The Butterfly Room (2012) User Reviews (35)

Mrs. Barbara Steele is STILL one dangerously seductive and deadly momma!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 19 April 2012]

As soon as it got listed in the official program of the 30th annual Belgian Festival of Fantastic Films, I've been eagerly anticipating to see "The Butterfly Room". For obvious reasons, I presume, namely the return of horror diva Barbara Steele – the legendary beautiful and hypnotizing lead actress of such Gothic horror milestones as "Black Sunday", "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "Castle of Blood". The casting of Steele is the undeniable highlight, of course, but writer/director Jonathan Zarantonello's whole incentive of making a thriller solely revolving on female protagonists is enormously respectable and, in fact, quite innovative as the horror genre still somewhat remains a masculine world where women are often degraded to inferior roles. Apart from Barbara Steele, Zarantonello managed to gather the dignified horror ladies Erica Leerhsen ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"), Camille Keaton ("I Spit on your Grave"), Adrienne King ("Friday the 13th), PJ Soles ("Halloween") and Heather Langenkamp ("Nightmare on Elm Street"). To defend the honor of the male sex, there's also Ray Wise ("Twin Peaks"). I easily daresay this is the most remarkable and jaw-dropping ensemble horror cast since many years!

The plot itself also contains great thriller potential and a worthy amount of isolated moments of greatness, but sadly I have to admit that the wholesome is too often tedious and never appears to find a stable pacing. Steele is splendid as the aging but nevertheless still very stylish and fashionable Ann, a lonely woman who reverts to her hobby of collecting butterflies and exhibiting them in a sober room where only she's allowed to enter. Ann is always eager to babysit her neighbor's young daughter and she also takes obsessive custody of a girl she met at the shopping mall, because her motherly instincts remain unanswered. But Ann's caring personality also has a grim dark side that gradually comes to the surface. "The Butterfly Room" is 100% American produced, but the atmosphere feels totally European, more particularly reminiscent of those typically lurid Italian gialli and psychedelic dramas. The roots of director Zarantonello and the decades of Barbara Steele's horror experience are clearly detectable. Despite the brooding atmosphere throughout, the vast majority of the film is regrettably tame, but luckily this gets compensated with a neatly unsettling and grisly denouement. Beautiful imagery and tasteful photography complete this worthwhile effort that particularly comes recommended to admirers of strong feminine horror ladies and nostalgia.

Worth it for Steele... and all the other "scream queens" in it

[Groverdox · 6/10 · 18 November 2019]

"The Butterfly Room" is a curiosity for the extraordinary casting it features of actresses from famous horror movies. There's Heather Langenkamp, from "Nightmare of Elm St", Adrienne King from "Friday the 13th", P.J. Soles from "Halloween", Camille Keaton from "I Spit on Your Grave". But of course, the real star of the show is Barbara Steele, who is famous for her roles in gothic horror films such as Mario Bava's "Black Sunday".

Other than that, it doesn't have much going for it. The story is undercut by liberal flashbacks that don't really add a whole lot, and a plot that is pretty badly told besides.

I kept watching basically for Steele's performance. Here, in her mid-seventies, she is still a magnetic performer.

A surprisingly good but flawed thriller.

[mjjmolina · 6/10 · 23 August 2019]

I had no idea what to expect with this movie. An insane and homicidal woman pays a teenaged girl so she can pretend she is her mother. Well, I'll give it credit for a storyline I've never seen before. The cast really shines well here, by the way. I can't say I'm a good judge of acting, but I can say that I was held captive by the principal actors performance. The movie lost a few marks at the end though. Mostly for some character actions and sequences that didn't exactly make sense, but overall it was still an enjoyable movie.

Dreadful!

[SamJamie · 2/10 · 28 May 2020]

Ann, a reclusive elegant lady with an obsession for butterflies, is befriended by the eerily beautiful young Alice. Lured into Alice's twisted world, Ann soon discovers that Alice has other strange friends.

This may be one of the worst horror films I've ever seen. And believe me, I've seen a lot. But "the Butterfly Room" has very, very little redeeming qualities as a whole. The "plot" of the film is pointless and severely underdeveloped along with the lead character. Every performance in this film is laughably bad, especially the children in the movie and the parents in the film react like no human ever would to this old lady. It's a boring and pointless waste of time. Two stars for horror legends, Heather Langenkamp & Adrienne King, otherwise, Avoid!

