Masterly modernization of Frankenstein's monster

Rating: 9/10 (16 June 2008)

This is David Cronenberg's defining movie. A reinterpretation of a trashy 50's flick, "The Fly" is one of the best and most original remakes of all time. There's just not a single flaw to be found here. From the get go, the director doesn't waste a minute and takes us right into the story.
It's amazing to realize that "The Fly" is set up like a play with mostly just three people interacting. The cast does a terrific job. A story like this one could easily have bordered on the unintentionally funny, but thankfully scientific explanations are avoided for the most part and the dialog is as solid as the deliverance by the actors.
One of the movie's main strengths is that underneath the horror this is really a drama. Cronenberg's "The Fly" is an appropriate modernization of Frankenstein's monster (only this time Frankenstein and the monster are one and the same thing). Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is transformed into something horrible, but we feel for him, even though we fear him. Cronenberg leads you down a spiral of decay that can't be reversed. You're afraid to see what's coming next, but you can't look away, either. At the end you will be shocked as much as you will be saddened by the shocking fate of the protagonists.
"The Fly" features some typical Cronenberg elements, such as talk about "the liberation of the flesh" and lots of graphic body horror. The special effects are awesome. Along with "The Thing" and "An American Werewolf In London" this movie has the best F/X of any 80's movie (and it is still light years ahead of all the CGI-nonsense that filmmakers rely on these days).
While many of Cronenberg's other movies may seem aloof at times and/or move too slowly, this one gets it completely right. Except for a few shots were Jeff Goldblum's body suit doesn't look a 100% convincing, there's not a single flaw to be found in the whole movie, making "The Fly" a classic that hasn't lost any of its original impact.