Read User Reviews and Submit your own for The Fly (1986)

10

makemenuconfigApr 15, 2012

The atmosphere, the characters, the story, the music, the performances, the special effects. They all combine neatly into this perfect mixture of character story horror drama. Trully a masterpiece.

7 of 7 users found this helpful70

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10

TheNewSpielbergJun 5, 2011

One of my all time favorites from the 1980s horror cycle. A scientist's genes are mixed with that of a common house fly and soon he begins to transform into a giant half man, half fly creature. In the meantime he is helped through his deeplyOne of my all time favorites from the 1980s horror cycle. A scientist's genes are mixed with that of a common house fly and soon he begins to transform into a giant half man, half fly creature. In the meantime he is helped through his deeply horrifying problem by his loving girlfriend. I love the effects, which still look realistic here in 2011 and the music is amazing and sounds more like an operatic piece than a horror soundtrack. All in all, I LOVE THIS FILM!… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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8

aaronpaul121Oct 3, 2012

Though it is not one of the best horror films, it is definitely one of the classics..........................

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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8

lgnburrisDec 7, 2011

Can't believe I hadn't seen this before now. I understand why it is considered a classic, great acting, great story, great direction and a very gruesome monster.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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8

Skullgirlsfan13May 15, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. it's been awhile since I seen this film, I remember having real fond memories of it, and now I decided to watch it again after these years. I just saw it again and I still have good thoughts about it. I remember before I ever watched this move that I was scared to even watch this, but after years then of conquering my fear of this film I watched then. This is getting confusing. I think this is one of the most classic sci-fi films out there; note how I didn't say that it was the best though, and I just love this movie. The main reason why I love this movie is just how gross this movie is, usually that's a negative comment, but here's the exception. The performances in this are okay, Jeff is his usual Jeff self: always studering and making every scene as dramatic as possible. I can't even remember the other characters actually, only what they did. The effects are done well, and are even pretty good by today's standards. I like practical effects, even though at times you can clearly tell there fake, but that doesn't matter it shows just how hard people can work on these type of effects. I feel that the romantic storyline is somewhat odd in this grotesque piece of cinema, but at the end it just feels so right, and makes the fact that a man trying to become a advanced life form sympathetic. Maybe that was exaggerated a bit there. Overall, I really believe that this film is worth watching, just stomach through it and you won't forget it, literally.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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7

Compi24May 31, 2013

As with other Cronenberg ventures, "The Fly" is filthy and an appalling shockfest, but it's also an uncommonly affecting and sobering tragedy with a star-making performance from Jeff Goldblum.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

quentntarantadoJul 15, 2021

The movie is my go-to for romance. It is my favorite Valentine's Day movie. I swoon over their relationship. There are quarrels, there are moments they must separate, but she ultimately shows her devotion to him. He does not deserve her butThe movie is my go-to for romance. It is my favorite Valentine's Day movie. I swoon over their relationship. There are quarrels, there are moments they must separate, but she ultimately shows her devotion to him. He does not deserve her but likely he is not in the right mind (an understatement). Her love is the kind I aspire to achieve.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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9

alejandro970Oct 28, 2018

Outstanding updating of the 1958 classic, now more disturbing and dark, suported by Jeff Goldblum in the main role and remarkable make-up effects. Only for strong stomachs.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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9

Steven1981Mar 20, 2020

There's a limit even to the human imagination where our greatest creations meet our deepest fears.... You are about to go beyond that limit... David Cronenberg's The Fly stars Jeff Goldbum as Seth Brundle who whilst working on someThere's a limit even to the human imagination where our greatest creations meet our deepest fears.... You are about to go beyond that limit... David Cronenberg's The Fly stars Jeff Goldbum as Seth Brundle who whilst working on some teleportation experiment accidentally fuses his genes with a fly and two both function on the same genetic level and a fusion takes place. The fly was in the telepod chamber with him but he was unaware of it and reaped the consequences and he starts slowly and gradually mutating but feels strong at first but his ears fall off and loses even his manhood lol. He starts craving more sugar as he gives in to the insect desires and also Geena Davis is sexually involved with him so is stuck in a bit of trouble. Lots of gore and unsettling moments and moments of terror, The Fly is a 1986 horror movie that carries weight and power and suspense and basically stuns the viewer and carries conviction and some romance too. The acting isn't great but justifiable and half decent and sex scenes are inevitable because it has some. Great horror.… Expand

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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8

akshatmahajanJul 20, 2021

Watched The Fly after I saw a tweet related to 80s horror movie. I then searched wikipedia and I was interested to watch the movie after reading one line summary of the movie. I am glad that I watched this movie. One of the best 80s horrorWatched The Fly after I saw a tweet related to 80s horror movie. I then searched wikipedia and I was interested to watch the movie after reading one line summary of the movie. I am glad that I watched this movie. One of the best 80s horror drama movie.

