The Butterfly Effect

2004

The Butterfly Effect

Critics Consensus

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

33%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 172

81%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 623,268

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Movie Info

Final Destination 2 screenwriters Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber make their directorial debut with the sci-fi thriller The Butterfly Effect. Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher with facial hair) wants to free himself from his disturbing childhood memories. As a kid, he often blacked out for long periods of time and tried to detail his life in a journal. As a young adult, he revisits the journal entries to figure out the truth about his troubled childhood friends Kayleigh (Amy Smart), Lenny (Elden Henson), and Tommy (William Lee Scott). When he discovers he can travel back in time in order to set things right, he tries to save his beloved friends. However, he finds out that relatively minor changes can make major problems for the future. The Butterfly Effect also stars Eric Stoltz, Ethan Suplee, and Melora Walters. The title was inspired by the story A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
  • Rating:
    R (for violence, sexual content, language and brief drug use)
  • Genre:
    Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy
  • Directed By:
    Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
  • Written By:
    Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $57,200,000
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    New Line Cinema

Cast

Ashton Kutcher
as Evan Treborn
Amy Smart
as Kayleigh Miller
Melora Walters
as Andrea Treborn
Ethan Suplee
as Thumper
Elden Henson
as Lenny
William Lee Scott
as Tommy Miller
Eric Stoltz
as Mr. Miller
John Patrick Amedori
as Evan (age 13)
Irene Gorovaia
as Kayleigh (age 13)
Kevin G. Schmidt
as Lenny (age 13)
Jesse James
as Tommy (age 13)
Logan Lerman
as Evan (age 7)
Sarah Widdows
as Kayleigh (age 7)
Callum Keith Rennie
as Jason
Jake Kaese
as Lenny at 7
Cameron Bright
as Tommy at 7
Lorena Gale
as Mrs. Boswell
Nathaniel DeVeaux
as Dr. Redfield
John Tierney
as Priest
Kendall Cross
as Mrs. Kagan
John B. Lowe
as Professor Carter
Camille Sullivan
as Cricket
Tara Wilson
as Heidi
Jesse Hutch
as Spencer
Jacqueline Stewart
as Gwen
Grant Thompson
as Hunter
Andrew Olcott
as Andrea's New Husband
Sadie Lawrence
as Mrs. Halpern
Bill Croft
as Boss
Glenn Richards
as Pinching Customer
Sam Easton
as Theta Chi Pledge
Daniel Spink
as Senior Brother
Douglas H. Arthurs
as Karl
Kevin Durand
as Carlos
Paul Lazenby
as Rick
June B. Wilde
as Waitress
Kimani Ray Smith
as Orderly
Trevor Jones
as Sunnyvale Guard
Colby Chartrand
as Teen Punk
Shelly Schiavoni
as Mrs. Miller
Brandy Heidrick
as Kristen
Chapelle Jaffe
as Madame Helga
Scott Swanson
as Obstetrician
Kevan Ohtsji
as Anesthesiologist
Melanie Hall
as Gesela
Amy Esterle
as Gothic Coed
David Cook (XXII)
as Moviegoer
Magda Apanowicz
as Teen Punk Girl
Gary Little
as Wedding Priest
J. Jackson Kocela
as Evan at 3
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Critic Reviews for The Butterfly Effect

All Critics (172) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (115)

View All Critic Reviews (172)

Audience Reviews for The Butterfly Effect

  • Oct 21, 2013
    [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img]
    Directors C Super Reviewer
  • Mar 22, 2013
    Donnie Darko for dummies and prudes. I couldn't handle the extreme sexual and sadism content running through it within every character throughout the otherwise unique concept of flashback time-travel to change the outcome of the present (in negative ways that is) and Kutcher cannot act right with a freakout.
    Max G Super Reviewer
  • Sep 12, 2012
    A college student discovers he can go back in time and alter past events, but every change he makes brings about tragic unintended consequences in the new present. Pretty much "DONNIE DARKO for Dummies."
    Greg S Super Reviewer
  • May 07, 2012
    This only slightly touches on the real intriguing aspects of the butterfly effect. If they were to dive into head first you'd be looking at a really long movie, but it would be a definitive version. This movie confuses itself sometimes and doesn't make sense in other scenes. I liked the movie a little more at movies as it had a different ending than what became the directors cut. The central issue is the target audience, and the cast choices. The filmmakers turned this into a teenage based target film and that is one of the biggest flaws of the film. The intrigue of chaos theory was more interesting than this film and that's the real problem with this film. It's long and badly structured into this simple story about the girl and his friends. 19/03/2020
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
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