Creepy Insanity

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 15 March 2014]

The entomologist Ann (Barbara Steele) is an old lonely woman with bipolar disorder and rejected by her daughter Dorothy (Heather Langenkamp) due to a serious incident when Dorothy was a child. When Ann meets the manipulative girl Alice (Julia Putnam) in a mall, she becomes Ann's companion, receiving an allowance in return. Soon Ann finds that Alice manipulates other old women and she visits her crippled mother Olga (Camille Keaton) and she discovers that she is a prostitute that uses Alice to make money for her. Ann reacts in a violent way against Alice's mother and triggers her madness.

In the present days, Ann meets the girl Julie (Ellery Sprayberry) in her building alone in the corridor. Her mother and Ann's neighbor Claudia (Erica Leerhsen) neglects her daughter and Ann takes care of Julie. Ann brings Julie to her apartment and she does not allow her to enter in her butterfly room, where she keeps more sensitive specimens; however Julie tells to her mother that there is a girl inside the room. What is the secret of the butterfly room?

"The Butterfly Room" is a creepy non-linear movie with a deranged lead character performed by Barbara Steele. The timeline with many flashbacks seems to be confused to many viewers that apparently did not understand the plot and the movie is underrated in IMDb. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Segredo da Borboleta" ("The Secret of the Butterfly")

Just awful

[bazookamouth-221-898097 · 1/10 · 5 January 2022]

I gave this a one score as I didnt complete the movie. I saw about about half. Its just horrible. The film , the lead old lady is ridiculous. Just a dire, miserable , horrible movie.

An American horror film with an Italian flair and a classic cast. ◆≈≈7.2/10≈≈◆

[Thrill_KillZ · 7/10 · 2 July 2013]

Italian Writer/Director Jonathan Zarantonello, in his first English language film, has brought together a rather intriguing cast and delivered an original horror piece that should entertain fans of both vintage & recent horror films. A substantial part of it's success is owed to the film's tight, well written script, but make no mistake, long standing horror icon Barbara Steele absolutely owned the role of Ann. While it may help some folks by reading further into the film's actual full synopsis, I found that even though going in blind was a tad confusing at first, especially if you aren't glued to the screen for every moment, it pays off later when everything clicks and falls so neatly into place. So I will do my usual, less is more outline.

Ann is an older, private, but elegant woman with a passion for butterfly collecting, who longs for the companionship like that of which she had so many years past with of her seemingly long lost daughter Dorothy. One day while out shopping, Ann is drawn into the company of a young, seductive and extremely manipulative young girl Alice(Julia Putnam). As Alice's motives become more clear, Ann realizes that their meeting was by far no accident and that Alice's deceptive tactics are not only being used on her, but a string of women. All of whom are also childless and for one reason or another, are all willing to participate in this warped type of pseudo parenting. The shock of this finding sends Ann into a spiral of madness resulting in some very lethal & callous acts to those unfortunate enough to cross her path.

Despite this being an American production, Zarantonello manages to effectively put that familiar Italian Giallo feel into the film. The atmosphere was very creepy and the film possessed that 60's kind of look & feel to it, with cinematography that was reminiscent of the horror films of old. As a bonus for horror buff's, there was no shortage of cameo's from the likes of Erica Leerhsen(The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Heather Langenkamp(Nightmare on Elm Street), Adrienne King(Friday the 13th), Camille Keaton (I Spit on your Grave), PJ Soles(Halloween). You won't find a better psychotic & violent portrayal by a women that, can you believe, is seventy-five years old. I recommend taking this old Buick for a ride if you happen to have an urge for something creepy or looking for a good late night horror flick(which in my case is every night).