The movie had a different story for that time. The execution of the story was also good. There are some flaws and some potholes but the movie is made in such an indulging way that you may keep all the negatives of this movie aside. The acting was good, you kinda connect with the lead actors and even feel bad for them after incident occurs. After incident scenes are creepy and you may feel disturbed. The pacing and editing was spot on.

Overall, I will recommend this to everyone, except to those who don't like 80s graphics/ visual effects and those who can't see ugly transformations. For others, it's a treat.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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8

ahmedaiman1999Apr 16, 2019

Naked Lunch was the only Cronenberg I've watched before seeing this, and although I can't say that I liked it even a tiny bit; I admired the flashes of creativity I've seen throughout its 115-min run-time of an achingly phlegmatic pacing andNaked Lunch was the only Cronenberg I've watched before seeing this, and although I can't say that I liked it even a tiny bit; I admired the flashes of creativity I've seen throughout its 115-min run-time of an achingly phlegmatic pacing and self-indulgence. Therefore, I was optimistic that this renowned indie director's bizarre style could work for me someday. This day may has come, or maybe it's just this movie. Either way, all I can say is that I was definitely right!

First off, Chris Walas's standout, Oscar-winning makeup effects are just superbly sick! The last transformation is case in point, and I really haven't seen anything more impressive than those effects, aside from the equally brilliant practical effects that were used in Carpenter's The Thing.

What's even more awe-inspiring is how well-developed every single character in this movie is. They are constantly developing throughout the film's three acts. And each act adds more layers into them in a most graceful and reasonable way.

I want to confess that I have never considered Jeff Goldblum as an excellent actor. I always see him as one of the most charismatic actors, who play the same character in every film he's in, and I'm totally fine with that. That's because his quirky distinctive style of acting almost always pays off terrifically, so much so that his character steals the show every time. That said, the different phases his character go through in this movie prove that Goldblum's appeal isn't the only thing he has. For my surprise, Jeff Goldblum turned out to be a really talented actor who can flesh-out his character, figuratively and literally, masterfully.

Geena Davis is quite good as Veronica Quaife, whose character arc and the development of her romantic affair with the protagonist near the end reminded me of Belle in Beauty and the Beast a little bit. I think Stathis Borans is an insufferably cartoonish character during the first act. John Getz is not blame at all, as I think he really did a good job. Fortunately, Stathis is also a pretty strongly-developed character that changed a great deal at the third act, and hence became more credible.

I was overwhelmed by different feelings of pity, fear, disgust, and so many others, in the course of the movie's 96-min run-time. However, I think the denouement lacks intensity, since I found the ending predictable, and I saw it coming a bit early.

Other than the issues I've mentioned above, this movie really impressed me with all its creativity and originality. Cronenberg is truly a visionary filmmaker, and I hope I enjoy the rest of his filmography.

(8.5/10)… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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8

imthenoobFeb 19, 2014

A tad bit fast paced but it's one of those films that you can't help but love. Goldblum was great and the make up/special effects are awesome and are far better than most special effects done today.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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8

Longo12Feb 26, 2014

I would never call this a perfect movie but it is very entertaining and what more could I ask for? A must watch for any horror and gore fan! They certainly don't make movies like this one anymore.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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8

