--- title: "The Fly: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-fly/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-fly" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 7 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): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 7 reviews: 6 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. 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. ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2005. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-fly/) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-zlxp12/the-fly/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2005. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-fly-the-fly-ii-1798201174) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 July 2014. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-fly) ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 1986. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1986/10/06/bodies) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1985. 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 the review](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/the-fly-2-1117790989/) ## The New York Times — Caryn James Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 1986. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/15/movies/film-the-fly-with-jeff-goldblum.html) ## Empire — Adam Smith 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fly-review/) ## Den of Geek — Mark Pickavance Rating 4 out of 5. 10 April 2008. 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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-fly-blu-ray-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-fly.md