Which deleted ending for 'The Butterfly Effect' actually works better? The theatrical or the alternate?

So I was rewatching 'The Butterfly Effect' on Netflix last week and went down a rabbit hole on YouTube of its deleted scenes. The theatrical ending has him going back to the womb and strangling himself with the cord, which is super dark but feels final. But there's an alternate ending where he just passes that girl on the street and doesn't talk to her, leaving it more open. I keep going back and forth on which one fits the movie's tone better. The director's cut actually uses the alternate one, but the studio pushed for the theatrical. Which version do y'all think ties the whole time travel thing together without ruining the message?

2 comments

2 Comments

perry.evan22d ago

Grabbed a coffee before typing this out because I have a lot to say. Honestly, the theatrical ending feels like they wanted to punch you in the gut one last time, but the alternate one is way more haunting to me. I remember watching the director's cut with my roommate and we just sat there quiet for a minute, like 'wait, that's it?'. It's not as loud as the cord thing, but it sticks with you longer, you know? Sort of like when you see someone you used to know at the grocery store and you both pretend not to notice.

anderson.david21d ago

Man I feel this so hard, maybe it's just me but after the director's cut I literally sat there thinking about my ex for like an hour instead of the actual movie.