History
Sci-fi thriller
The Butterfly Effect (2004): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The Butterfly Effect is a 2004 sci-fi thriller directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart and Melora Walters. It runs 1 hour 53 minutes and earned $96.8 million worldwide on a $13 million budget. Critics gave it 30 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.6/10.
Loading streaming availability…
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 53m (113 min)
- Directors
- Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- New Line Cinema
- Budget
- $13M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is The Butterfly Effect About?
The premise of The Butterfly Effect without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Haunted by fragmented memories of his troubled childhood, Evan Treborn discovers he can travel back in time and relive key moments. He attempts to alter the past to prevent tragedies and improve the lives of those around him. However, each change he makes has unforeseen and increasingly dangerous consequences, warping the present into a distorted reality. Evan must confront the devastating repercussions of his actions and grapple with the question of whether some events are destined to unfold.
The Butterfly Effect Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- butterfly effect
- love
- time travel
- scantily clad female
- dog
- child pornography
- killing a dog
- unintended-consequences
- blackout
- memory
- reading
- trauma based mind control
+38 more Show fewer
- hazing
- alternate universe
- reference to jesus christ
- reference to god
- memory loss
- haunted by the past
- trauma
- mother son relationship
- accidental killing
- alternate reality
- child molester
- female frontal nudity
- surprise ending
- female full frontal nudity
- death of a dog
- pedophilia
- killing an animal
- dog set on fire
- animal in title
- memory lapse
- male time traveler
- insect in title
- child in jeopardy
- interdimensional sci fi
- toe
- vagina
- penis
- vulva
- rat
- dead snake
- tongue
- snake
- nudity
- feet
- parasite
- pinky toe
- alternate timeline
- flashback
Loading streaming availability…
Cast & crew
The Butterfly Effect Cast
Ashton Kutcher leads the cast, with Amy Smart and Melora Walters. Directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber.
- Co-director Eric Bress
- Co-director J. Mackye Gruber
From the directors
More from Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber
One more film directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber: Ghosts of War.
Ratings
The Butterfly Effect Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Butterfly Effect 30 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.6/10.
-
IMDb 7.6 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 30 Metascore
User score 7.7
See on Metacritic
Plot
The Butterfly Effect Plot Summary
What happens in The Butterfly Effect from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In 1998, Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher), who endured horrific sexual abuse at the hands of his girlfriend Kayleigh’s (played by Amy Smart) father, alongside traumatic experiences such as witnessing his mentally ill father’s death, struggles with frequent blackouts during moments of high stress. As a child (portrayed by Logan Lerman) and a teenager (by John Patrick Amedori), Evan’s chaotic past leaves him with gaps in his memory. His concerned mother, desperate to understand his condition, seeks medical help, but the tests yield no answers. A doctor recommends that Evan maintain a journal, hoping to illuminate the reasons behind his blackouts.
Full summary
The whole story of The Butterfly Effect, scene by scene
Box office
The Butterfly Effect Box Office & Budget
The Butterfly Effect grossed $96.8 million worldwide on a $13 million budget, 7.4 times what it cost. $57.9 million came from the US and Canada and $38.9 million (40%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$96.8M
7.4× its budget
- US & Canada
- $57.9M
- International
- $38.9M
- Budget
- $13M
US & Canada 60%
Rest of the world 40%
Videos
The Butterfly Effect Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 clip.
- Clip Changing The Past
Quiz
How Well Do You Know The Butterfly Effect?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
What triggers Evan's blackouts throughout his life?
Cars
Cars in The Butterfly Effect
13 cars on screen, including the 1982 Toyota Celica and the Blue Bird All American.
-
1982 Toyota Celica Main role -
Blue Bird All American Minor role -
1991 Ford Explorer Minor role -
1992 Ford F-350 Minor role
Details
The Butterfly Effect Also Known As
42 alternative titles, including “Efect de fluture” and “Efekat leptira”.
- Also known as
-
- Efect de fluture
- Efekat leptira
- Efekt Metelyka
- Efektŭt na peperudata
- To fainómeno tis petaloúdas
- Effekt babochki
- Batafurai efekuto
- Nabi hyogwa
- Efeito Borboleta
- Pillangó-hatás
- Эффект бабочки
- Kelebek Etkisi
+30 more Show fewer
- L'Effet papillon
- Perhosvaikutus
- 蝴蝶效应
- El efecto mariposa
- Osudový dotek
- Efekt motyla
- Ефекат лептира
- เปลี่ยนตาย...ไม่ให้ตาย
- Το φαινόμενο της πεταλούδας
- אפקט הפרפר
- Zbor de fluture
- バタフライ・エフェクト
- 나비 효과
- Učinek metulja
- Ефектът на пеперудата
- 蝴蝶效應
- Ефект метелика
- Drugio efektas
- 連鎖蝶變
- Osudový dotyk
- Tauriņa efekts
- Domino efekt
- Liblikaefekt, პლეპლის ეფექტი
- Fiðrilda áhrifin
- Kapalak effekti
- Эфект матыля
- اثر پروانه ای
- Hiệu Ứng Cánh Bướm
- نظرية تأثير الفراشة
- La papilia efekto
Seen The Butterfly Effect?
More like this
Movies Like The Butterfly Effect
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Butterfly, Timecrimes and Synchronicity.
From the blog
Articles About The Butterfly Effect
Our article about The Butterfly Effect: “Cinema's Love Affair with Time Travel Stories”.
FAQ
The Butterfly Effect FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of The Butterfly Effect, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Butterfly Effect?
The Butterfly Effect runs 1 hour 53 minutes (113 minutes).
When was The Butterfly Effect released?
The Butterfly Effect was released on January 23, 2004.
Who directed The Butterfly Effect?
The Butterfly Effect was directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber.
More films by Eric Bress Who is in the cast of The Butterfly Effect?
The Butterfly Effect stars Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart and Melora Walters.
How much did The Butterfly Effect make at the box office?
The Butterfly Effect grossed $96.8 million worldwide ($57.9 million domestic, $38.9 million international) on a budget of $13 million.
How is The Butterfly Effect rated?
The Butterfly Effect has 7.6/10 on IMDb and 30 on Metacritic.
Does The Butterfly Effect have a post-credit scene?
No. The Butterfly Effect has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
