Chapter 90: Overwhelmingly Negative Reviews

West Hollywood.

It was 6:30 PM, and after finishing dinner with his girlfriend Peggy, Peter Butler hurried to the nearby cinema. Despite their close personal relationship, Peter still had no idea about the actual content of "The Butterfly Effect," and so he was especially eager to see the film right after work.

Peggy, a tall, slender Caucasian woman with glasses and a refined appearance, settled into the cinema seat next to him and couldn't help saying, "Peter, I heard the critics didn't really like 'The Butterfly Effect.' Do we really need to watch it?"

Due to the poor feedback from initial screenings, Fox had been very cautious about revealing the results of "The Butterfly Effect" screenings, opting not to hold a public preview before the release.

So, until yesterday, the reputation of "The Butterfly Effect" had only circulated among a small part of Hollywood. But now, the early reviews published in the evening newspapers were no longer easy to hide.

As a journalist, Peter was aware of this sooner, but he still trusted his own judgment more.

Scanning the lobby, which was gradually filling up as showtime approached, Peter replied, "Peggy, didn't you really enjoy 'Run Lola Run'? It's a film by Simon; it shouldn't disappoint too much."

Peggy, also 31 and a designer at an advertising agency, appreciated Simon's previous work, "Run Lola Run," but she was very rational and well past the age of idolizing celebrities, not as infatuated with Simon Westeros as many younger fans might be.

Nevertheless, considering her boyfriend's connection to him, Peggy wasn't overly critical and just shrugged, "Maybe."

After a few minutes of waiting, the lights in the screening room dimmed.

Peter glanced around the auditorium, noting that the attendance was over seventy percent—a very good number. Clearly, the popularity of "Run Lola Run" meant that "The Butterfly Effect" was unlikely to perform poorly in its opening weekend, but its long-term box office was still to be seen.

During this time, "Run Lola Run" had unexpectedly become a huge success, and Simon Westeros had risen to fame. Peter, due to his series of interviews with Simon, had also gained considerable attention within the Los Angeles Times.

As the largest newspaper in the Western United States, with a massive team of over 1100 editors and journalists, it wasn't easy for a young journalist like Peter to attract the attention of upper management.

Subconsciously, Peter found himself biased towards Simon. Deep down, he had already decided that unless the film was a complete disaster, he would definitely put in a good word for Simon.

On the big screen.

After the routine trailers and studio logos, the film's protagonist, portrayed by Matt Dillon, cautiously made his way through a dim corridor into an office. After a tumultuous chase involving security and doctors, hidden under a desk, Evan quickly scribbled a note in his journal and started playing a videotape.

The narrative then flashed back to Evan's childhood.

In the auditorium, as the screen shifted to a warm-toned sequence of Evan's childhood, Peter was still processing the film's suspenseful introduction.

It was a brilliant setup by Brian De Palma, capturing the audience's curiosity and attention right from the start. For the next twenty minutes, various strange actions from Evan's childhood were revealed, intriguing the audience until his adulthood, when the mysteries began to unfold.

East Coast.

New Haven, Connecticut.

It was past ten at night, and Jennifer Redbird, who would soon graduate from Yale, had only managed to find time at 8 PM to watch Simon's new movie with her friend Lisa Collins.

Walking out of the cinema with the crowd, the two women exchanged looks, unsure how to assess "The Butterfly Effect" they just watched.

Was it a good movie? Compared to the stunning plot, cinematography, and soundtrack of "Run Lola Run," "The Butterfly Effect," with its repeated trips to the past, lacked significant elements to discuss.

Was it a bad movie? The plot was cohesive and cleverly intertwined. Unlike truly bad films that are forgettable, many details in this movie merited reflection.

Simply put, as seasoned cinema-goers, Jennifer and Lisa found little in the film that truly moved them. Moreover, they both fundamentally disliked the film's pervasive sense of despair.

Perhaps, this was just a hastily written script by that guy, they thought. His next directing effort was still something to look forward to.

Jennifer was pondering this when suddenly a loud voice exclaimed, "This movie is so cool, even more thrilling than 'Run Lola Run.' I think we should watch it again."

Turning towards the voice, Jennifer saw three teenage boys behind them, all bright-eyed as they caught her gaze and quickened their pace to catch up.

