Episode 35: We Need To Talk About The Butterfly Effect
Explicit content warning
08/03/22 • 53 min
4 Listeners
It had to be done. After a Netflix watch party everyone voted for but nobody wanted, Steph and Michael decided they simply must make an episode talking about 2004’s absolutely ridiculous psychological thriller, The Butterfly Effect starring Ashton Kutcher. We change up the format today by breaking down the problematic tropes, themes and messages plotpoint by plotpoint, to really hit home why this is an absolutely terrible movie. It’s also quite traumatic and distressing, so be warned!!
CONTENT WARNING:, Lots of Swearing (in first 20 seconds sorry) suicide, childhood abuse and trauma, sexual assault & rape, animal cruelty, ableism,use of ableist terms, harmful portrayals of sex work, discussion of disability inspiration porn.
Follow Psychocinematic on Instagram and Twitter! or join our Facebook Group! Email us at [email protected] for suggestions or if you’d like to be a guest! Join our Patreon here for PILES, literal PILES of bonus content!
REFERENCES
The Butterfly Effect (2004) - IMDb
The Butterfly Effect (Film) - TV Tropes
How Ashton Kutcher Prepared For His Role In 'The Butterfly Effect' (thethings.com)
The Butterfly Effect – Ending Explained & Film Analysis – Blimey
The Butterfly Effect's Original Ending Was Ridiculously Grim (slashfilm.com)
NOTE: This podcast is not designed to be therapeutic, prescriptive or constitute a formal diagnosis for any listener, nor the characters discussed. The host is not representative of all psychologists and opinions stated are her own personal opinion, based on her own learnings and training (and minimal lived experience). Host and co-hosts do not have the final say and can only comment based on their own perspectives, so please let us know if you dispute any of these opinions – we are keen for feedback!
Editor: Nic Fornasier, Music: Michael Watson, Artwork: Bronte Poynts
It had to be done. After a Netflix watch party everyone voted for but nobody wanted, Steph and Michael decided they simply must make an episode talking about 2004’s absolutely ridiculous psychological thriller, The Butterfly Effect starring Ashton Kutcher. We change up the format today by breaking down the problematic tropes, themes and messages plotpoint by plotpoint, to really hit home why this is an absolutely terrible movie. It’s also quite traumatic and distressing, so be warned!!
CONTENT WARNING:, Lots of Swearing (in first 20 seconds sorry) suicide, childhood abuse and trauma, sexual assault & rape, animal cruelty, ableism,use of ableist terms, harmful portrayals of sex work, discussion of disability inspiration porn.
Follow Psychocinematic on Instagram and Twitter! or join our Facebook Group! Email us at [email protected] for suggestions or if you’d like to be a guest! Join our Patreon here for PILES, literal PILES of bonus content!
REFERENCES
The Butterfly Effect (2004) - IMDb
The Butterfly Effect (Film) - TV Tropes
How Ashton Kutcher Prepared For His Role In 'The Butterfly Effect' (thethings.com)
The Butterfly Effect – Ending Explained & Film Analysis – Blimey
The Butterfly Effect's Original Ending Was Ridiculously Grim (slashfilm.com)
NOTE: This podcast is not designed to be therapeutic, prescriptive or constitute a formal diagnosis for any listener, nor the characters discussed. The host is not representative of all psychologists and opinions stated are her own personal opinion, based on her own learnings and training (and minimal lived experience). Host and co-hosts do not have the final say and can only comment based on their own perspectives, so please let us know if you dispute any of these opinions – we are keen for feedback!
Editor: Nic Fornasier, Music: Michael Watson, Artwork: Bronte Poynts
Previous Episode
Episode 34: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: a film nerd and psychologist’s literal dream (with Indi Gage)
1 RecommendationsSteph has the insightful Indi Gage from Hot Girls Theory podcast to talk about a movie they both adore, Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), written by Charlie Kaufman. We discuss how the film raises questions about our experience of relationships and the way our fallible memory can shape how we see them, as well as how we relate to the character of Clementine and have definitely dated a Joel or two in our time. Also, does Clementine have Borderline Personality Disorder or does she just have contextually significant hair colour?!
Follow Indi on insta here! Listen to Hot Girls Theory here and follow their Instagram here and tiktok here!
Last chance to donate to our Gidget Foundation fundraiser coming up soon!!!! Join our patreon here or donate individually here!
CONTENT WARNING: stalker behaviour (Patrick), childhood trauma, discussion of fat phobia and ableism
Follow Psychocinematic on Instagram and Twitter! or join our Facebook Group! Email us at [email protected]
REFERENCES
- Charlie Kaufman: 'The world is terrifying and destructive and dehumanising and tragic' | Anomalisa | The Guardian
- This Profile of Charlie Kaufman Has Changed - The New York Times
- Can Charlie Kaufman Get Out of His Head? | The New Yorker
- The Gift of Memory: Charlie Kaufman on the Culture of Death
Michel Gondry: 'I wanted to bring out Jim Carrey's sadness' | Television & radio | The Guardian - Maureen Dowd Talks 'Mare of Easttown' With Kate Winslet - The New York Times
- 10 Movies That Got Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms (Mostly) Right
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - NeuroPsyFi
- How Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Dismantles the Gender Objectification of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Trope
NOTE: This podcast is not designed to be therapeutic, prescriptive or constitute a formal diagnosis for any listener, nor the characters discussed. The host is not representative of all psychologists and opinions stated are her own personal opinion, based on her own learnings and training (and minimal lived experience). Host and co-hosts do not have the final say and can only comment based on their own perspectives, so please let us know if you dispute any of these opinions – we are keen for feedback!
Editor: Nic Fornasier, Music: Michael Watson, Artwork: Bronte Poynts
Next Episode
Episode 36: The Babadook is actually grief, depression, trauma, and a fabulous queer icon
1 RecommendationsSince Steph finally convinced Michael to watch the Babadook we found ourselves covering this absolutely terrifying film. We discuss why this film scares us so much, what the Babadook really represents (so many mental illnesses), and why Steph thinks the plot is actually a metaphor for therapy. Should we be proud of how brutally f**ked Australian horror/thriller is?
CONTENT WARNING:, Swearing, death of loved one, car accident, animal death, brief mention of infanticide & suicide, childhood trauma, horror themes, violence, Steph mentions Mulligrubs (not a joke).
Follow Psychocinematic on Instagram and Twitter! or join our Facebook Group! Email us at [email protected] for suggestions or if you’d like to be a guest! Join our Patreon here for lots of past, new and upcoming bonus content!
REFERENCES
Jennifer Kent interview: directing The Babadook | Den of Geek
Facing the Darkness of Life: Interview with The Babadook's Jennifer Kent - Diabolique Magazine
Horror Icon: Australian Filmmaker Jennifer Kent Is a Force to Be Reckoned With
The Babadook Ending Explained: What The Monster Really Means - Screenrant
The Ending Of The Babadook Explained
GOUT PAINTINGS:
NPG D12692; 'The gout' - Portrait - National Portrait Gallery
The introduction of gout. | Download Scientific Diagram (researchgate.net)
After Henry William Bunbury | Origin of the Gout | The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org)
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