Insanely bad

[balroglord · 1/10 · 3 August 2019]

This is the first review I write about a film, because I felt I must do it for others to avoid this load of crap. I have seen many really terrible movies, but this tops them all. The only worthwhile thing here is Barbara Steele, plus maybe Ray Wise, but his part is so little that is not even worth mentioning. Everything in this movie is just absurd and unbelievable, first of all, nobody seems to notice Ann's really wicked look and appearance. WTF?! All supporting actors a just TERRIBLE, they are seriously overacting, especially Julie's mother and Ann's daughter. Practically almost everything is just laughable, the pinnacle being when Julie finds Alice's pinned body, and Alice's head and hair clearly moves. Jesus, didn't they notice this?! Watch this only if you really badly want to waste 87 minutes of your life.

What a great, little surprise---

[jswindter01 · 7/10 · 28 February 2015]

I'm thrilled that I just happened upon this brilliant gem of a horror/thriller! Scrolling through YouTube looking for what new horror films would be coming out this year, and I just happened upon this movie's trailer. Being a very much hard core horror/thriller movie fan I was shocked that this movie's title has never crossed my path until today!

Along with it being a very real piece of actual entertainment(which sadly these days is very hard to come by), it also had such an array of horror movie icons that made appearances throughout. Some of them being, Erica Leerhsen(The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Heather Langenkamp(Nightmare on Elm Street), Adrienne King(Friday the 13th), Camille Keaton (I Spit on your Grave), PJ Soles(Halloween)...and I must quote one of the other reviewers opinion in my saying that I wholeheartedly agree that you just won't find a better psychotic & violent portrayal by a women that, can you believe, is seventy-five years old, in my speaking of the great Barbara Steele.

Seriously wish that this little gem of a horror would have received more recognition, as it so deserved. I just wish I'd known of it long before now!

Stylish with a To-Die-For Cast. Compliments End There.

[josephbrando · 5/10 · 10 September 2013]

Although this movie has a to-die-for cast including Barbara Steele (Black Sunday), Adrienne King (Friday The 13th), Heather Lagenkamp (Nightmare On Elm Street), Camille Keaton (I Spit On Your Grave), P.J. Soles (Halloween), Erica Leerhsen (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) AND is shot with a very stylish flair - the story is just not there to hold up its end of the deal.

When a little girl who uses lonely older women as ATM machines tries to make Ann (Steele) her next victim, the tables get turned. And the secret lies inside the Butterfly Room. The premise is interesting enough but unfortunately the movie is just not very engrossing. Steele is as great as she always was, captivating and consuming. She deserves to be popping up in lots more, and lots better, horror flicks.

Horror aficionados will still want the check this out for the cool cast and the updated Bava/Giallo-ish style. Just don't expect too much!

This Was My Childhood

[ambercatgoddess-484-733898 · 10/10 · 17 June 2013]

This movie was terrifying for me. It was almost as if they somehow resurrected my mother and my childhood memories. Everything that Ann says right down to the behaving as if she were innocent are right on point. The words that she uses she is so convincing as this part its amazing.

The only difference between this movie and my life is that my mother is still alive and we still do not speak. The trauma that can grow over time can lead to erratic behavior such as what you see with Ann. She is meddlesome, nosy, judgmental and creepy. She tries to pretend she is completely innocent and not at fault for anything.

This movie is not a disappointment as I watch plenty of horror and thrillers as it is. But this one had a special touch as it was a bit like Deja Vu for me. I do highly recommend this movie.

Pinning People Down

[Pairic · 7/10 · 6 April 2022]

The Butterfly Room: Ann, a nasty anti-social who has an obsession with pinning butterflies decides to move on to larger prey. A line of dark humour runs through the film leavening the worse moments as she sprays people with acid and kicks ladders from under them. But there are still quite a few disturbing scenes and this is not a film for the squeamish. Various people who cross her come to a gruesome end. Confusing at times as there are flashbacks within flashbacks but the disjointed timeline adds to the tension. Barbara Steele is great as the irritable Ann with Julia Putnam as Alice a grifter schoolgirl. A couple of interesting plot twists will make you reconsider parts of the jumbled narrative. Directed and Co-Written by Jonathan Zarantonello, based on Zarantonello's short filml Alice dalle 4 alle 5 (Alice from 4 to 5). 7/10.

Showing again on Friday 8th April at 10.50 PM on the Horror Channel.

Very disappointing!

