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It’s that time of year again: the time of year when ghosts and goblins of all shapes and sizes come out of hiding to haunt the streets. The time of year when you seek out scary movies to watch—just because it’s Halloween. If you’re tired of rewatching the recent Saws and Paranormal Activity movies, you might want to dig up something a little older—like David Cronenberg’s 1986 interpretation of The Fly.
The Fly stars Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, a lovably nerdy scientist who’s working on a secret project that’s guaranteed to change the world—or so he tells journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis). When Veronica visits Seth’s lab, she discovers that, using a computer and a pair of devices called telepods, he’s actually able to teleport inanimate objects. Despite Seth’s objections, Veronica is eager to write about this remarkable scientific breakthrough—but her editor and ex-boyfriend, Stathis Borans (John Getz), is convinced that it’s all just a con.
Seth offers Veronica exclusive rights to his story, allowing her to document the entire process as he attempts to transport living creatures. And as the two work together, they begin to fall in love, too. But when a moment of drunken jealousy leads Seth to step into the telepod—with a housefly as an unwelcome guest—things begin to go horribly wrong.
Cronenberg’s The Fly isn’t the usual low-budget horror flick. Instead of cheap and cheesy, with a ridiculous script and a no-name cast, it’s thoughtful and well-written, with Oscar-winning makeup and noteworthy performances. It isn’t loaded with non-stop blood and gore—and, admittedly, it sometimes feels just a bit silly—but, really, it has a little bit of everything. It’s a sci-fi horror love story with touches of drama and philosophy and humor. And though it has its share of ‘80s touches, it’s still eerie and haunting—and sometimes just plain revolting.
Goldblum, meanwhile, takes an unforgettable turn as the ambitious scientist. The role is a demanding one, since his character is in a constant state of transformation—from charmingly eccentric loner to confident man in love to heartbroken drunk to superhuman being to hideous mutant. In his performance, you’ll see everything from Billy Crystal to Olympic gymnast—and you might even wonder if Heath Ledger caught a viewing of The Fly while he was preparing for his Oscar-winning performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight. At each step along the way, Goldblum gives the role both drama and humor, making Brundle such a likable character that his horrific transformation is all the more gut-wrenching.
The Fly isn’t a spooky ghost story. It isn’t a slasher flick or a torture thriller or some kind of found footage adventure, either. But if you’re looking for some smarter (but still cover-your-eyes horrifying) scares this Halloween, you might want to take some time to revisit The Fly.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
