The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Kernel Score: 85% · 8,079 ratings · Rated R
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller
Released: 2004-01-17
Runtime: 113 minutes
Is The Butterfly Effect worth watching?
Depends on your taste. A time-travel thriller where a young man changes his childhood and makes things worse each time. It's dark, compelling and uncomfortable, with abuse, violence and a bleak tone, and its endings divide viewers.
Watch it if you
- like dark, twisty time-travel stories
- enjoy thrillers where fixing one thing breaks another
- want something gritty and tense
Skip it if you
- are sensitive to child abuse and violence
- want a hopeful, light film
Best for: Solo night in
Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.
Where to watch The Butterfly Effect
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
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.
The Butterfly Effect parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that The Butterfly Effect is an R-rated thriller involving child abuse, trauma, and disturbing psychological content.
- Violence & scariness: Moderate — Includes child abuse and trauma-related disturbing content.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official R rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like The Butterfly Effect
If you liked The Butterfly Effect, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Twelve Monkeys (1995) — 87%: Time travel as a dark, mind-bending puzzle.
- The Dead Zone (1983) — 80%: A man haunted by dark visions of the future.
- Gattaca (1997) — 86%: Intelligent sci-fi where choices have consequences.
- Upgrade (2018) — 86%: Tense, gritty sci-fi about technology and revenge.
- Ruby Sparks (2012) — 79%: A strange fantasy where changing someone has consequences.
Director
J. Mackye Gruber
Cast
- Ashton Kutcher as Evan Treborn
- Amy Smart as Kayleigh Miller
- Melora Walters as Andrea Treborn
- Elden Henson as Lenny Kagan
- William Lee Scott as Tommy Miller
- Eric Stoltz as George Miller
- Ethan Suplee as Thumper
- Logan Lerman as Evan Treborn age 7
- John Patrick Amedori as Evan Treborn age 13
- Irina Gorovaia as Kayleigh age 13
The Butterfly Effect FAQ
Is The Butterfly Effect worth watching?
Depends on your taste. A time-travel thriller where a young man changes his childhood and makes things worse each time. It's dark, compelling and uncomfortable, with abuse, violence and a bleak tone, and its endings divide viewers.
Where can I watch The Butterfly Effect?
In the US you can rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is The Butterfly Effect OK for kids?
The Butterfly Effect is rated R. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that The Butterfly Effect is an R-rated thriller involving child abuse, trauma, and disturbing psychological content.
What movies are like The Butterfly Effect?
If you liked The Butterfly Effect, try Twelve Monkeys, The Dead Zone, Gattaca and Upgrade.