Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Classic '80s horror has some violence, gory moments.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Fly
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
Based on 20 kid reviews
Kids say this movie combines horror and sci-fi elements with impressive practical effects that evoke strong reactions, making it both grotesque and memorable. While some viewers find it suitable for younger audiences, many agree it should be approached with caution due to its graphic content and themes of body horror.
- body horror
- practical effects
- suitable for teens
- graphic content
- not for children
- memorable performances
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In THE FLY, Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), a brilliant but socially awkward scientist, meets Victoria Quaife (Geena Davis), a science reporter, at a social function. Eager to impress her, Brundle invites Quaife to his warehouse home and laboratory to show her what he's working on: "telepods," in which objects can teleport from one pod to the other. But he has been unable to make his experiment work on living things until Quaife, who is starting to become smitten with Brundle, gives him some unscientific advice that points Brundle in the right direction. But Quaife is trying to break up with her former boyfriend, who is also her editor. While she's off trying to end things with her editor, Brundle gets the wrong idea, gets drunk, and decides to teleport himself now that he has figured out how to transfer living creatures from one telepod to the other. However, when Brundle does this, a fly manages to get inside the telepod. When he emerges, Brundle seems fine at first, but over time, he gradually begins to take on the physical features and behaviors of a house fly, and gradually begins to look more and more like one. Now it's up to Brundle, with help from Quaife, to see if there's a way to stop Brundle's metamorphosis into a fly before he loses his humanity.
Is It Any Good?
While the fashions, computer technology, mullet hair, and big perms haven't aged well, the rest of this film has stood the test of time. Jeff Goldblum's trademark mannerisms and speech cadences give his mad-scientist character an understated yet plain awkwardness that offsets how menacing he slowly becomes, first in his behavior and then in his physical appearance. This tale of human-to-insect metamorphosis was the perfect vehicle for director David Cronenberg, known for the nightmare-inducing imagery in such movies as Scanners, Videodrome, and Naked Lunch.
Like all good stories, The Fly takes full advantage of the possibilities in the premise. It's subtle at first -- Brundle dropping sugar cube after endless sugar cube into a cappuccino during the earliest stages of turning into a fly, for instance -- with each step slowly becoming more menacing. It's the kind of slow burn that Hitchcock turned into an art form. The scares and gore proceed organically from the story and avoid the gratuitous excesses of so many other horror movies. It's fun, frightening, creepy, gross, and engrossing -- a horror classic.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about remakes. This version of The Fly, a remake of a 1958 movie, has taken on a life of its own as an '80s horror classic. What are some other examples of movie remakes that are just as good, if not better, than the original? Does this happen often?
How are computers and technology conveyed in this movie? How would they be shown differently if this movie came out today?
What are some other examples of movies, TV shows, and literary fiction in which characters turn into supernatural beings, animals, or insects? Why do you think there's an appeal for these kinds of stories?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 15, 1986
- On DVD or streaming : October 4, 2005
- Cast : Jeff Goldblum , Geena Davis , John Getz
- Director : David Cronenberg
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : 20th Century Fox
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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