Jeff Goldblum in The Fly
Noni Ford digs into her first viewing of The Fly, its practical effects, Jeff Goldblum’s fantastic performance, and questions like, “Just where did Brundle get all of those monkeys?”
I had no idea what I was in for when I began watching David Cronenberg’s adaptation of The Fly and I’m so glad I went in blind. I’ve enjoyed a slew of body horror films, but I don’t think any really prepared me for this film, which is quite funny seeing as Cronenberg is one of the originators of the genre. If you are looking for something grotesque, horrifying, and thrilling, then this is certainly the movie for you.
The very first scene sets us up at a cocktail party for scientists with new research where we see Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) trying to impress and flirt with Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) by tipping her off to his cutting-edge experiments. Although she seems unconvinced of his claims, she agrees to accompany him to this lab to see his tests. Her skepticism turns to amazement once she sees a demonstration of his successful teleportation experiments. Soon swept away by the implications of this technology, she gets deeper into the story and begins falling in love with Brundle. Her editor at Particle magazine, who is also an ex-lover of hers, repeatedly throws himself at Veronica after sensing her growing attachment to Brundle. His disbelief in the validity of Brundle’s research seems spurred on by his jealousy towards their burgeoning relationship. We are led to believe the rest of the film will be largely about the unfolding dynamics of these three characters as they look towards the future of their careers and the technology of tomorrow. While we do get some of that, we also get a unique twist that drives the tension and stakes up significantly.
Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum
I watched this film with a close friend who had previously seen it and while watching the movie we had many questions we shared aloud, such as the ethics of both Veronica’s relationship with Brundle as a reporter and with her boss and former boyfriend, Stathis. We also wondered how Brundle was able to secure more than one monkey for his experiments. Another inquiry we discussed at length was the slander against flies that ran throughout the narrative, with the movie essentially saying that flies were jerks and volatile romantic partners. And the question we are still pondering is what city can support a science journalist to the extent she can afford such a spacious one-bedroom apartment?
Lingering questions aside, though, I enjoyed this film quite thoroughly, for what it was and for its amount of practical effects, which were a feat to pull off on such a small budget. The story, even with its leaps, is so well contained and the actors really take us with them moment-to-moment. Although I would have loved to have some of my wonderings answered, I ultimately felt so invested in these characters and their trajectories that I didn’t need to know anything extra to enjoy this movie. One specific callout I need to make is for Jeff Goldblum, who really gives a tour de force performance. It’s exceptionally hard to play a sort of Jekyll and Hyde character without it at times veering too far into comedy, but he gave the character levity. His work acting through his heavy prosthetics was also impressive, as he was able to convey quite the complexity of Brundle’s state of mind during shifts in his physical appearance and mental state. He brings a fallible quality to Brundle that makes you sympathize with the sweet and arrogant scientist.
Goldblum as Brundle
The Fly is horror done right: a clear three-act structure, some chilling visuals, twists, and all delivered in about ninety minutes. As movie runtimes continue to balloon in the modern age, it’s movies like this that I relish for their succinctness and clarity of vision. Not every story must be an epic that takes you part of your morning to get through for just the first two acts — and horror especially shouldn’t be over ninety minutes with very few exceptions. Cronenberg gives us some laughs, some terror, some jumps, and some romance all packaged into a tragic story. After watching the film, I read about its interpretations and saw various theories on it being a metaphor for death, the AIDS epidemic, and drug addiction. The variety of thoughts and opinions on this just shows how so many audiences can be inspired by a story that is contained but open enough to offer different readings and tap into individual anxieties and life experiences. In my eyes this is a classic that I will absolutely look forward to watching again, so whether you have never seen it before, or it’s been a minute since your last watch, please come to IU Cinema for our Valentine’s Day screening of The Fly.
David Cronenberg’s The Fly will be screened at IU Cinema on February 14.