Matt Soergel of "The Florida Times-Union" rated it 3 stars out of 4, writing, ""The Butterfly Effect" is preposterous, feverish, creepy and stars Ashton Kutcher in a dramatic role. It's a blast... a solidly entertaining B-movie. It's even quite funny at times..." "The Miami Herald" said, ""The Butterfly Effect" is better than you might expect despite its awkward, slow beginning, drawing you in gradually and paying off in surprisingly effective and bittersweet ways," and added that Kutcher is "appealing and believable... "The Butterfly Effect" sticks to its rules fairly well... overall the film is consistent in its flights of fancy." The "Worcester Telegram & Gazette" praised it as "a disturbing film" and "the first really interesting film of 2004," adding that Kutcher "carries it off":