[Icons1976 · 2/10 · 25 August 2012]

I actually feel almost pretty much like the last reviewer, with the peculiar exception, that, after saying himself that the movie was tedious and very tiresome, only to end up talking mainly about the great cult cast, he does then give to this film a much higher rating than mine! Well, i don't know: i was looking forward myself to see this one, but was disappointed throughout! Yes, the visionary images and a classy, stylized cinematography,do help the ladies to come across pretty incisive, but that, does not make a good movie! Not even close! I am myself a huge nostalgic of the Giallo's and all Euro, but, mostly Italian greater films from the glorious 1960's, 1970's and 1980's! But we are only feeling an awareness of a telephoned script, often calling for a sense of discomfort, mainly over the contrived plot, re-arranged poor dialog, and a pretty damn unimaginative direction! Besides lacking climax, the movie lacks also any insightful resources, or groundbreaking twist's! Was expecting a luminous, enigmatic experience, or even a darker, lurid one, but, let me tell you, and i am sorry to have to say this,however, i often found myself thinking about other stuff, i had to do, or personal memories.. during the 82 minutes that felt more like 180! Not good, uh? No, especially for a film, that promises to be a thriller and it is instead only a very "mental trip", with no real heartfelt moments! Forgive me, i wish i could have just said something a lot more positive, but, here we are again, in front of those projects, wanting so badly to remind you of the fabulous classic Giallo's of the past, or even of the Horrors, who were then truly a fist in the stomach, instead, all you got here, is an inspired, and, truly never surprising product, featuring a great cast of females, all ex great B Horrors stars, who are so seriously left without much mystery to work with or suggestions. And, by the way, let me tell you, that, if at least, the ladies casting seem appropriate and a very appreciated effort to remember how much underused talent there is, forgotten for no reason, at the contrary, the casting of the men is truly terrible! Even some of the smaller roles, for God's sake! Just completely uninteresting, miscast guys, who don't have any ability to project dramatic tension and certainly incapable of some enigmatic quality! While, Mr. Zarantonello's interest, in this shabby effort, shows only an obvious interest for the ladies, which is, again, a greater intent,indeed, by using, on the opposite side, just some rather anti climatic, down dreary, simply very dull male actors, not even a real face, at once, or, at least, some glance of mystery, or of a more masculine anger, this movie does, ultimately, not even help those stars to shine a little more, but, actually, in some sort of very bizarre way, it makes them all feel like they were all too over the top, in order to be watchable! Again,if very professionally created, and crafted,while, certainly greatly lit images are often on display, it is pretty painfully clear that takes a lot more, to make a decent thriller, delivering some kind of a grip of sort, worth watching! And, if there's a nostalgic feeling for the reminiscences of the old Euro genre filmmaking, at its very ending, this movie leaves you only with the desire to go back home, just to enter one of the favorite DVD's of your private collection, to be able to truly enjoy those old movies, where those same ladies used to appear in, so gloriously! Those were truly a work of genius, for the most part, and, in fact they still bewitch us,making us discuss, and dream on, but, i am afraid, and, truly sorry to bring the bad news, i don't think you'll be talking for very long, if any at all, about this latter one! Next!

A complete joke

[AristidetheFrank · 2/10 · 3 February 2015]

This movie begins with an interesting premise but it quickly disappoints due to the rocky acting from the supporting cast and the shoddy script. Barbara Steele is very effective as the unhinged central character, but her performance is not complemented by any of the other actors.

The children are shrill and impertinent, failing to garner any of the audience's sympathies. The adults are utterly incompetent and react in bizarre, unrealistic ways to the way the plot unfolds. Not a single one of the characters, with the exception of the lead, is written like an actual human being.

At one point a other in an elevator flies into an absurd rage when Ann, our main character, mistakes her for someone else. Another character is supposed to be around age 14, and definitely looks it, but dresses up like she's five.

All well and good for entrancing old women, but do you really expect me to believe that the Shirley Temple shtick works on all of the other characters? Not a single one of them has a comment for the teenager who acts like she's three? There are so many stupid moments in this so-called mystery, a mystery that even an infant could unravel in five minutes, a mystery that only these rotten characters could become stuck in. This movie sucks!

P.S - Some of these glowing reviews really lead me to believe that this page is being frequented by folks who are paid to review. Trust me when I say that it is virtually impossible to enjoy this film, unless you are practically brain dead and/or getting paid.

