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Butter

Butter

Popularity has an expiration date.

2022111 minPG-13Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Director
Paul A. Kaufman
Starring
Mira Sorvino, Annabeth Gish, Mykelti Williamson, Brian Van Holt

A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet - and everyone is invited to watch.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Butter?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Butter streaming on Fuse+ via Prime Video, Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Butter?

Butter earns 3 badges, led by Award Winner and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Butter worth watching?

Butter's Midcredits score is the 35th percentile of all films, from 2.9K ratings across 5 sources. 44% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

35th percentile

Better received than 35% of films

38th percentile among Comedy36th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)26th
Approval (how many liked it)44th

54 /100

26th percentile of all films

27th percentile among Comedy28th percentile among 2020s

Critics 45 · Audience 54

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.1 — solid but not unanimous.

44% liked it

44th percentile of all films

48th percentile among Comedy45th percentile among 2020s
44% rated it 7–1056% rated it 1–6

Critics 43% · Audience 86%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 6 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

67th percentile

2.9K ratings across platforms

63rd percentile among Comedy66th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$74K
Domestic gross$114K
Worldwide gross$114K

24th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A heavy-handed, well-intentioned teen drama about an obese bullied boy whose suicide stunt backfires into unwanted popularity.

Fans praised

  • handles heavy subjects with realism and heart
  • strong lead performance by Alex Kersting conveys internal pain
  • saxophone music woven emotionally into the story

Detractors panned

  • unrealistic, dangerous message: suicide makes problems vanish
  • wooden acting from lead
  • exploitative and mean-spirited rather than insightful

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive70

saxophone score praised as emotional core; some fans loved soundtrack

ActingDivisive50

lead praised by fans for conveying pain; detractors call wooden and laughable when crying

Emotional impactDivisive45

fans moved to tears; detractors felt manipulated and traumatized

Pacing40

party scenes drag; some called slow

CharactersDivisive35

Butter sympathetic but parents sidelined, bullies' shift unearned

OriginalityDivisive35

afterschool-special comparisons, derivative suicide-bet premise

Plot and storyDivisive30

artificial setup, superficial storytelling, unrealistic tidy ending

EndingDivisive30

too pat and saccharine, fantasy resolution many found unsatisfying

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 16 points higher than non-US viewers.

Watch experience

What is Butter like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its heavy subject matter (suicide, bullying) with earnest seriousness, avoiding irony, while maintaining a gentle, hopeful undercurrent.
The rideThe film maintains a constant undercurrent of anxiety around Butter's plan, with shifting lighter moments of social connection and darker scenes of despair.
StructureThe story follows a straightforward chronological progression from Butter's decision and announcement to the deadline and its aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you thinking about bullying, self-worth, and the dangerous allure of online attention, but also offers a gentle hope that people can change and that life can have meaning beyond popularity.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).TragedyHubris
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% (this title) · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Hubris: Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).

9% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe protagonist's plan to eat himself to death on a live stream, driven by a desperate need to be seen, fits the tragedy pattern of a self-destructive choice born of pride and despair; his potential survival and change of heart align with the rebirth archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSelf-worth
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% (this title) · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Self-worth · 7% of filmsIsolation · 5% of filmsMental illness · 1% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores a bullied teenager's desperate need to be seen and valued, and how that quest warps when it becomes entangled with a suicidal plan.
StanceThe film questions the value of popularity and the morality of exploiting a tragedy, without settling on a single answer.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
JazzOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Jeff Toyne
Settinga contemporary American high school and home environment
MusicThe saxophone performances by the protagonist are a key musical motif.

Content guide

Is Butter okay for kids?

PG-13

Butter is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content involving suicide, crude sexual material, language, and drinking - all involving teens” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (44/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Russia16+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (13 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Butter have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Butter?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Mira Sorvino
as Marian
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Annabeth Gish
as Doctor Jennice
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mykelti Williamson
as Professor Dunn
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brian Van Holt
as Frank
McKaley Miller
as Anna McGinn
Ravi Patel
as Doctor Bean
Jack Griffo
as Parker
Monte Markham
as Dr. Kaufman
Natalie Valerin
as Jeanie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
John Kassir
as Billy
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Butter?

Movies like Butter include Turtles All the Way Down (2024), Melissa P. (2005) and Havoc (2005). Of the 5 closest matches, most are teen dramas, and two are films about mental illness.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Butter?

425 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: prestige drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.