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The Butterfly Effect Details

2004 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 57,444 members

Playing God has its consequences, which is the theme of the tricky time-travel shockfest THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT. J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress, who share writing and directing credits, make a splash with a gripping script that never fails to throw twists and loops into the plot. Both thematically and visually, the film is .. Read more

Starring Ashton Kutcher, Melora Walters, Amy Smart, Elden Henson
Director Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber, John R. Leonetti
Genres Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Buy From: £3.33

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The Butterfly Effect

Playing God has its consequences, which is the theme of the tricky time-travel shockfest THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT. J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress, who share writing and directing credits, make a splash with a gripping script that never fails to throw twists and loops into the plot. Both thematically and visually, the film is similar to the perfect commercial filmmaking in the team's script for FINAL DESTINATION II.
Here, Evan Trehorn (Ashton Kutcher) is a college student who has suffered from blackouts and memory loss since he was a child. Tormented by deeply repressed childhood memories, he has visions of his best friend and first love Kayleigh (Amy Smart) as a child (Irene Gorovaia) whose Dad (Eric Stoltz) is a child molester, and whose brother Tommy has a serious sadistic streak. In search of greater clarity, Evan pores over his journals and is physically transported back in time where he is still a young boy (John P. Amedori) and has the ability to change what happened. But soon he realises that changing history has caused calamitous results elsewhere. A mesmerising thriller with a dark underlying mystery, THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT is delightfully chilling.

Starring Ashton Kutcher, Melora Walters, Amy Smart, Elden Henson, William Lee Scott, Eric Stoltz, Callum Keith Rennie, Ethan Suplee, Eric Lively, Erica Durance, JR Bourne, Gina Holden, Chris Carmack, Rachel Miner
Director Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber, John R. Leonetti
Studio ICON HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 53 mins
Blu-ray: 4 hrs 54 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Language DVD: English
Blu-ray: English
Released DVD: 13 Sep 2004
Blu-ray: 14 Sep 2009
Production year: 2004
Format DVD

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Or you can rent each disc individually:

  • Sign up Butterfly Effect 1 and 2 - BLU-RAY Version

    The Butterfly Effect: A young man struggling to access sublimated childhood memories finds a technique that al...

  • Sign up Butterfly Effect 3 - Revelations - BLU-RAY Version - Disc 2

    Sam's ability has been both a blessing and curse, he can help the police solve crimes, but can make no move to...

  • Critics' reviews (5) of The Butterfly Effect

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Just Married and Dude, Where's My Car? goofball Ashton Kutcher takes on a more serious role in this ambitious supernatural thriller. Written and directed by Final Destination 2 scribes J Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress, it's based on the idea of chaos theory, which speculates that the smallest of events can have the hugest of consequences. In a plot that feels lifted from The Twilight Zone, Kutcher plays a troubled college student who discovers he has the ability to go back in time and re-write the past. Touching on provocative themes such as child abuse, disability and terminal illness, Gruber and Bress have created a powerful and disturbing tale. Despite being spoilt by a rushed and overly simplistic conclusion, it's surprisingly dark and adult for a Hollywood project. In contrast to his joker reputation, Kutcher delivers a strong and believable performance, though his co-stars, with the exception of a stomach-churningly good Eric Stoltz, are largely unremarkable.

    • Radio Times
  • Structured a little like one of those Russian dolls, with smaller dolls nested in one another, this needlessly complex thriller reveals a succession of its protagonist's differing memories until finally revealing that it is empty inside.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of The Butterfly Effect

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  • 139 out of 149 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Ignore the ridiculously poor reception this film received by critics - this film rocks!

    I urge you not to read the above plot of the film - I went to the cinema knowing nothing about the plot, and I'm sure this is the best way to see it.

    It is an amazing, well-structured, original take on time travel, with a coherent and interesting plot with very dark overtones.

    The only reason this film got such poor reviews on its release was due to its leading actor (I can't remember his name, that 'Dude Wheres My Car' guy) which critics love to hate. I'd never heard of him, but think he did a just fine job in the leading role! Its such a shame that this was generally over-looked at the cinema and such an original film was not rewarded.

    I urge you to see this film - you must see it! One of the best time travel films of all time!

      • Ender from Wales
  • Most recent members' review of The Butterfly Effect

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  • 4 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Couldn't wait to see it again!

    I loved this film when I saw it at the cinema, so couldn't wait to see it again!

    Unfortunately for anyone wanting to see the same film, this Director's Cut version is slightly different than what was shown at the cinema.

    Still a great film, though disappointed by the change of ending!

    Still worth watching - great acting from Ashton Kutcher.

      • Sand1 from Hertfordshire
  • News and features

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    Controversial Kidman film gets studio backing

    • 29 Jun 2004

    Nicole Kidman's latest offering has received studio backing, despite a growing furore. In the film "Birth" Kidman plays a widow who becomes convinced her late husband has been reincarnated and that his spirit dwells in a ten-year-old boy. In a scene dubbed "borderline disgusting" by some critics Kidman strips and bathes with the child. But New Line Cinema boss Mark Ordesky defended the scene stressing that the two do not make physical contact. "The scene was shot over... Read more

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Rating breakdown

57,444 Member ratings
  • 100
7,386
  • 90
6,657
  • 80
11,635
  • 70
9,974
  • 60
9,031
  • 50
5,297
  • 40
3,148
  • 30
2,020
  • 20
1,531
  • 10
765

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