Normally, Jennifer would dismiss such clumsy flirtation, but this time she engaged the boy who had spoken, asking, "Do you really

 think 'The Butterfly Effect' is cooler than 'Run Lola Run'?"

"Absolutely, going back to the past with a diary, isn't that cool enough?" the boy animatedly explained. "And then there's the butterfly effect itself—changing your whole life in an instant, that's what the real butterfly effect is about. And man, going back to strangle yourself in the womb at the end, Simon Westeros is a genius."

Listening to the boy's excited gestures, Jennifer felt a flicker of something in her mind but couldn't grasp it. Lisa, holding her arm, looked more enlightened.

As they left the cinema, the boys caught up again, the same boy suggesting, "Hey, girls, how about we go to a bar? We know one nearby that doesn't card."

Before Jennifer could respond, Lisa, with a hint of mockery, told the boys, "Thanks, but no thanks, kids. We're not interested in dating minors."

With a laugh, Lisa pulled Jennifer quickly towards the parking lot.

Finding their car, the women got in, and Lisa, driving, playfully grabbed Jennifer's blonde ponytail, chuckling, "That's what you get for always wearing it like that, makes you look like a little girl."

Jennifer shook her hair, playfully hitting Lisa, "Just drive, I'm getting tired."

As they left the parking lot, Lisa noticed Jennifer's contemplative look and said, "You're not still thinking about Westeros, are you?"

Jennifer's cheeks flushed, but she quickly retorted, "It's you who adores him, not me."

Lisa, unabashed, replied, "He's impressive, just don't know when we'll see him again. Isn't your uncle his lawyer? Maybe he can send me some autographed photos. Plus, if you manage to steal Simon Westeros from Janet Johnston, I'll personally fly to LA to throw you a celebration party."

Jennifer blushed deeper at Lisa's outrageous comments, reaching over to stop her, "What are you talking about?"

Lisa opened her mouth wide, pretending to bite the hand trying to cover her mouth, scaring Jennifer off, then laughed, "I'm just saying what you're too shy to admit. Keep at it, Jenny."

"I've decided I'm not talking to you for the next ten minutes."

Lisa laughed, seeing Jennifer really wasn't responding anymore, and continued driving casually.

After a while, glancing at her friend again, seeing her lingering blush and concern, Lisa added, "Don't worry so much. I think, this movie, maybe it's just for those young guys."

As the film's opening day concluded, reviews for "The Butterfly Effect" began appearing en masse across various media platforms.

"After 'Run Lola Run,' Simon Westeros once again uses his imagination to craft an engaging story exploring the myriad possibilities of life. 'The Butterfly Effect' makes us realize that each person's life is made up of countless moments in the river of time—immutable, inescapable, irrevocable. The true course of life can only lead to one outcome," Peter Butler's review in the Los Angeles Times read the following day.

While Peter shared a similar viewing experience with Jennifer on the East Coast, he still wrote a somewhat positive review.

However, other North American critics were far less kind, overwhelmingly expressing disdain for "The Butterfly Effect."

"No one can save these tediously repetitive segments." —Variety

"With outstanding performances in films like 'On the Edge' and 'The Outsider,' choosing this movie was the biggest mistake of Matt Dillon's career." —Entertainment Weekly

"A pessimistic theme, messy narrative, and dull characters make this the most tedious film in recent times." —Film Salon

"Simon Westeros might have intended 'The Butterfly Effect' to convey deeper philosophical musings, but it ended up as a completely meaningless and boring movie." —New York Observer

Amid these scathing reviews, Mark Hollington of The New York Times, who had previously questioned Simon, was particularly harsh, stating, "'The Butterfly Effect' is a profoundly stupid and pretentious mess of a film, and I can't understand what Simon Westeros wanted to convey with this detestable movie."

Given the fortuitous success of "Run Lola Run," the box office performance of "The Butterfly Effect" was crucial for Simon's continued trajectory in Hollywood.

And on just Saturday, faced with the overwhelmingly negative reviews for "The Butterfly Effect," Ronald Goldberg couldn't wait to call for a production meeting for "Final Destination," wanting to be personally involved.

This was clearly against the original agreement.

Evidently, if "The Butterfly Effect" failed at the box office, all three projects Simon was pushing forward would be severely affected.