The Fly 1986

Critics score:
91 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune: The Fly seizes on our ingrained, instinctive horror of sexuality, the sense of shame that our fundamentally puritanical society can't help but teach us, and by confirming our worst fears, helps us, for a moment, to move beyond them. Read more

Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune: As slimy and as grotesque as some of its special effects become, The Fly is a far superior horror film to the top-grossing film in America of late, Aliens. Read more

Patrick Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: What makes The Fly such a stunning piece of obsessive film making is the way Cronenberg deftly allows us to identify with his monstrous creation. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: What's good about the film are the strong performances and the ingenious, mostly amusing script. What's ugly, of course, is the grossness. And what's bad is the movie's inability to reconcile its good and ugly aspects. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Wildly imaginative, gut-wrenchingly scarifying and profoundly primal (not to mention funny), David Cronenberg's The Fly is a movie that whacks you in the solar plexus and leaves you gasping. Read more

Caryn James, New York Times: ...a film that tries to be too many things at once -- funny but not campy, sad and scary, a horror story and a human tragedy... Read more

Pat Graham, Chicago Reader: Image so much subverts intention that Jeff Goldblum's tragic flyperson finally seems more ludicrous than affecting, voyeuristically bizarre. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The Fly is almost unique for a horror movie in that it compels us sympathize with and root for the characters. Read more

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: A gross-your-eyes-out horror movie that is also the year's most poignant romance. Read more

Tom Charity, Time Out: The playful, quirky chemistry between Goldblum and Davis in the first half of the movie ensures that this gothic horror is heartbreaking as well as stomach-churning. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: David Cronenberg's remake of the 1958 horror classic The Fly is not for the squeamish. Casting Jeff Goldblum was a good choice as he brings a quirky, common touch to the spacey scientist role. Read more