Jake Gyllenhaal has shone in the movie industry for so long that he doesn't really have a seminal role. Narrowing his impressive body of work down to just the sci-fi genre, 2001's Donnie Darko tends to be the Gyllenhaal effort that springs to mind. Donnie Darko is great, and the cult classic has done well to stand the test of time, especially given its minuscule resources. However, there is another modern classic featuring the same actor that doesn't get the praise it deserves, and I'm sick of it being ignored.
The sheer size of the movie-making industry means it's inevitable that certain films remain in the spotlight for decades while others fall into obscurity almost immediately. The ones that disappear from the public consciousness aren't necessarily worse than their more popular counterparts. There are a number of factors that can contribute to this phenomenon, one of which is the intense battle for the attention of the general public. While Donnie Darko defeated the odds by avoiding being sent into Hollywood exile a quarter century after its release, an even better Gyllenhaal movie wasn't quite so lucky.
2011's Source Code is an underappreciated sci-fi masterpiece
Source Code premiered in the US in April 2011, a decade after Donnie Darko, and took just short of $150 million at the box office on a budget of $32 million. It still has a critic score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. It might not have made the same level of cultural impact as MCU or Star Wars movies, but Source Code was a successful project, no matter which way it's analyzed. Yet 15 years later, it's barely ever discussed.
For those who haven't seen it, Source Code follows Jake Gyllenhaal's US Army Captain Colter Stevens reliving the same eight-minute memory, harvested from the mind of a train bombing victim. Colter is being forced through the simulation again and again with the objective of figuring out where the bomb was placed so that similar attacks can be prevented.
At first, Source Code feels like it's asking the viewer to overlook a few sizable plot holes. It doesn't really explain how the memory can be strayed from, nor how it can be used to glean information that was never discovered by the figure who originally endured the experience. Then, as the story progresses, everything falls into place. I maintain that Ben Ripley's Source Code script is one of the best in sci-fi movie history, which makes its criminally low profile in 2026 even more frustrating. Duncan Jones also does a great job in the director's chair.
Source Code expertly blends sci-fi tropes like time travel, the multiverse, and more. What's even more impressive is that it even introduces a few original twists and concepts while putting a new spin on what should be more recognizable elements of the genre. It's tough to delve any deeper into the story without giving away massive spoilers. If you haven't seen it, go and find it, and strap in for the adventure of a lifetime.
It's still not too late to make Source Code 2
Although there were initially plans to make a sequel to Source Code, the project ultimately fell away. In 2026, it's looking less likely than ever that a sequel will ever happen. Thankfully, the original ends without the need for a continuation. On the other hand, the 2011 movie does leave a few avenues open that would be perfect for a sequel or two.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to making Source Code 2 would be getting Jake Gyllenhaal on board. He was already a star in 2011, but he's become an even more bankable and expensive name in the 15 years that have passed since. He wouldn't be an impossible get, but it would be something to consider. However, Source Code already provided an alternative.
I don't think it's a spoiler to reveal that only the audience sees Colter as Gyllenhaal when he's in the simulation. All the other characters see him as the memory's original owner, sort of how Quantum Leap used to work. So, it would be very easy to just bring a new star on board to either recast Colter as he goes on another adventure or build the sequel around an entirely new protagonist while revisiting the same premise.
So, while Source Code doesn't actually need a sequel, there is one ripe for the picking if the idea is ever picked back up again. There is, of course, the risk that a sequel will never live up to the quality of the original. The big reveals in Source Code are a big reason why the 2011 movie is so effective, and it could prove tricky to create the same air of mystery in a follow-up. Even if Source Code 2 never happens, at least the first movie is a great example of a rewatchable adventure where it's possible to spot new things each time.