--- title: "The Fly" year: 1986 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-fly" fi1m_id: "the-fly" imdb_id: "tt0091064" tmdb_id: 9426 wikidata_id: "Q468700" fi1m_score: 88 critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 7 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:56.217414+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Fly (1986) Directed by David Cronenberg · 1h 36m · MPA R · Horror, Science Fiction ## Identity The Fly - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-fly - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-fly - **IMDb ID:** tt0091064 - **TMDB ID:** 9426 - **Wikidata ID:** Q468700 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091064/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9426, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q468700 **Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 73 from 7 reviews *In a sentence:* Jeff Goldblum makes us care about his love life while we’re trying not to look at him > David Cronenberg’s *The Fly* makes its bodily horror hurt by giving us a couple worth caring about. Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis supply the tenderness; the graphic effects may still be more than some viewers can bear. ## Synopsis Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is a scientist working on teleportation. He becomes involved with Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), and their relationship develops alongside his research. An experiment fuses Seth with a fly, setting in motion physical changes that threaten their relationship. John Getz plays Stathis Borans in David Cronenberg’s science-fiction horror. The story stays close to Seth and Veronica as the consequences of the experiment become harder to separate from their intimacy, raising the question of what happens to love when the person in front of us begins to change. ## Review David Cronenberg’s *The Fly* is a frightening, unusually tender horror film, with a romance strong enough to justify the ugliness it asks us to endure. The scientist and the woman who loves him matter well before the effects begin to dominate our attention. Cronenberg is interested in what happens to affection when a familiar body becomes difficult to look at, and he refuses to make that question comfortable. It is affecting enough to recommend even to people who normally avoid the genre, provided they can bear the gore. Jeff Goldblum makes Seth Brundle’s eccentricity attractive without smoothing it away. His awkwardness has a playful energy, and Geena Davis’s Veronica Quaife can meet it without seeming to exist merely to admire him. Their exchanges give the romance an ease that more solemn performances would have denied it. We were moved more than we expected, because those early moments of mutual amusement remain in mind as Seth’s physical condition begins to change. The screenplay by Charles Edward Pogue and Cronenberg gives the scientific premise a clear human consequence: whatever happens to Seth also happens to the relationship. Teleportation is enough of an explanation to get the story moving; we are not asked to spend the evening studying the equipment. The limited setting and small cast keep our attention on the couple. That concentration is particularly valuable in a film whose effects could so easily become its only attraction. Mark Irwin’s cinematography keeps the physical horror close and legible, so there is little comfort in imagining we have mistaken what we are seeing. The attention paid to Goldblum’s body makes an ordinary human shape feel newly vulnerable. Carol Spier’s production design supports the confined action without demanding a separate tour of the scenery. We remain conscious of people having to occupy these spaces together, which makes their intimacy feel increasingly uncomfortable. Ronald Sanders’s editing keeps the 96 minutes concentrated, with enough room for Goldblum’s humour to register before the physical deterioration becomes harder to watch. The film does not feel as though it is waiting impatiently for its next effect. Howard Shore’s music gives the romance a large, mournful seriousness that mostly earns its place. Occasionally it presses harder than the performances require; Davis and Goldblum can convey distress perfectly well without quite so much encouragement. The more substantial reservation is the sheer insistence of the physical detail. There are stretches when the disgust briefly pushes the lovers out of our thoughts, and the film becomes an ordeal of looking. We do not think that cancels the tenderness, but it does narrow the audience for it. Anyone persuaded to try this as a love story deserves fair warning that Cronenberg does not spare the stomach because he has engaged our sympathy. Within body horror, *The Fly* is distinguished by how much it allows us to like the person whose body frightens us. Goldblum’s humour makes the illness feel crueller, while Davis keeps the relationship credible under circumstances that could easily invite overacting. Both performances reward watching closely, even when the effects encourage the opposite. See it with someone who will understand if the conversation afterwards takes a little while to start. *Fi1m score 88, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to Cronenberg’s horror film, finding an affecting love story within its account of physical decay. Praise centres on Jeff Goldblum’s sensitive, sometimes funny performance and his chemistry with Geena Davis, which give the bodily transformation emotional weight. The effects earn admiration for making deterioration disturbing, while the concentrated action keeps attention on the characters. Across the positive reviews, disease, ageing and the loss of self matter as much as the shocks. The principal division concerns how much gore that emotional core can withstand. Even favourable reviews warn that the physical detail may overwhelm squeamish viewers, but generally see it as essential to the film’s impact. The New York Times is the clear dissenter, arguing that the goriness distracts from and eventually damages an ambitious film, despite Goldblum’s heart and humour. The positive assessments cluster fairly closely; that objection accounts for the sharpest split. ## Straight answers **Is The Fly worth watching?** *The Fly* is worth watching for anyone who can bear graphic bodily horror, and we scored it 88. Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis make Seth and Veronica a couple worth caring about before the effects take over, so the disgust hurts because the romance works. Those who normally avoid horror may still find it affecting, provided their stomachs hold. **How long is The Fly, and what is it rated?** *The Fly* runs 1h 36m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a horror and science fiction film. **Where can I watch The Fly in the US?