THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
God is the least of your worries when things go far beyond what you had in mind.
PLOT
Based on the titular George Langelaan novel that was first adapted in 1958, 1986’s The Fly follows scientist Seth Brundle work on what can be a breakthrough in technology as we know it. He invites journalist Veronica 'Ronnie' Quaife to his home to show her his invention involving teleportation. He calls his device 'telepods' where it is capable to teleport between two of them from one place to another. At his strongest request, she keeps the invention a secret in exchange for exclusive rights to the story. He also invites her to document his work until he deems the invention ready to go public. It is not ready yet due to how it can't yet transport live tissue and only inanimate objects which he proves when a baboon is turned inside out. As Seth & Ronnie begin dating, the former becomes inspired to reprogram the telepod so it can understand the makeup of living tissue which works when sending a second baboon. The success makes him want to celebrate the potential of sending in humans, but it gets delayed when Ronnie chooses to abruptly leave over her editor (and ex boyfriend) Stathis Borans tempting to publish the story out of jealousy. He stands down in his attempt with the exchange on being updated of the process. Since she didn't tell Seth why she had to leave at the moment, he acts embittered and chooses to test it on himself but doesn't notice a housefly slipped in the pod. When he is transported to the other pod, he appears absent but the fly is nowhere to be found. Seth does reconcile with Ronnie, but the process has exhibit him to have gained increased strength & stamina, as well as sexual potency. He only sees it as feeling purified, but she senses something bigger when spotting bristly hairs growing on his back. They then start to strain when she refuses to go through the pod too. It causes him act arrogant when ditching her and become violent when breaking a man's arm in an arm wrestling contest at a public bar. He even picks up a girl there named Tawny (Joy Boushel) and despite winning her over to have sex, even she refuses to go through the pods. Just when she leaves him, Ronnie returns to tell him she took the hair at a lab to get it analyzed, confirming it to have insect DNA. He doesn't believe her until he sees the telepod computer himself that confirms he fused with the fly that is causing him to excessively mutate. As weeks go by, his body is deteriorating to the point of losing body parts from nails to ears. He reaches out to Ronnie to tell her she was right and he's becoming his own hybrid 'Brundlefly'. Another result of this fusion has now caused him to act more primitive than human and vomits digestive enzymes onto food in order to eat it, when he's not clinging onto walls/ceilings. His new instincts motivate him to dilute the fly genes with his human ones. Eventually, Ronnie finds out she is pregnant with Seth's child and when she has a nightmare of possibly giving birth to a maggot, she becomes motivated to abort it from existing. She shows Stathis proof of Seth's predicament and supports her decision to abort the baby. She almost tells Seth upfront about what she wants to do, but doesn't bring herself to do it before departing to the hospital overnight. However, since Brundlefly overheard her talking to Stathis about it, he abducts her from the hospital as he does not want to lose what could be the last remnant of his humanity. Stathis breaks into Brundle's home with a shotgun, but the mutant severs his left hand and right foot with his corrosive vomit. He then plans to put himself in one pod and Ronnie in another, wanting to fuse each other into one entity. As he drags her into one, she accidentally rips off his jaw which sets off the final insectoid transformation that sheds what's left of his human skin. Just as she gets trapped within a two minute timer, Stathis gets up in time to use his gun to sever the cables to Ronnie's pod which saves her. Just as Brundlefly breaks out on his own, the fusion process activates which gruesomely fuses him with the pod's door and cabling. The film ends with Ronnie putting the former man she once loved out of misery by shooting it down, bringing her to grieve in agony.
THOUGHTS
This was my introduction to Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, whose films feel like a genre of their own. This is the best way to start checking it all out because despite being a remake, it’s so captivating from start to finish. You can’t stop looking at it no matter how graphic it gets. I mean the idea of turning into a housefly from a simple accident is so bizarre yet so effective because you can’t imagine such backlash. The Oscar winning makeup effects by Chris Walas & Stephan Dupuis done to create every step of evolution for Brundlefly is brutally incredible because you never thought you’d see such a visceral transformation. Add this with the most grounded performance by Jeff Goldblum, I find this to be my personal favorite of Cronenberg’s because it has this twisted way to show us the fear of death because you know it is going to happen and the process in which becomes not what you remember it for is scary as shit. Our youth is where we feel rejuvenated and want to keep it as long as possible, but reality kicks in when you least expect it. Goldblum is at his best as Seth because we identify him as one who is not in it for the glory with his creation, but more for the benefit of society itself. He couldn’t help testing it on itself because it wasn’t just being bitter but he reached his limit in being patient. Had he been a little more observant as well, he would’ve spotted the fly as well and could’ve avoided such a downfall. The only bright side of his invention was finding someone who appreciated what a brilliant mind he was willing to share. Geena Davis is so amazing as Ronnie because she has her own ambition at first in wanting to share a special story like any reporter would in her shoes, but she stops herself once she sees how much the works means to Seth. She becomes so infatuated with him because she’s never seen anyone with such passion until now. The same couldn’t be said with Stathis because he didn’t see her as an equal until they were a couple no more. Despite being crude half the time, John Getz shows him to be self aware when to take things serious, redeeming himself when saving Ronnie from being mutated. I don’t want to blame her for what happened to Seth, but had she been upfront with what was bothering her, Brundle would’ve not let his impatience get the best of him to make such a mistake. I do think a part of her feels that way because she becomes so truthful that something wrong happened and can only see the downfall happen in her very eyes. I also support the abortion, although it didn’t happen in the sequel, but her decision is valid because she knows raising a monster is impossible to fathom and can’t bare her child being neglected by society. This in turn also makes Seth’s demise so tragic because with the clock ticking that his humanity was vanishing, fusing himself with her was his last chance no matter how grim the ramifications would’ve been. Once it backfired, he knew his purpose was lost and had to go in order to finish what he started. I felt Ronnie’s ears because there is no doubt he deserved better and after all that was seen, we all wish things were different for everyone. In short, 1986’s The Fly is an incredible sci fi monster flick for pushing the boundaries in body horror and questioning life as we know it. If you can handle graphic violence crafted by a Cronenberg, good luck with this.
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