes, a concert-turned-striptease performance set to “Mad World.” Or, as Archie calls it, “That Donnie Darko song.”

Gary Jules’ adaptation of “Mad World” makes its Riverdale debut in Season 2, Episode 8, “House of the Devil.” In honor of F.P. Jones’ (Skeet Ulrich) retirement, the Southside Serpents throw a party at the Whyte Worm. Naturally, as would happen with any and all gang retirement parties, every student at Riverdale High shows up, and the evening soon turns into a karaoke party.

Archie (KJ Apa), good boyfriend that he is, signs up for a duet with Veronica (Camila Mendes), but after going through some classic teenage drama — Veronica didn’t say “I love you” back — he’s not sure how to proceed. But the show must go on! The lovebirds put aside their differences (for the time being at least) and take to the stage to perform “Mad World.” And thus, a legendary scene was born.

Way to hit her where it hurts, Ginger Stallion.

In one of Riverdale’s more over-the-top dramatic moments — and that is TRULY saying something — Archie and Veronica belt out the lyrics to “Mad World.” The two pour out their angsty hearts, but no matter how hard Riverdale wants you to believe it, the lyrics just don’t really correspond to their inner turmoil. This song is about death, and their “I Love You” spat is decidedly not. I love this dumb show so much.

As Archie and Veronica work out their very personal relationship drama in front of a room of middle-aged men in various types of leather, something goes awry. Veronica, where are you going? This gang of Southsiders wants a concert!
Enter: Betty, the future Serpent Queen. At the time of F.P.’s retirement party, Betty (Lili Reinhart) was just Jughead’s (Cole Sprouse) girlfriend, not the heir to the Serpent throne. In order to earn her stripes, Betty decides that now — in a musty bar full of mustachioed men, her mother, her boyfriend’s father, and several of her classmates — is a perfect time to perform the Serpent Dance, a striptease that serves as an initiation into the group (everyone in Riverdale seems to have forgotten that Betty was actually a Serpent before Jughead asked her to be his queen, but sure, whatever).
To the tune of “Mad World,” a song about, again, death, Betty strips. She gets full-on naked (okay, she has on a bra and underwear, because this is The CW) and writhes around onstage, and NOT A SINGLE PERSON STOPS HER.

Dear reader, I screamed.
Betty is stripping in front of a room full of adults, and everyone is just freaking loving it. Rather than say to themselves, “Hm, maybe a high school girl shouldn’t be getting naked in a room full of adult gang members,” everyone just looks at Jughead like, “Hell yeah man,” and “Oh shit, did you want her to be a Serpent?” Jughead looks horrified, but does he do anything? Nope. He just stares as Betty moves her performance to a pole, which she expertly spins around.
After what is probably far too much time, Alice (Madchen Amick) finally notices that her daughter is onstage in lingerie. This is when she yanks Betty off the stage, right? Wrong. Why would you ever think that Riverdale would follow basic human logic? Alice does not stop Betty’s Serpent Dance in any way; instead, she, like Jughead, looks on in horror as she realizes that her daughter has stripped her way into a gang.

Luckily, Alice doesn’t have to be upset for long. “Mad World” is a short song, you see. A few seconds later, Betty finishes her Serpent Dance, and she’s met with massive applause from the group (a group that, may I remind you again, is made up of primarily middle-aged men). Betty’s performance was apparently so inspiring that F.P. announces he will no longer be retiring, which means that the Serpents threw this big, weird party for nothing.
And yet, the Serpents’ party was not for nothing, because it introduced fans to Donnie Darko, the movie that features that Riverdale song. If Donnie Darko is even half as crazy as Riverdale, it’s definitely worth a watch.

Where to stream Donnie Darko

Where to stream Riverdale