By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Thanks to the Marvel movies, everyone and their brother now knows about the theory of diversity. However, those films are usually optimistic and present a vision of multi-dimensionality as an easy way to see our favorite heroes and villains in strange new costumes. However, one sci-fi thriller from more than twenty years ago showed us the darkest side of this idea by showing in vivid detail how many attempts to change the past can ruin your life. That movie The Butterfly Effectand now streaming on Netflix for those who want to take a trip down the dark side of sci-fi.
The Butterfly Effect Plot
The Butterfly Effect centered on a boy whose childhood memory is basically Swiss cheese due to a series of blackouts and subsequent memory loss. Eventually, his present-day self realizes that he can enter his former body during this blackout, and immediately begins making changes to his past in an attempt to improve his life. Unfortunately, he continues to make things worse, and it soon becomes clear that his efforts to discover the truth may unravel his and his friends’ lives in increasingly frightening ways.
The cast of The Butterfly Effect it helps the movie sell its wild premise, including Ashton Kutcher as a guy who keeps jumping into his past and successfully ruining his future. The film also stars Elden Henson, the Mighty Ducks a veteran MCU fans will recognize as Foggy Nelson, Daredevil’s partner in law (and, occasionally, crime). The big name producers are Eric Stoltz (the man who was almost Marty McFly) and Ethan Suplee (his. The Mallrats the role cemented him as a boy who couldn’t see a hidden 3D sailboat).
Surprise Reaction
Compared to its budget, The Butterfly Effect he was insanely profitable. Against a budget of only $13 million, the film grossed $96.8 million. This was enough to warrant two direct-to-video sequels, but it has almost nothing to do with the first film and (to be completely honest) is generally not worth watching.
It is interesting that The Butterfly Effect is one of those films that really divided critics and audiences: on Rotten Tomatoes, for example, the film has a critical rating of 34 percent, with critics generally holding that the film is overly scripted and based on scenes that are as tasteless as they are shocking. However, on the Popcornmeter, those who watched it (over a quarter of a million people!) gave the film a perfect 81 percent.
As you may have guessed, I am one of the most enthusiastic fans The Butterfly Effect way beyond critics. One of the reasons I enjoyed Ashton Kutcher’s performance as the lead. Admittedly, the star has faced some flak in recent years for his association with scorned celebrities such as Danny Masterson and Diddy. But if you look beyond his professional associations, you will find that he successfully sells the conflicting emotions of a character who is haunted by his past and is willing to take any risk to save the future, himself and his friends.
In addition, The Butterfly Effect it really tickles my inner Star Trek fan (one who is never far from the scene) because of its heady messages about the dangers of changing history. The truth is that most people would change countless things about their timeline if given half a chance, from trying to kill baby Hitler to trying to keep their parents together. Changing the past is a common dream of those who think the present can be better, and Kutcher’s film is a powerful reminder that these good intentions can nevertheless ruin many people’s lives in ways we never imagined.
Director’s Cut
One sided view The Butterfly Effect on Netflix that you will see the theatrical version. It’s still a great movie, but the Director’s Cut gets full marks for giving us a very bleak ending. And it’s an ending that I still think about 20 years after watching it, which is a testament to the film’s genius and innovative storytelling.
Are you going to celebrate The Butterfly Effect like me, or will you want to change your past to never see this movie? You won’t know until you stream it on Netflix. After that, you might not be able to watch your favorite time travel movies the same way again.
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