"Evan" (Ashton Kutcher) has had a troubled existence thus far in his young life, and is prone to blackouts. These seem to take chunks of his day away from him as he comes back to a consciousness unaware of what has just taken place, or even where he is! He tries to fill in the gaps by writing in his journal what could have happened then miraculously finds himself back at that exact time and place. It's almost as if these memory lapses were just missing pieces of his jigsaw puzzle that he must go and relive, retrospectively, and infill. The thing is, though, he doesn't readily consider the impact that these additional experiences may have on future events. Basically his actions could change the course of history. It's really his beloved "Kayleigh" (Amy Smart) he is determined to keep safe - and that's quite a task as their childhood antics have frequently caused quite a few tragic events and his attempts to reverse these merely seem to create others... Can he square the circle? This is quite a cleverly constructed story that allows Kutcher to prove he's not just a pretty lad. His characterisation of "Evan" gradually develops from someone lost in a sea of confusion to a man whose realisation of his predicament is becoming a little more enabling. The nature of the story allows the film to adopt a loosely linked portmanteau style to it - with each episode in is life introducing different characters and scenarios which, so long as he can access his journal, he can escape from should the dangers (and there are quite a few) threaten to overwhelm him. It's not an easy watch - there's violence and bullying a-plenty, but it's a quirkily presented look at the domino effects of human behaviour that does merit a watch.

A brutal, high concept psychological Sci-Fi thriller that’s genuinely genius. Ashton Kutcher delivers his best dramatic performance as Evan Treborn, a man who discovers he can rewrite his traumatic past through his diary, only to cause cascading disasters in the present. Smart script, tight direction by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, and a relentless downward spiral that keeps you hooked. The original theatrical ending is perfect. Bleak, logical, and thematically airtight. It respects the butterfly effect premise without cheapening it. The director added several absurd, jokey alternate endings for the DVD release purely for fun. Somehow, a vocal group of weird people insists those half-baked versions are “better.” Verdict: 10/10. Cult classic. Watch it. Accept the real ending. Avoid the weirdos. Theatrical / Original Ending / Logic It respects the core rules of the movie: every change creates unpredictable, painful consequences. No shortcuts, no easy fixes. It fully commits to the butterfly effect idea and delivers a dark, consistent, thematically perfect conclusion. This is the only ending that actually makes sense with the story being told. Happy Ending (DVD) / Absurd cop out Ignores the established consequences and hands out a neat, feel-good resolution. Feels like it belongs to a completely different, much shallower movie. “Follow” Ending (DVD) / Absurd cop out Tries to sit on the fence. Creates ambiguity instead of making a real statement. Weak and unsatisfying compared to the clear logic of the original. Director’s Cut Ending (DVD) / Absurd and grim Goes so far overboard into maximum absurdity that it breaks the movie’s own internal logic and feels like pure shock-value overkill rather than a thoughtful conclusion. Bottom line: Only the original theatrical ending is logical and fits the film as intended. The others are absurd extras the directors added for fun on the DVD. Treating the silly ones as serious endings defies logic and rationality.