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The Butterfly Effect

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for 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.
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The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Reviews

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Audience Member This is a film for the modern age. For my generation at least, this film resonates. It's sharp, poignant, and - for science fiction - incredibly realistic. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/09/24 Full Review Samuel J Critics missed the mark on The Butterfly Effect. While it has its flaws, the film’s ambitious storytelling and emotional depth make it nothing short of a masterpiece in my eyes. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/30/24 Full Review Dionisis T DAMN that was a fucked up ending! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/28/24 Full Review Jerrod G Besides what top critics say I really like the movie. A man who wants everything and realizes he can't have it. Crazy thriller doesn't worth a watch Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/23/24 Full Review J C The top ?? critics are full of BS. GREAT MOVIE Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/20/24 Full Review Harvey D Worth a watch i am sure it's not for everyone but if you like the early 2000 movies this one is a good watch. Unless your one of those "Top critics" imagine hating everything in life. What a sad existence 🤣🤣 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Butterfly Effect

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

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)
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