Watch The Fly

The Fly, released in 1958, is a science-fiction horror film directed by Kurt Neumann and produced by 20th Century Fox. The movie stars David Hedison as Andre Delambre, Patricia Owens as his wife Helene Delambre, and Vincent Price as Francois Delambre, Andre's brother. The story revolves around Andre's invention of a teleportation device that unfortunately results in an unintended mutation, which gradually turns him into a fly.

The movie begins with Helene Delambre confessing to a murder, after killing her husband, Andre Delambre, when he was caught in a web-like trap, and his head was crushed with a press. Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall) is skeptical of Helene's confession and interrogates her about the events leading up to Andre's death, which sets the stage for the flashbacks that make up the majority of the movie.

The story unfolds, and we get to see Andre's obsession with inventing a teleportation device that could transport matter from one place to another instantly. He successfully carries out experiments using inanimate objects, but the critical test of teleporting living beings is constantly eluding him. However, with the help of his devoted wife Helene and brother Francois, he eventually cracks the code and is finally able to teleport living matter but with unforeseen consequences.

When Andre tries to transmit himself through the machine, a tiny housefly becomes stuck in the transmitter unit along with him, leading to the fusion of their atoms. But the results are not as expected. Andre only half reappears from the other side of the machine, with his head and arm transformed into those of a housefly. The experiment also leaves him with deteriorating health conditions, resulting in his eventual death. Helene tries to keep the incident hidden from the world, but the appearance of a white-headed fly and the unexplained disappearance of Andre triggers Charas's suspicion.

As the movie progresses, we get to witness Andre's slow transformation into a grotesque, half-human half-fly creature. His mental state deteriorates along with his physical appearance, leading to the situation where he is reduced to a crawling insect, living among grime and filth. The transformation is gradual and terrifying, especially as we see Andre slowly losing his grip on his humanity.

The Fly is yet another excellent example of how horror and science-fiction can blend together to create an engrossing story. The movie's primary focus is on the transformation of Andre and how his invention leads to his eventual demise. It explores various themes such as obsession, the importance of caution in scientific endeavors, and the consequences of playing God.

The acting in the movie is commendable, with David Hedison delivering an outstanding performance as Andre. His portrayal of a man slowly losing his grip on reality, both physically and mentally, is both terrifying and poignant. Patricia Owens's portrayal of Andre's wife, Helene, is another highlight, as she goes from the caring wife to a victim struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of her husband's transformative experiment.

Vincent Price, as always, is a delight to watch. Although his role is minimal, he adds his trademark charm to the character of Francois, Andre's brother. Herbert Marshall's portrayal of Inspector Charas also adds to the movie's overall intrigue.

The movie's technical aspects are also impressive, with the special effects used to portray Andre's transformation being groundbreaking for their time. The movie features some of the most iconic scenes in the history of horror, particularly the scene where Andre tries to use a human fly swatter to kill himself, or when we see Andre's transformed head and arm emerging from the machine.

Overall, The Fly is an impeccable horror classic, delivering on all fronts. It features impressive performances from its cast, a gripping plot, and impressive special effects. The movie's lasting legacy is evident in the numerous adaptations and remakes to come after, but none have managed to capture the same level of terror that the 1958 original did.

The Fly is a 1958 science fiction movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1 and a MetaScore of 62.