Jeff Goldblum gives what is arguably his finest performance in David Cronenberg's remake of the 1956 movie of the same name, which sees scientist Seth Brundle accidently spliced together with the DNA of a fly during a teleportation experiment gone horrifically wrong. What follows is a picture centered around a terrifying transformation, as Brundle slowly becomes more alert, powerful and confident, before succumbing to the horrors of what it really means to be half man, half fly. A special effects triumph that also works as a reverent allegory for the AIDs crisis, The Fly shows Cronenberg working at the absolute height of his brilliant, twisted powers. And here's a remake that also happens to be better than the original film. What makes The Fly so riveting is the way in which Goldblum manages to make Brundle's transformation believable - at no point do we question his descent into madness, because the actor grounds his performance in reality. Indeed, there are many who believe Goldblum was robbed of an Oscar for his work here. Geena Davis is also excellent as his love interest; the makeup and costume effects are vivid and gruesome; Howard Shore's musical score hits the right note of tragedy; the sci-fi elements feel detailed and thought out. At a lean 96 minutes, this is bold, mandatory stuff.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
