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The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect

Change one thing. Change everything.

2004113 minRMidcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Directors
J. Mackye Gruber, Eric Bress
Starring
Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Melora Walters, Elden Henson

A young man struggles to access sublimated childhood memories. He finds a technique that allows him to travel back into the past, to occupy his childhood body and change history. However, he soon finds that every change he makes has unexpected consequences.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Butterfly Effect?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Butterfly Effect streaming on Howdy via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Butterfly Effect?

The Butterfly Effect earns 12 badges, led by Universally Loved and Cultural touchstone.

Show 4 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Butterfly Effect worth watching?

The Butterfly Effect's Midcredits score is the 92nd percentile of all films, from 1.3M ratings across 6 sources. 84% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

92nd percentile

Better received than 92% of films

93rd percentile among Drama91st percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)86th
Approval (how many liked it)94th

72 /100

86th percentile of all films

89th percentile among Drama86th percentile among 2000s

Critics 30 · Audience 75

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

84% liked it

94th percentile of all films

95th percentile among Drama94th percentile among 2000s
84% rated it 7–1016% rated it 1–6

Critics 34% · Audience 81%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 7 noms overall

99th percentile

1.3M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$13M
Opening weekend$17M
Domestic gross$58M
Worldwide gross$97M

Returned 7.4× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film presents a compelling high-concept premise about cause and effect, but fans find it emotionally gripping while detractors see it as logically incoherent and needlessly cruel.

Fans praised

  • surprisingly strong lead performance from Kutcher
  • captivating, thought-provoking premise with high emotional impact
  • impressive visual and sound effects during time-travel sequences

Detractors panned

  • inconsistent logic that violates its own established rules
  • cruel and mean-spirited tone toward characters and audience
  • plot holes and unsatisfying resolutions undermine the concept

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive70

fresh concept rarely explored in mainstream cinema

Emotional impactDivisive68

deeply moving for fans; detractors see it as misery without meaning

Tension65

genuinely gripping with unpredictable developments

ActingDivisive62

Kutcher surprisingly competent though miscast for some; Amy Smart singled out as outstanding

CharactersDivisive58

characters built from ground up but lead's lack of remorse criticized

Pacing55

first 30 minutes disjointed but story becomes more engaging

Ending50

alternate endings debated; some find none satisfying

Plot and storyDivisive45

compelling premise but inconsistent internal logic and plot holes

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 12 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Butterfly Effect like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its dark premise completely straight, with earnest emotion and no irony, creating a heavy, melancholy atmosphere.
The rideSustained tension from the unreliable consequences of time travel, with melancholy creeping in as Evan loses control; the film builds to its most devastating emotional weight in the final act.
StructureThe story follows Evan's chronological life, with his time-travel journeys shown as revisits to past events from his point of view.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you contemplating how small changes can ripple into tragedy, while the ending's bittersweet sacrifice lingers emotionally.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeEvan discovers he can travel back into his childhood self to alter traumatic events, but each change produces worse outcomes, driving him deeper into a tragic spiral.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfObsession
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Obsession · 3% of filmsGuilt · 3% of filmsMemory · 3% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeEvan's compulsion to fix childhood traumas by time travel becomes an obsession that overrides his judgment, and each attempt leaves him more guilt-ridden and dependent on reliving his past.
StanceThe film warns against the belief that we can fix the past without causing new harm; it offers no celebration of Evan's obsession, only its tragic cost.

The world

Late 20th centurySuburbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Michael Suby
SettingA small American town in the 1990s, homes, schools, a prison, and a mental institution
MusicThe score underlines the uncanny shifts between timelines with pulsing electronics and somber strings.

Content guide

Is The Butterfly Effect okay for kids?

R

The Butterfly Effect is rated R: “Rated R for violence, sexual content, language and brief drug use” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (85/100), sexual content at intense (72/100), language at severe (87/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100) and frightening material at severe (89/100). Overall it is heavier than 95% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 31 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece16
  • Hong KongIIB
  • IndiaUA
  • ItalyVM14
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-13
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • SK15
  • South Africa16
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
  • Taiwan12+
  • TH15
Overall
Severe · all five categories
Heavier than 97% of all filmsHeavier than 95% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 73%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 91%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 87%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 86%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 92%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: frightening material, language, violence, sexual content, and drug and alcohol content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Butterfly Effect have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Butterfly Effect?

Cast

Ashton Kutcher
as Evan
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Amy Smart
as Kayleigh
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Melora Walters
as Andrea
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Elden Henson
as Lenny
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
William Lee Scott
as Tommy
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Eric Stoltz
as Mr. Miller
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Ethan Suplee
as Thumper
Logan Lerman
as Evan at 7
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
John Patrick Amedori
as Evan at 13
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Irina Gorovaia
as Kayleigh at 13
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Butterfly Effect?

Movies like The Butterfly Effect include The Jacket (2005), The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations (2009) and The Prestige (2006). Of the 12 closest matches, several are time-travel stories, and several are films about obsession.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its feel: bleak. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Butterfly Effect?

292 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: time loop. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.