The Butterfly Effect

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2:25

The Butterfly Effect

R

Released Jan 23, 2004

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

34%

Tomatometer

170 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

College student Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) is afflicted with headaches so painful that he frequently blacks out. While unconscious, Evan is able to travel back in time to difficult moments in his childhood. He can also alter the past for friends, like Kayleigh (Amy Smart), who was molested by her father (Eric Stoltz). But changing the past can drastically alter the present, and Evan finds himself in nightmarish alternate realities, including one where he's locked away in prison.

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Critics Consensus

The premise is intriguing, but it's placed in the service of an overwrought and tasteless thriller.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. So very bad.

Rated: 1/5

Dec 28, 2010

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Jonathan Crocker

BBC.com

Lobotomised entertainment that's dark, violent, and hilariously dumb.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 13, 2004

Full Review

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Nothing can save this repetitive bore. Dude, where's your memory?

Rated: 1/4

Jan 29, 2004

Full Review

Luke Buckmaster

Flicks (AU, NZ, UK)

This film is so gut-wrenchingly dark and twisted I’d also call it a horror movie, with virtually no respite once its core premise swings into gear.

May 21, 2024

Full Review

James Croot

The Post NZ

Wildly uneven and not exactly high-quality entertainment, The Butterfly Effect has, nonetheless, weirdly turned out to be strangely memorable, especially for certain generation of moviegoers.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 12, 2022

Full Review

C.H. Newell

Father Son Holy Gore

The Butterfly Effect looks at the power of memory, the repercussions of events from our past that bleed into the present.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 5, 2019

Full Review

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Joe M

The Butterfly Effect has an interesting premise, but it is wasted on a drawn out thriller/drama, and over the course of the first hour only one actual use of the premises is present. The movie is still well acted, with good direction and some interesting concepts, but the film overall relies on a premise and reputation far more than actual quality of its use. As well as this, it relies on trauma and edge. I doubt the creators had any ill intent, but it's use of shock is boring.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/05/25

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RobO B

The Butterfly Effect looks at the power of memory, the repercussions of events from our past that bleed into the present.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

Full Review

Lucas D

Es una película que realmente merece la pena ver, tiene 3 finales distintos, todos grandiosos.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/15/25

Full Review

Abby F

The first time I watched this film was when it came out. Watching it again so many years later I have a different perspective. Bad things have happened in our lives, and there isn't any way to change them. It shows how things could have been even worse. Definitely a hard film to get through, especially in the beginning, but I feel it is very underrated.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/03/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Not quite a master piece, but definitely my favorite movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/07/25

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Andrew M

What parent would allow their child to perform in the perverted movie.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/30/25

Full Review

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Eric Bress

Director

J. Mackye Gruber

Director

Ashton Kutcher

Evan Treborn

Amy Smart

Kayleigh Miller

Eric Stoltz

George Miller

William Lee Scott

Tommy Miller

The Machinist

77%

83%

The Machinist

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Stay

26%

69%

Stay

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TRAILER

for Stay

Trauma

25%

25%

Trauma

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Hide and Seek

13%

50%

Hide and Seek

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TRAILER

for Hide and Seek

The I Inside

43%

43%

The I Inside

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The Butterfly Effect: Trailer 1

2:25

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Synopsis

College student Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) is afflicted with headaches so painful that he frequently blacks out. While unconscious, Evan is able to travel back in time to difficult moments in his childhood. He can also alter the past for friends, like Kayleigh (Amy Smart), who was molested by her father (Eric Stoltz). But changing the past can drastically alter the present, and Evan finds himself in nightmarish alternate realities, including one where he's locked away in prison.

Director: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
Producer: Chris Bender, A.J. Dix, J.C. Spink, Anthony Rhulen
Screenwriter: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: Blackout Entertainment, Benderspink, Katalyst Films, Film Engine
Rating: R (Language|Brief Drug Use|Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 23, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.7M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS, Dolby SRD, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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