timoneAug 22, 2018

Where do I start with The Fly? This is gotta be one of the most horrifying films I am going to review. Why is that, do you ask? Well, for a 80's horror film, David Cronenberg is known for making body horror in films which is crazy because ofWhere do I start with The Fly? This is gotta be one of the most horrifying films I am going to review. Why is that, do you ask? Well, for a 80's horror film, David Cronenberg is known for making body horror in films which is crazy because of how grotesque and evenly disgusting and overall really disturbing the way the effects look in the film. But the way they do it it's really impressive. Overall, this is a remake to the 1958 film The Fly with Vincent Price and now David took the story to a whole new level and make the film really scary and horrifying for audience to see. Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis main stars in this sci-fi body horror flick. Jeff Goldblum gives his great performance as an brilliant scientist, Seth Brundle. He can awesome like doing push up's and he swings around the pole. I wish I could do that even though I did push up's the most. The only thing that really does shock me is that Seth does an arm-wrestling challenge and all of the sudden he breaks the arm-wrestler's arm giving him a fracture. There are alot of scenes that really does scare and gross out the audience, One scene is that Seth Brundle does an experiment on a baboon and then goes horribly wrong when the baboon's skin turn inside out leaving it look grotesque and gory. Now that Seth's almost turned into a fly making his skin look poorly. Kind of sneaks you up like cancer doesn't it? Now you can see he's vomiting acid and his ear came off. David Cronenberg had a cameo appearance as an gynecologist in the dream sequence where Veronica is pregnant to a giant baby maggot. Now that is a gross-out dream that people will get nightmares about. The Fly is more than a science fiction romantic horror with a relationship between Seth Brundle and Veronica Quaife, both of which done their best performance. I still think Jeff Goldblum's performance is outstanding and fantastic as an scientist who thinks the transmitter pod will change the world. The make-up effects and special effects are unbelivably outstanding despite it being gross and disgusting but you know what, I actually don't mind it. David Cronenberg really does make this film look surprisingly affecting with gore and horror and drama. His films really does give a unique body changing make them look psychological. I love The Fly and I think it's one of David Cronenberg's best films.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

KenRAug 21, 2020

Have to admit not liking this version of The Fly, it relied too much on the gore aspects of the story. But I do recall a friend lending me a B/W copy of the 1958 version of this infamous movie way back. I also seem to recall the earlierHave to admit not liking this version of The Fly, it relied too much on the gore aspects of the story. But I do recall a friend lending me a B/W copy of the 1958 version of this infamous movie way back. I also seem to recall the earlier version may have been banned in Australia for some horror elements? (eloquently done by today’s standards). So when I saw an ad for a re-mastered DVD in vivid color, it just had to be ordered. I suppose it had to be expected that a story like this, made in 1958, might just not hold up too well over the years. This outrageous story was given a lush 20th Century Fox production (complete with a ballet scene!) and also made a lot of money – it had an interesting original story and a neat screenplay by Australian novelist and filmmaker James Clavell - but our understanding of the science and movie making styles have simply changed so much! What was left of the memory of its story has sadly become somewhat laughable. The print transfer to DVD is nothing short of a visual delight, with lovely color, clear images and sound, but oh the acting (except Herbert Marshall) and situations now probably make it a must for the send-up buffs. Patricia Owens is pretty but no great actress and the eloquently voiced Vincent Price looks uncomfortable and hammy in his co-star part. The disc has been treated to a commentary which must rate as one of the worst of its type. Perhaps some things are best left to memory... BUT have to admit, the final scene of the fly in the garden still has a chilling impact! View either version at your own peril.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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8

DawdlingPoetNov 21, 2021

I think the thing I most like about this particular film is, or are, the themes it covers. Its not greatly original in terms of there being the main character, somewhat of an eccentric scientist with a real enthusiasm for what he does, aI think the thing I most like about this particular film is, or are, the themes it covers. Its not greatly original in terms of there being the main character, somewhat of an eccentric scientist with a real enthusiasm for what he does, a strong belief in his research and whom is determined to do all he can in aid of 'the cause' to make his hopes a reality but I thought the characters were well portrayed and it was really quite watchable overall. Although this film does appear fairly dated, given it doesn't really use CGI (the closest to computer generated imagery or aspects to this film being shots of the computer screen that Seth uses to programme the morph experiments), the topic is still relevant and its still an entertaining watch, if not a bit 'icky' at times, of course. I thought it was quite a well made film as the characters are quite well developed and there's some good dialogue. I also liked (for once!) that the plot built up somewhat slowly, on this ocassion as it made it perhaps more poignant when the inevitable transition took place. The fact that only very brief changes start to show through at first perhaps makes the viewer more on edge, not knowing when things are going to suddenly escalate. There is also a plot twist present, which brings even more moral questions with it and which may shock the viewer. On the down side and perhaps this is me being a bit picky but I found myself questioning some things, such as how useful (or revolutionary) his discovery could have actually been, if the distance objects or beings were able to travel between were so short, though I suppose its all about understanding the basics and proving such teleportation can be done at all. As far as the narrative is concerned, aspects of it somehow reminded me of King Kong, a somewhat classic tale with equal parts love and fear, plus being set in New York, I suppose. Why do such stories tend to happen in New York? answers on a postcard please(!).

