Review #246: The Fly (1986)

This review was originally written in October 2022.

Gabe's 100 Bucket List Horror Films Review #100: The Fly (1986)

The Fly is a remake of the 1958 original, following a scientist (in this case, Seth Brundle) as he finishes developing and testing his newest invention, which will allow mankind to teleport. He develops a relationship with a journalist (Veronica) who is documenting his invention, but when it seems like she might be having an affair with her boss/ex-lover, Seth gets drunk and goes along with testing the teleporter on himself while she's away, and it appears to go successfully. However, he starts developing changes- first positive ones, and eventually horrifyingly negative ones. Can he figure out a way to turn himself back? And if he does, will the result be worth the cost?

With both iterations of this story (as was the case with a lot of classic horror I've seen this month) I was shocked how little this seemed to parallel the pop culture interpretations of it. (As also was the case with a lot of classic horror I've seen this month, my main frame of reference was when a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode lampooned it.) I'd always assumed the story was that the scientist's transformation was immediate, and eventually was able to be reversed- but in both versions of The Fly, the transformation was gradual (in the original the physical changes were mostly immediate, but both Andre and the surviving fly had gradual cognitive changes that added a significant horror element, and in this one, the changes seem to be almost entirely physical but they happened over the course of a month or two) and although the original film hinted at the possibility of reversal (though it was only presented as a hypothesis that never got realized), this version's proposed method of "fixing" the transformation is horrific and could easily make things even more terrible than they already were.

The story in this film is a little slow to start, but really ramps up around the halfway point, and the characters all feel well-rounded and complete. Brundle's moral degradation makes sense with the changes he's undergoing, and Veronica is a strong character with a surprising amount of agency. And even Veronica's boss- despite being presented as a villain for the first half of the film- still has redeeming qualities, as he plays a significant part in the abortion subplot (which I don't think ANYBODY expected to be in here, let alone expected to be handled even remotely well in this 80s-era environment). Like, he doesn't want Veronica to get an abortion, he does tell her to think it over, but ultimately he's the one that convinces the doctor to perform it for her. Not to make this review political, but I think it's commendable how this 36-year-old film treats a woman's bodily autonomy.

The practical effects are of course great (it IS a Cronenberg film, after all) but I will say that Brundle's appearance for the latter half of the film really took me out of it for a while. Like, I know it's supposed to be a big reveal at the end when his skin sloughs off and he actually looks like a fly, but the big chunk of the film where he's just a naked, deformed flesh man looked a bit sillier than I think they meant it to, and even without changing the creature design I think it could have benefited quite a bit from keeping him more in shadow for that portion.

Even at its scariest this is a sad film telling a sad story. It ended fairly abruptly but I think leaving the eventual fate of Veronica, her pregnancy, and Brundle's research to the imagination of the audience was a better move than the alternative. But overall I think this is a fantastic film, and a great one to end out this year of a hundred horror films.

Overall Rating: 9/10 Dissolved Donuts

Famous Quote: For my whole life I've been aware of the phrase "Be afraid, be very afraid!" and just assumed it was one of those quotes that's always been around. But apparently, it came from this film! Veronica says it to warn another woman who Brundle was trying to force into the teleporter. Producer Mel Brooks came up with the line, while discussing how the characters should react to the transformation in this film.