The Butterfly Effect

Play trailer

2:25

The Butterfly Effect

R

Released Jan 23, 2004

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. So very bad.

Rated: 1/5

Dec 28, 2010

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 2/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Jonathan Crocker

BBC.com

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

Rated: 2/5

Apr 13, 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

Stuff.co.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

Read all reviews

Audience Member

Please watch. This movie is amazing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/25

Full Review

Raphael P

Movie is absolutely amazing, don’t truste these “reviewers”

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/25

Full Review

Kurt B

I watched this when it first came out and loved it, because of the premise of how small decisions can completely affect so much in future timelines. I just watched it again many years later. I still enjoyed it just as much as the first time. Has good an intriguing storyline and keeps my interest.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/21/25

Full Review

Sajad R

The idea and story of the movie are good, but the film itself is not.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/17/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Don't listen to the critics on this one it's a good memorable movie and I can be critical with movies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/10/25

Full Review

My Web M

An intriguing idea at the heart of it, but it's unfortunately wrapped in the horrible message that other people's lives would be perfect if only you never were born. This movie is the opposite of It's a Wonderful Life. I saw this in the theater when it first came out, but had forgotten about it. Just watched it tonight and kind of wish I hadn't.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/10/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

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

Watchlist

Stay

26%

69%

Stay

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Stay

Trauma

25%

25%

Trauma

Watchlist

Hide and Seek

13%

50%

Hide and Seek

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hide and Seek

The I Inside

43%

43%

The I Inside

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Butterfly Effect: Trailer 1

2:25

View more videos

View more photos

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: Katalyst Films, Blackout Entertainment, Benderspink, 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)

Most Popular at Home Now