Quite overlooked and underrated

[Johan_Wondering_on_Waves · 7/10 · 31 August 2015]

I guess this movie is pretty unknown with only 14 people reviewing it before me and less than 1000 rating it. Yet with such a cast you would think it would appeal to a large audience. Maybe there wasn't done much promotion. The positive reviews outweigh the negative ones but still only a 5,6 average as I'm writing this. I guess a matter of taste because I wouldn't think this movie is bad in any way. Yes you could make a case for some aspects on the story not being worked out that well. Why was Ann (brilliantly played by Barbara Steele with those deadly staring eyes) so obsessed with little girls? She obviously couldn't handle it when her own daughter Dorothy was becoming a woman. Maybe she wanted them to stay young and beautiful forever just like the butterflies she preserved and pinned to the walls. I'm sure if you pay well attention enough most of the questions do get answered yet that is probably what makes the movie and story so strong, some of the mystery remains. Not only Ann is an interesting character study but little Alice as well. She did remind me a bit of Rhoda from the Bad Seed in being manipulative but she obviously didn't have the psychopathic treats of Rhoda. Kudos to Julia Putnam pulling this role of well and also Ellery Sprayberry as little Julie who was obviously going to be Ann's next victim. The story alternates between present and flash-back storytelling which demands a little focus and in the beginning a little confusing about why Ann reacts to some people in a certain way but in the end the pieces of the puzzle come together. Very tense last scenes with the characters of Julie, Ann, workman Nick (Ray Wise) and Dorothy (Heather Langenkamp) all coming together. Also very strong last scene from Dorothy first taking some kind of revenge on her mother and than later at Julie's birthday party now being adopted by Dorothy and seeing her wish granted by having a brother. That reaction of hers and than the expression on her face when a family picture is taken, wow she even shrieks from herself and for the viewer yeah, is the terror really over?

Classic Steele, scary premise, very flawed

[mrosesteed · 3/10 · 23 February 2019]

Although The Butterfly Room addresses the real life horrors of child abuse, obsession, murder, and deceit, it suffers from an awkward script and an overt artistic style characterized by modified color schemes, reverse editing, flashbacks, and a generic synth/rock soundtrack, which is less effective than it is distracting. With these strucutral flaws, the film is forced to lean much too heavily on its distrubing premise, the simultaneously beautiful and macabre practice of insect preservation, and the strength of Barbara Steele's performance as the psychotic Ann.

Was OK worth seeing once.

[colonel52 · 6/10 · 6 June 2014]

First I have to say Barbara Steele looks great to be as old as she is. She does a good job with her role. The movie itself is original, and different , and interesting enough to make you want to see how it ends. Worth seeing once.

Now the direction.... first as a writer JZ has good ideas but his writing is not very good. Might have been a better movie had he let someone else write the story based on his novel and ideas.

I liked some elements, like the girl Alice picking up older women and them paying her to spend time with them.

Had a top notch director and a good writer done this movie it could have been quite good.

the main character /villain being a woman who loved young girls, but was a horrible mother to her own daughter. she is also a sociopath, no remorse , and can kill with no remorse. she seemed to not like men at all.

the characters are all a little unrealistic, but at same time realistic.

The movie itself is confusing with the silly flashbacks, but the basic story is Ann wants to have her daughter back, or better yet to have another daughter, as long as she doesn't have to have a baby herself. the big surprise is what happens to Alice the smart girl who leases out her companionship.

**spoilers below***

Alice winds up like the butterfly's. the other young girl Julie is the one who sort of solves the mystery, and is Ann's undoing. Ironically Ann saves her at the end from being hit by a car, even though she was trying to kill her.

So overall I gave it a 6 due to being different and somewhat original. I will add the acting is good so the direction was good from that standpoint. The main problem was the story wasn't quite right, and need to not have the flashbacks.

Fake User Reviews?

[dingalingalong · 3/10 · 1 January 2022]

There is nothing good about the production, acting, storyline or acting in this made for TV rubbish.

There is a certain element of horror - more hammer house style than anything.