** *The Fly* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The Fly, and is it suitable for children?** *The Fly* is an 18 certificate, and it earns it: the physical deterioration is shown close and clearly, with no room to imagine we have misread what we are seeing. It is not suitable for children, and the squeamish should expect stretches that become an ordeal of looking. The fear comes from watching a body change, not from jump scares. **How does The Fly compare to The Thing?** *The Fly* is the warmer film and [*The Thing*](https://film.one/film/the-thing) the colder, though both trap a few people in an enclosed space where physical change makes trust almost impossible. Cronenberg gives us a couple to love, so the horror lands as grief; Carpenter's men are thinner as people, and the dread is about who to believe. Pick *The Fly* for a love story, *The Thing* for pure paranoia. **What should I watch after The Fly?** After *The Fly*, try [*The Thing*](https://film.one/film/the-thing) (1982, Fi1m 88): For another enclosed nightmare where physical change makes trust almost impossible. Then [*Eyes Without a Face*](https://film.one/film/eyes-without-a-face) (1960, Fi1m 86): For surgical horror whose sadness survives the impulse to look away; and [*The Elephant Man*](https://film.one/film/the-elephant-man) (1980, Fi1m 84): For a gentler, still painful insistence on seeing the person before the body. ### Reviews we read (9) - **Slant Magazine**, Eric Henderson (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Cronenberg’s focus on the scientist’s slow physical transformation and decomposition as a visceral exploration of body horror. It singles out the film’s resonance with AIDS-era anxieties and its operatic portrayal of decay and sexuality. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-fly/) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): Cronenberg remakes the 1958 chiller to explore his signature fears of ageing, disease, deformity and the beast within, delivering raw phobias with poignant wit and repulsive entertainment. Goldblum's sensitive performance softens the grisly effects, though the gore may still overwhelm some viewers. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-zlxp12/the-fly/) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (80/100, inferred): The critic lauds the film’s explicit onscreen violence and Goldblum’s performance as it depicts a man’s gradual loss of self. It highlights the emotional core as a meditation on death and deterioration rather than mere shocks. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-fly-the-fly-ii-1798201174) - **Time Out**, TCh (80/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as being about fusion—of man and insect, and of the emotional and physical bond between man and woman—rather than teleportation or hubris. The playful chemistry between Goldblum and Davis makes the gothic horror both heartbreaking and stomach-churning, with still-staggering special effects. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-fly) - **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (75/100, inferred): The critic praises Goldblum's performance and the graceful romantic teamwork with Geena Davis, noting that Cronenberg narrows the focus to one man's decaying body in a determinedly concentrated film that holds attention. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1986/10/06/bodies) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (70/100, inferred): Cronenberg's remake is not for the squeamish but benefits from Goldblum's quirky touch as the scientist and effective containment of the action in a limited space with a small cast. [Read](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/the-fly-2-1117790989/) - **The New York Times**, Caryn James (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the all-out goriness distracting and ultimately destructive to the film, though Jeff Goldblum's fly-man has heart and humor and Cronenberg's vision is ambitious. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/15/movies/film-the-fly-with-jeff-goldblum.html) - **Empire**, Adam Smith: Cronenberg's triumphant reworking of the 1958 film remains his most accessible, meshing his obsessions with disease, decay and metamorphosis into an exuberantly handled, shamelessly melodramatic love story. It is his most triumphant and accessible film to date. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fly-review/) - **Den of Geek**, Mark Pickavance (4 out of 5): The critic calls Cronenberg’s remake an eighties horror classic superior to the original, highlighting its doomed love story and Goldblum’s standout performance as the scientist fused with a fly. The emotional depth, believable effects, and strong acting from Goldblum and Davis make it a superb, affecting film. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-fly-blu-ray-review/) ## Details - **Director:** David Cronenberg - **Director:** David Cronenberg - **Screenplay:** David Cronenberg, Charles Edward Pogue - **Cinematography:** Mark Irwin - **Editor:** Ronald Sanders - **Music:** Howard Shore - **Production design:** Carol Spier - **Costume design:** Denise Cronenberg - **Producer:** Stuart Cornfeld - **Cast:** Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle; Geena Davis as Veronica Quaife; John Getz as Stathis Borans; Joy Boushel as Tawny; Leslie Carlson as Dr. Cheevers; George Chuvalo as Marky; Michael Copeman as 2nd Man in Bar; David Cronenberg as Gynecologist - **Runtime:** 1h 36m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 15 August 1986 - **Genres:** Horror, Science Fiction - **Budget:** $15 million - **Box office:** $61 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPhM5T1DViw ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1987: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won) ## If you liked this - *The Thing* (1982), Fi1m 88: For another enclosed nightmare where physical change makes trust almost impossible. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-thing.md) - *Eyes Without a Face* (1960), Fi1m 86: For surgical horror whose sadness survives the impulse to look away. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/eyes-without-a-face.md) - *The Elephant Man* (1980), Fi1m 84: For a gentler, still painful insistence on seeing the person before the body. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-elephant-man.md) - *Possession* (1981): For a relationship disintegrating with enough bodily horror to make arguments seem preferable. - *Under the Skin* (2013), Fi1m 81: For another unsettling science-fiction film that makes human bodies feel strange. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/under-the-skin.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-fly