David Cronenberg’s career is winding down, and while only half is filmography is in Horror, those films have carved out a deep impression in the landscape. He will forever be known for his Body Horror, made not because he likes to geek out on blood and guts but because he’s fascinated like a scientist would be by how the body might adapt and react to outside stimulation.
The Fly is such a perfect match of filmmaker to material I don’t even think of it as a remake. The 1958 original has its charms, but is the kind of B-grade monster movie you would expect from that period. It does a simple swap of a fly head on a human body and vice-versa. Cronenberg’s film takes you through the full physical transformation, of a man losing his human form. There are two giant leaps that are unforgettable, when Seth Brundle adapts a fly’s digestion and the final moments when he finally looks like a giant mutated fly.
Like Sissy Spacek in Carrie, the director has a committed on-screen partner doing some of their best work. Like in Jurassic Park, Jeff Goldblum taps into a sexy nerdiness, enhanced by the fly’s increased appetite for everything. Because this film is a tragedy, Goldblum goes from enjoying the physical change to embracing it and finally trying to fight the only outcome possible. Like a great dance partner, Geena Davis moves with him every step of the way. They give Cronenberg’s film heart and soul, and he responds with a careful consideration resulting in a film as fascinating as it is repulsive.
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