The Fly
A brilliant teleportation experiment turns an eccentric scientist into a grotesque hybrid, testing whether love can survive the collapse of human identity.
Overview
A scientist's groundbreaking invention leads to a horrifying transformation that blurs the line between man and monster.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- disturbing
- melancholic
- halloween night
- late night horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an acclaimed fusion of visceral body horror, developed characterization, tragic romance, and Jeff Goldblum's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Seth Brundle's progressive fusion with a fly turns bodily deterioration into the film's central emotional and philosophical conflict.
The film emphasizes Seth's changing flesh, biological functions, and disintegration through elaborate prosthetic and creature effects.
Seth's decision to test teleportation on himself creates the mutation and forces Veronica to confront the consequences of unchecked experimentation.
Veronica's relationship with Seth supplies the tragedy's emotional core as his transformation progresses.
Films like The Fly, and why
Videodrome
shares body horror, scientific transformation, tragic romance, and emotionally intimate monster storytelling
The Thing
shares a scientist's experiment, grotesque mutation, existential dread, and practical-effects horror
The Elephant Man
shares romantic tragedy, sympathetic monstrosity, transformation, and heightened gothic horror
Dead Ringers
shares tragic romance, human mutation, medical dread, and Cronenbergian body horror
Movie Details
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Release Date
- 1986-08-15
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (5167)
Cast
- Jeff Goldblum
- Geena Davis
- John Getz
- Joy Boushel
- Leslie Carlson
- George Chuvalo
- Michael Copeman
- David Cronenberg
- Carol Lazare
- Shawn Hewitt
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Fly about?
- A brilliant teleportation experiment turns an eccentric scientist into a grotesque hybrid, testing whether love can survive the collapse of human identity.
- What is The Fly like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Fly as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Fly violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Fly as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Fly?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an acclaimed fusion of visceral body horror, developed characterization, tragic romance, and Jeff Goldblum's performance.
- Which films are like The Fly?
- Films with a similar feel include Videodrome, The Thing, The Elephant Man, and Dead Ringers.
- How long is The Fly?
- The Fly runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Fly?
- In United States, The Fly is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
