Wife of inventor crushes him in a hyrdraulic press. Is she insane, or just a murderess? And why is she so fascinated by flies? One of the classic sci-fi films of the 1950s, cannily presented as a mystery. Benefits from some fine performances, especially the underrated Owens. James Clavell's script is a little too glib at times (for example, don't vaporise your wife's cat and say things like "It would be funny if life wasn't so sacred.") Made up for by the best monster reveal since Phantom of the Opera (1925).
If you are going to experiment with matter transporters ("disintegrator-integrators"), make sure you don't have holes in your screen windows...
Followed by Return of the Fly (1959) and Curse of the Fly (1965). Messily but very well remade in 1986, and adapted as an opera in 2008! |