An underrated sci-fi thriller movie gem is airing on TV tonight

While it received poor reviews upon release, the film has become a bit of a cult classic.

An against-type Ashton Kutcher (That '70s Show) stars as Evan, a college student who suffered a traumatic childhood and is now afflicted with headaches so painful that he frequently blacks out.

While unconscious, however, he discovers he is able to travel back in time to alter the past for himself and his friends (including Amy Smart, Crank).

"But changing the past can drastically alter the present, and Evan finds himself in nightmarish alternate realities, including one where he's locked away in prison," the plot synopsis reads.

While it received predominantly negative reviews upon release, The Butterfly Effect was a box office hit and was well-received by audiences - currently holding an 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.6 score on IMDB.

In the intervening years, meanwhile, certain critics have argued for its merit - praising its interesting sci-fi premise, its quite dark story and its performances.

The movie even got two direct-to-DVD sequels in 2006 and 2009.

The original Butterfly Effect is airing on TV tonight at 9pm on the channel Legend. It is also available to rent on Apple TV, Microsoft and Sky Store.

Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight:

The Sum of All Fears - Film4 - 9pm

Ben Affleck is CIA man Jack Ryan in this Tom Clancy adaptation.

Crack in the World - Legend Xtra - 9pm

A well-liked '60s sci-fi disaster movie.

Mission: Impossible III - Sky Showcase - 9pm

Tom Cruise faces off against the late and great Philip Seymour Hoffman in this terrific action spy sequel.

Kill Switch - AMC UK - 10.35pm

Dan Stevens (The Guest) headlines this poorly received 2017 sci-fi.

Bloodline - Legend Xtra - 10.55pm

Ashton Kutcher's Dude, Where's My Car? co-star Seann William Scott headlines this horror thriller as a vigilante serial killer.

On Chesil Beach - BBC Two (except Wales) - 11.05pm

The quite good adaptation of Ian McEwan's brilliant novella starring Saoirse Ronan.

Tremors - ITV4 - 11.10pm

Kevin Bacon's desert town is plagued by giant, prehistoric, worm-like monsters hungry for human flesh in this beloved horror comedy.

Filth - Film4 - 11.20pm

James McAvoy is a crooked cop in Edinburgh in this darkly compelling adaptation of the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting).

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