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The Fly

The Fly

Horror · Science Fiction · 1986

When brilliant, eccentric scientist Seth Brundle makes a huge technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.

Movie details

The Fly

“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

1986 Horror · Science Fiction 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.4 / 10

Community rating

When brilliant, eccentric scientist Seth Brundle makes a huge technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Fly?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David Cronenberg

Written by

David Cronenberg · Charles Edward Pogue

Jeff Goldblum

Jeff Goldblum

Seth Brundle

Geena Davis

Geena Davis

Veronica Quaife

John Getz

John Getz

Stathis Borans

Joy Boushel

Joy Boushel

Tawny

Leslie Carlson

Leslie Carlson

Dr. Cheevers

George Chuvalo

George Chuvalo

Marky

Michael Copeman

Michael Copeman

2nd Man in Bar

Court is in session

Put The Fly on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Arthouse Gremlin

“Its refusal to behave is the point.”

The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Oddness is not depth.”

A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.