Another "What If" Film that is Worth Watching

Rating: 9/10 (9 December 2008)

Most psychology majors have a motivation for succeeding at academia-it's their own fundamental problems which they try to figure out. Maybe they find the answers, maybe they don't, but along the way, many become successful at their profession. This movie is an incredible thought experiment, as the main character, Evan, painfully plays out several alternate universe threads, ultimately making the sacrifice of distancing himself from the person he loves the most. The beautiful thing about choosing a psychologist as the protagonist is that the viewer is left in suspense at the end of the film, even though everything is neatly explained. Though the events may never have happened (if one is to believe the linear explanation of the plot) Evan has the memories of them, and therefore is either truly insane, or a complete master of his own mind with the ability to empathize with others and understand all possible outcomes of a mental decision. If you liked this one, you may try watching or reading "Lathe of Heaven" by Ursula K Leguin for an older take on the same concept, but the cinematography in "Butterfly" is excellent.