The Fly

Play trailer

2:02

The Fly

R

1986

1h 35m

Horror

Sci-Fi

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

168 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When scientist Seth Brundle completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the process, leading to a merger of man and insect. Initially, Brundle appears to have undergone a successful teleportation, but the fly's cells begin to take over his body. As he becomes increasingly fly-like, Brundle's girlfriend is horrified as the person she once loved deteriorates into a monster.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Fusing strong characters and gripping pathos, David Cronenberg's The Fly transforms its grotesque sci-fi horror concept into an unexpectedly moving tragedy with strong performances, dark humor, and visceral imagery.

Read Critics Reviews

Rosemary Breslin

New York Daily News

6 days ago

2/4

It the gross-out element weren't so high, "The Fly" would be a much better film.

Go to Full Review

Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Aug 10, 2026

3/10

Cronenberg's insistence on step-by-stop documentation of Brundle's conversion to insect takes most of the terror out of the creature.

Go to Full Review

Milton Shulman

London Evening Standard

Aug 10, 2026

What might have collapsed into another routine horror film has emerged as a disturbing and nightmarish cinema statement in the talented hands of David Cronenberg.

Go to Full Review

Bill Cosford

Miami Herald

Aug 10, 2026

2/4

Watching Goldblum sprout sensory bristles and invertebrate pustules has its moments, but only because it's Goldblum.

Go to Full Review

Bruce Bailey

Montreal Gazette

Aug 10, 2026

2.5/5

Step right up, folks. Here's your big chance to see a hand dissolving away in acid vomit, fingernails peeling off, skin turning to sandpaper, a jaw dropping off and pus shooting through the pores. Need we go on? I hope not.

Go to Full Review

Mike Studley

Liverpool Echo

Aug 10, 2026

A slick, sophisticated, engrossing example of horror movie making.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Robert P

@Superbad Sep 3, 2026

What a great new film about a guy and a fly that merge in an aborted trip through time!

See more

B P

@Bradster69 Sep 2, 2026

Definitely Recommend It

See more

Jasmine W

@jasniquejewels Aug 31, 2026

hell yeah a david cronenberg cinematic masterpiece! he is truly the best body horror director ever. literally spider-man if a scary gross fly creature. with this also being a tale of a tragic love story is just brilliant in every way.

See more

penzodo T

@RT15757770 Aug 10, 2026

Watched this movie when I was young. The makeup effects are incredibly awesome!

See more

Declan D

@filmbuffkid Jul 6, 2026

This movie is a phenomenal piece of sci-fi and body horror. Like everything was perfect, The score, the tragic romance, The acting, The plot, The practical effects were astounding. Jeff goldblum in this movie is absolutely terrifying and tragic to see, The transformation of him turning into the brundle-fly was tragic to endure. Every actor did a fantastic job on this movie, and Jeff’s co-star was fantastic, she delivers one of the best lines in horror history that being “Be afraid, Be very afraid” like I got chills hearing that sentence from her. And (Spoiler alert) The final transformation was absolutely terrifying to watch and I was gagging and was holding onto my couch. And a scene I wanna talk about is the death of the main character, Even though he fully turned into the fly, he did the right thing and told the actress’s character to end it all without dialogue. And it was phenomenal. Overall, this is a masterpiece of the Sci-fi horror genre and I would watch it again. 9.8/10

See more

Fantazynerd 1

@RT48179632 Jul 4, 2026

Does not need a remake

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

David Cronenberg

Director

Jeff Goldblum

Seth Brundle

Geena Davis

Veronica Quaife

John Getz

Stathis Borans

Joy Boushel

Tawny

Leslie Carlson

Dr. Brent Cheevers

From Beyond

73%

70%

From Beyond

Watchlist

Lifeforce

58%

46%

Lifeforce

Watchlist

The Blob

71%

60%

The Blob

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Blob

Hardware

43%

53%

Hardware

Watchlist

Species

42%

31%

Species

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Major Awards Need to Stop Ignoring Incredible Horror Performances

Jeff Goldblum’s 10 Best-Reviewed Movies

75 Best Summer Blockbusters of All Time

The Fly: Trailer 1

2:02

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

When scientist Seth Brundle completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the process, leading to a merger of man and insect. Initially, Brundle appears to have undergone a successful teleportation, but the fly's cells begin to take over his body. As he becomes increasingly fly-like, Brundle's girlfriend is horrified as the person she once loved deteriorates into a monster.

Director: David Cronenberg
Producer: Stuart Cornfeld
Screenwriter: David Cronenberg, Charles Edward Pogue
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: SLM Production Group
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 15, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $34.9M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Surround

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings