A Disturbing and Beautiful Sci-Fi Tragedy

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 2008)

The Fly is the story about a nerdy, reclusive scientist who invents a teleportation machine, and his reporter girlfriend who is writing a book on the discovery. Everything is going well until the scientist, drunk and jealous attempts to use the machine to teleport himself prematurely, and ends up fusing himself with a fly. The film quickly turns from sci-fi romance, to sci-fi Shakespearian tragedy.
The film is a semi remake of an old Vincent Pryce campy horror film. It is semi in that it was the same title, and a similar premise, but very few of the same plot details, and a very different feel. While the original was a campy 3D style film, this one is truly disturbing. That is not surprising being from director David Lynch best known for such films as Videodrome, Naked Lunch, Crash, and A History of Violence. He is known for violent, disturbing, brilliant, and emotionally brutal films.
The Fly is probably one of his strongest. It features a great performance by Jeff Goldblum as the scientist. He is sensitive, sad, and generally just deeply poignant. The film also features some of the best makeup ever put on screen. The film was made in the mid eighties before most computer effects were available, and all the effects are thanks to the make up. Turning a man slowly into a fly must have been difficult, and it is actually perfectly pulled off.
So in the end The Fly is a strongly constructed, and entertaining sci-fi horror film of sorts, and will be enjoyed by even people who aren't sci-fi fans. It will have the effect of staying with you for a while after seeing it, and not only for the horrific effects created by the makeup.