I also couldn't help but wonder why Veronica seemed fine to hug Seth, having taken some moments to get to terms with his deformities - she's shown to be quite fearful when she realises whats happened and having to take a hard decision later on but yet after seemingly reluctantly re-visiting him and physically being shocked and appalled at what she's faced with, including the fact that his body is, by one point, almost falling apart, she seems to have little hesitation in physically embracing him - I suppose some might argue thats admirable, to see past the obvious physical repulsions and to still presumably feel compassion for the human element thats trapped behind it all but a part of me couldn't help but think if there was much realism to this, how likely is it that she would do that, really? is there maybe an element of her being too much of a typical caring female lead character perhaps? that might be a bit harsh of me to say that and I certainly did think this was quite an engrossing film and a good film for the most part but those would be the main criticisms that come to mind, personally.

For those of you who regularly read my reviews, you'll be unsurprised to read that I liked this film for the shortish running time of just over an hour and a half. Having checked that before playing it, I also remember realising that the plot seemed to be moving fairly slowly to start with and I wondered how it would manage to all play out and for the story to be resolved in the time remaining - the answer is, not everything gets entirely addressed. The ending seemed quite abrupt and leaves you wondering about what happened afterwards, although its quite good in as much as the sudden ending perhaps makes it a bit more hard hitting and memorable.

I think it would likely depend on what your looking for, what type of film you presume this to be etc., as to whether you'd especially enjoy it, I imagine. If your looking for purely a scary horror film then this is perhaps not the best for that, as while it is rather 'gross out' at times, its not a pure 'scare-fest', indeed I didn't find it too scary, from the point of view of physically jumping or feeling compelled to look away - well I did once but only the once, if I remember right(!). Also (and finally), a slightly silly comparison I could make, that for some reason came to mind, was that this is perhaps somewhat like an adult, gory version of The Wuzzles! (for those who aren't familiar with The Wuzzles (probably most people), that was a Disney cartoon show consisting of various characters which were all hybrid animals, though they were born that way and quite happy in being what they were lol (yes I did warn it was a silly comparison but there you go!).

This is quite a thought provoking watch, with an interesting main character and one or two good plot twists.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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8

Gamzguy17Aug 21, 2021

Rather than being another typical sci-fi/horror film (let alone poor remake), this is instead a satisfying, tragic, love triangle romance told with well written characters, great acting, and superb special effects that still hold up 30+ yearsRather than being another typical sci-fi/horror film (let alone poor remake), this is instead a satisfying, tragic, love triangle romance told with well written characters, great acting, and superb special effects that still hold up 30+ years later. This is a film that knows how to deliver the scares at the right level of belief thanks to its use of suspense, visuals, and genuinely likeable characters.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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10

twighaileyFeb 2, 2022

Thought provokingly, and disgustingly terrifying. I now know the mad genius that is David Cronenburg. The most **** up love story of all time.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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8

HellHoleHorrorSep 24, 2022

This is an excellent character horror with genuine fear that cleverly scares every part of you. The story is amazing and the character development makes you believe the horror that is befalling their lives. This is not a slasher. This is bodyThis is an excellent character horror with genuine fear that cleverly scares every part of you. The story is amazing and the character development makes you believe the horror that is befalling their lives. This is not a slasher. This is body shock. The parallels to cancer do hit home and make it difficult to watch. This is probably David Cronenberg’s best film. Downside is that the pace isn’t suited for modern audiences, it takes too long to deliver on the title. Upside is that it has a fantastic ending delivering the title. Clever, fearful and powerful menace from within.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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8

Computey18Mar 3, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Has AMAZING Special Effects, but the romantic parts kinda bored me..........… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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8

DavidN.Dec 28, 2007

Cronenberg's masterpiece.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

kmApr 26, 2009

Never gets old. Classic.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

8

GavinCJul 27, 2009

It's not every day that you watch a film that makes you cringe due to its level of gore without being a load of rubbish but this film achieves it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

8

AndySSep 14, 2007

One of the three best American movies of the '80s.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

7

Meth-dudeMar 27, 2018

There is a good reason why this movie is considered to be one of the best horror remakes of all time. The acting is great, the practical effects are more than impressive, the cinematography is beautiful and Jeff Goldblum's performance isThere is a good reason why this movie is considered to be one of the best horror remakes of all time. The acting is great, the practical effects are more than impressive, the cinematography is beautiful and Jeff Goldblum's performance is amazing. If you're interested in body horror flicks, this is a must.… Expand