I’ve always loved horror, but October is when I really get to indulge in it. I love the colder weather, the darker evenings and, obviously, the fact that Halloween is just around the corner. There’s something about this time of year that makes watching horror movies feel even better. Give me a dark room, a blanket and a genuinely creepy movie and I’m pretty much sorted.
Hi, welcome to 31 days of horror, where I’m challenging myself to watch one horror movie every single day for 31 days in October. Some are old favorites I haven’t seen in years, while others are films I’ve never seen before.
So this year, I’m taking my love of horror a little further. I’m challenging myself to watch one horror movie every day for 31 days, taking me from October 1 all the way through Halloween. Some of these are old favorites I haven’t watched in years and desperately need a refresher on, while others are films I’ve somehow never seen before.
For day three, I’m watching “The Fly,” the gruesome 1986 body-horror classic from David Cronenberg and starring Jeff Goldblum. I’ve recorded my reaction and thoughts after watching it, so you can follow along with my 31-day horror challenge below (along with a transcript of my video). Will I make it through the month? There’s only one way to find out.
@tomsguideentertainment♬ Suspense, horror, piano and music box – takaya
What is ‘The Fly’ about?
Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is a brilliant but eccentric scientist working on a machine that can teleport objects from one place to another. When science journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) takes an interest in his invention, Seth invites her to document his experiments as he works to make the technology capable of transporting living creatures. After successfully teleporting a baboon, Seth becomes convinced that he has finally solved the machine’s biggest problem.
But when Veronica leaves following an argument, a frustrated Seth decides to test the machine on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly enters the teleportation pod with him. Seth emerges seemingly unharmed, but it soon becomes clear that something has gone terribly wrong. His body begins undergoing increasingly disturbing changes, while he develops strange new abilities and physical traits.
My thoughts after watching ‘The Fly’
The Fly” is actually a pretty simple movie, and I mean that as a compliment. We meet Seth Brundle, played brilliantly by Jeff Goldblum, a determined scientist who is trying to perfect teleportation. He meets Geena Davis’ character Veronica, and the two fall in love. Seth, however, is determined to take his experiments further and find a way to teleport organic matter, including humans. When he decides to put himself through the machine, he doesn’t realize that a fly has entered with him. From there, the movie follows his slow and increasingly gruesome transformation.
The story itself is straightforward, but the real strength of this classic comes from its incredible body horror and practical effects. This is one of the reasons I love so much horror from the ’70s and ’80s. Practical effects can make everything feel much more visceral and tangible, and “The Fly” is a particularly great example of that. The transformation is genuinely disgusting, and by the end, I was cringing at just how far Seth’s physical deterioration had gone. Seth is also a complex character. He has his flaws, but it’s difficult not to feel sorry for him as he watches himself become this grotesque being.
He was on the verge of achieving something extraordinary, only to have his own experiment turn against him. The movie also does a great job with Veronica, showing how much she still cares about Seth despite everything that is happening to him physically. Their relationship gives the increasingly disturbing transformation an emotional weight beyond the body horror itself. Credit has to go to the effects team and costume department because some of the imagery in this movie is seriously disturbing. There are moments where you can almost feel the physical discomfort of what Seth is going through, which makes the transformation even harder to watch.
My only real issue is that the ending feels a little abrupt. After all the chaos leading up to it, I would have liked some kind of cool-down period before the credits, even if only for a few minutes. Still, I can completely understand why “The Fly” has become such a classic sci-fi horror movie. I also only recently discovered that it has a sequel, “The Fly 2,” which came out in 1989. Judging by the reviews, though, I think I’ll probably give that one a miss. For me, the original works perfectly well on its own.
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