It just seemed to me that the recent reviews, and hence the recommendation of this title, could be fake which does Imdb no credit at all.

an enjoyable find

[thewalkingpuns · 7/10 · 4 April 2022]

This film was creepy and eerie, wondering what ann really had in her butterfly room. The butterflies were nice to. The acting may have been a bit lackluster in some parts but really all the cast did a fine job. With special apparences by both heather landencamp, nancy from nightmare on elm street and. Adreienne king, alice from friday the 13th. Ann herself, ray wise and the actresses playing alice and. Julia were both pretty good to. Altogehter a nice find of a film that was pretty creepy and twisted.

Just awful !

[deeemmtee · 2/10 · 25 May 2022]

Bad acting, bad writing, dull and silly. One of the worst films I've seen in a long time. Yes, I know there were a lot of famous (old) actors in it, but that counts for little when the plot, writing and execution are dreadful.

A Girl, An Obsession and The Butterflies

[DeadeGuard98 · 8/10 · 27 May 2020]

😱 First Impressions: From the synopsis I thought it'd play out from the victim's perspective when she befriends the old lady for the first time. I was genuinely surprised that Ann instead was the main star.

Pros: 😋 Actress who plays Ann is very brilliant- she immediately exudes all the characteristics that make her character to be 'off' the moment we see her. It does not wear off until the credits roll...

😋 The story is well written and I could feel immense sympathy for the main character / antagonist. Who is mentally unstable yet emotionally (and financially) manipulated by the girls that ironically she eventually preys on.

😋 There are some very unusual kills in the movie. A constant air of creepiness and threat that never unsettles because you know never know what might happen next.

Cons: 😪 I had some reservations about the way the movie jumps back and forth between the past and present. Sometimes it does so without indication (which is great) but others it blatantlys uses a 'rewind' effect which just spells it out for the audience.

😪 The plot while quite original- I could actually see coming; a whole hour away when it came to the fate of the first girl. Yes, it's still shocking when it is eventually revealed but I thought it could have been handled better.

😪 The child actors and actresses sometime just ruin the scenes. That's not to say they don't shine either! They have their moments especially the actress who plays Alice who is probably the oldest among the children so it's understandable. Nothing too distracting though~

😇Verdict😈 I thoroughly enjoyed the unnerving and at the same time melancholic story of Ann. The pride and effort she takes in maintaining her collection is frightening. The only issue I had were some qualms about the direction and creative decisions. Overall, a solid thriller with a memorably developed antagonist who just for all we know needed some therapy and pills. It's so sad.

scream queen parade

[killercharm · 6/10 · 1 February 2022]

A strange lady keeps butterflies mounted in a special room. She has an unhealthy interest in the children around her and is a Karen to the nth degree. She manages to get her hands on the little girls, except one little girl seems to have her hands on the butterfly lady. This is an ok story in an ok movie.

Surprised it could hold my attention

[J-Kidin · 4/10 · 13 September 2020]

This was a bit of a strange movie but it kept me watching. A lady obsessed with butterfly collecting is befriended by a strange young girl. You continue watching to find out what the heck is going on with this girl, and through flashbacks what happened to the butterfly lady's daughter. It's odd but I couldn't stop watching, even though by the end I thought the plot wasn't great, and the story was really odd.

Not a lot of horror or gore, odd choices by odd characters, but overall it held my attention and wasn't totally horrible. There are better choices for horror movies out there but if there's nothing else to watch, it is something.

Awful

[kikatsura · 1 February 2018]

The plot was terrible, the acting was atrocious, and the flashback were ridiculous. Everybody was so over-the-top and read the script in a school play voice and was delivered with very unconvincing emotions.

Such a shame... (may contain a bit of spoiler... rules are rules)

[miguel-guitarra · 2/10 · 14 December 2013]

It was a promising film, with loads of Argento-like captures and also in general plot. I really had a good time, although confused by the time-lines, that at some point go berserk.

At this moment, you don't know who is who, the what or why or when get all mixed up, messed up, and I can't even describe the last 30 minutes...

If anyone even read my comments, they should know I am a total horror/thriller fan, and it's not my business dissing movies, instead I'd love to say good things about this genre.

But really, this turns out to be pathetic, pointless, overall confusing, and really with no plot.