The Fly Deep-Dive Review

The Fly was released in 1986 and quickly became director David Cronenberg's most successful film, lending itself to a far more mainstream narrative in spite of some serious body horror elements, especially along the back half of the film. Jeff Goldblum was still on the rise and was by no means a bankable leading man, so it was something of a risk when producer Stuart Cornfeld hired him to carry the film. To boot, David Cronenberg had been tapped to direct Total Recall for Dino de Laurentiis and was unable to take The Fly when producer Mel Brook called (yes, that Mel Brooks), and it was only through a series of both interesting and unfortunate circumstances that the stars aligned and Cronenberg was later brought on to direct. Geena Davis plays the lead supporting role, and was, in fact, Jeff Goldblum's real-life girlfriend at the time, which helps to explain the immediate and intense chemistry the two share throughout the movie. While heavy on the gore in the second half of the film, The Fly is still a superbly-rich narrative filled with empathy for the main character's unfortunate degradation. The tone is simultaneously somber and thrilling, and Jeff Goldblum's intensely physical performance is one for the ages. Quite simply, The Fly is David Cronenberg's masterpiece. Find out why in this episode of Esoterica Cinema with Jason Peters and Ryan Seybold.