Iconic, R-Rated Sci-Fi Thriller Is A Deadly Experiment Gone Horribly Wrong Robert Scucci Tue, November 25, 2025 at 4:18 PM UTC 4 min read Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm famously said, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should,” in 1993’s Jurassic Park. Tragically, this wasn’t a message Seth Brundle was yet aware of in 1986’s The Fly because his commitment to science in David Cronenberg’s masterpiece doesn’t echo that sentiment at all. A terrifying entry about technological malfeasance and the dangers of unchecked experimentation, The Fly is a body horror classic from a genre master. It is not for the faint of heart, but every sci-fi horror fan owes it to themselves to watch it at least once. It’s easy to see why critics at the time reveled in The Fly’s storytelling and cinematography, with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert respectively ranking it in their top 10 and top 20 films of 1986. It is raw, disturbing, and brutally clear about how fast an experiment can go wrong, with no way to pull back once the damage is done, making for an intense and visceral viewing experience. The Obsession Quickly Takes Hold The Fly 1986 The Fly centers on Seth Brundle, a man of science who is consumed by his developing telepod technology. At the outset, Seth can only teleport inanimate objects, which impresses science journalist Ronnie Quaife (Geena Davis), who wants to publish his findings at the urging of her editor, Stathis Borans (John Getz). Seth convinces Ronnie to hold off until he can teleport living matter, promising her a better story. That pressure drives him to rush his research, which first results in a failed (read: horrifyingly graphic) baboon test, then a successful one. Swept up in the excitement, Seth and Ronnie grow close, and Seth’s surge of confidence allows him to keep pushing forward in his research. In a reckless leap toward human trials, Seth uses himself as a guinea pig, unaware that a fly has slipped into the telepod with him. The transport works, and Seth is ecstatic, but he has no idea what just happened to his DNA. He soon becomes fascinated with his sudden surge in strength and agility, as well as his amplified sexual appetite, chalking it all up to a scientific breakthrough. Ronnie, who cares about him and has the clearer head, is disturbed by the physical changes that begin to manifest, all signs pointing to something deeply wrong with his experiment. From Nobel Prize Potential To Terrifying Transformation The Fly 1986 Seth, amazed but horrified by his transformation, pushes forward with his research, even as it destroys him, both physically and mentally. Once Seth realizes the severity of what he has done, he knows there is no going back because the mutation has fully taken hold. The fly’s biology steadily consumes him, turning him into a monstrous version of himself. Every step of the way, his obsessive work undermines the validity of the technology he wanted the world to celebrate. The Fly 1986 Source: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/movies/articles/iconic-r-rated-sci-fi-161825827.html