The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect Image
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Metascore
30 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 35 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 258 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Amy Smart, Ashton Kutcher, Melora Walters
  • Summary: Evan Treborn (Kutcher) has lost track of time. From an early age, crucial moments of his life have disappeared into a black hole of forgetting, his boyhood marred by a series of terrifying events he can't remember. Determined to do something now that he was incapable of doing then, Evan purposely travels back in time, his present-day mind occupying his childhood body, in an attempt to re-write history and spare his friends and loved ones these traumatic experiences. By altering the events of the past, Evan hopes to transform the present. (New Line Cinema)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 35
  3. Negative: 18 out of 35
  1. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    The ending is weak, and may be the result of the filmmakers writing themselves into a corner and not wanting to conclude things in a burst of nihilistic excess. Yet, even though it's a cheat, it retains a degree of resonance.
  2. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    60
    A terrific story, years in the making, that clearly stays true to the uncompromising vision of its creators. The results are on the screen.
  3. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    38
    Profoundly knuckleheaded.
  4. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    38
    So consistently silly and overwrought that it flirts with the elusive so-bad-it's-entertaining category.

See all 35 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 119 out of 153
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 153
  3. Negative: 28 out of 153
  1. AlexanderT
    10
    I thoroughly enjoyed this film. From acting to plot which I actually found reasonably unique and the fact things change frequently is more realistic to me, than if he changed one event once and the rest of the movie explored what the reprocussions were.… Expand
  2. AP
    8
    I frequently agree with critical opinion, but I was quite surprised to see this score. It's a pretty decent film, don't be thrown off.
  3. JackB
    7
    I saw this on tv the other night and really enjoyed it. Very nice idea, something a bit different. Kutcher excellent and showed new depth i never knew he had, he should stick to proper acting in roles which stretch him because he has a lot of talent. Good film, well worth a watch if its on the tele and you have a free evening.… Expand
  4. JoeB.
    3
    Okay, it was pretty good until the last, say, thirty minutes. The ending was completely predictable and contrived. It would have been much better had they gone with the 'he's crazy' possibility. That would have been intense, if he really had mental problems and had never utilized the chaos theory thing. But really, pretty bad acting I thought. Kutcher's character was too inconsistent emotionally. And some of the various scenarios into which he was thrown made no sense.… Expand

See all 153 User Reviews

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