The Fly (1986) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: The Fly
Year: 1986
Director: David Cronenberg
Country: Canada
Language: English

I first heard of this story from an episode in The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror VIII called Fly vs. Fly. The very idea of accidentally switching DNA with another life form and then having to live with the results is very enticing. What if I switch my DNA with that of a kangaroo? Would I gain the ability to jump great distances or would I just have to live with a horrifying skin pouch for the rest of my life?  Would it be worth the risk? After seeing the episode I did some research and came across some films that played with this concept. What I found was The Fly (1958), The Fly (1986) and Spiderman (2002). Not wanting to watch a horror movie, I opted for The Fly (1986)

Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), a brilliant but eccentric scientist attempts to woo investigative journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) by offering her a scoop on his latest research in the field of matter transportation. Unfortunately when he attempts to transport himself a fly enters the pod, and their DNA is altered for the worse.

A lazy reviewer might say the film is a warning against trying to date Geena Davis, and they would be right, but The Fly also seems to be a metaphor for the process of aging. Age continuously attacks our bodies, changing us physically, and cannot be cured. "Like AIDS!" you might have said in the 80's, but no, age is a much more apparent and consistent force that attacks everyone regardless of what they do. Failure of the human body generally occurring from “natural causes” happens much earlier than the decline of the mind, leaving the individual to stew in their state. Externally, little remains of Brundle’s humanity; but internally he is fighting for dear life and, sadly, losing.

Though the makeup is phenomenal, the true terror isn't in Brundle's physical transformation but in his mental transformation. It is scary to see such a brilliant scientist degraded into a mere fly. The man is a helpless victim, attempting to remain emotionally strong but eventually giving in to the fly's impulse.

Cronenberg's brand of biological horror has never ceased to scare the hell out of me. If there's one great "horror" director it's him, for he can get under the skin of the bravest of us. The “King of Venereal Horror" could certainly have added even more depth to such a fascinating subject, but it's good as a philosophical journey regarding mind & body.3.5/5