The Fly (1958)

Stars	User	Rating
4	Paxton	70 _63rd
Immortalized not by Cronenberg, but by The Simpsons ("And I let him use my toothbrush!"). Its greatest strength is also its greatest fault: sticking closely to its source material. The short story is fantastic, but it plays out a little too slowly on film, and unfortunately relegates Vincent Price to a tragically brief supporting role. Both reveals of the mutated bodies are amazing and ends on a particularly grim note. Not Katy Perry's Roar grim notes, but close. Auto-tuned Tourette's = Roar
2	wayofthegun	80 _66th
Very effective old-school horror/thriller. The build-up was done very well and the payoff was executed effectively.
2	frankswild	65 _40th
"It'd be funny if life wasn't so sacred"
2	Suture Self	7 _67th
A surprisingly believable and effective tragedy for a 1950s horror flick. Not without something to say about technology and the "great acceleration", either.
2	Anomaly	77 _66th
Surprisingly bold and effective at times, certainly enough so to mostly ignore the cheesier bits and slow pacing. The famous ending is delightfully grim.
2	janus	75 _64th
More than a little goofy at times but Cinemascope, Vincent Price, and exceptional sound puts it far beyond the usual creature-feature schlock.
2	DavidBlast	80 _80th
It may have a rather cheesy feel today, but really 'The Fly' is a victim of it's time, drowned in the silly sci-fi schlock from the period. Although not as gross-out effective as it's remake, the tragedy on display here is one and the same. The brilliance lies in telling the mad scientist story through the eyes of the woman that loves him. It's not perfect, but it offers a different take than Cronenbergs, and it has a bitchin' sound design, a crueler ending and a wicked scene involving a cat.
2	bof	72 _64th
It's still surprisingly creepy. Yes, the pacing is odd by today's standards and the truly chilling bit - the man realising that he's slowly losing his mind and his humanity - could well have been stretched out longer. And of course, the ending is what it is. But... still. Buzzzzzz. The scary bit isn't the monster, it's when we still haven't seen the monster but just the man with a hood over his head, typing on a typewriter how his brain is starting to tell him strange things...
2	backwardsuit	75 _66th
The idea itself is super-creepy and some of the execution works effectively. Story-wise it's a bit dated and slow but in the end kinda impressive with it's dark sentiment. Vincent Price doesn't get to flip out much which is always a minus.
2	Hawkins	64 _33rd
Uniquely tragic sci-fi horror with a yell-at-the-screen inept protagonist who, with her spouses life hanging in the balance, repeatedly fails to net a fly that her simpleton son nabs twice without even caring. Worse, she somehow fails to grasp what a brake press is going to do before its too late, but hey, I've seen factory workers lose fingers because they fail to grasp what a brake press is going to do before its too late. The terror is real.
2	hiromiyamoto	88 _55th
Creepy. And I'm not just talking about Vincent Price.
2	PianoSama	65 _45th
Featuring solid performances by Price, Owens & Hedison as well as effects that largely hold up today thanks to their simplicity, it's a campy & cheesy B-movie from an era full of them, but it manages to stand on its own as a memorable sci-fi flick despite that. Good pacing, an intriguing narrative, & a fun payoff all contribute to an overall enjoyable ride that's worth a look- even if it's far from perfect, & not all of it has aged well.
1	djross	55 _52nd
The pathos is effective.
1	tinythedogg	60 _49th
Takes a bit too long, but it si still well acted and worth the watch.
1	PeaceAnarchy	77 _51st
Needs more Vincent Price, but otherwise it's a well done film even though it shows its age.
1	joseywales	75 _73rd
Not quite as good as Cronenberg's remake but a great film nonetheless.
1	caiman	83 _72nd
This is a really fun, surprisingly dark story that entertains just like you'd expect from 50s science fiction. It's got scientists pushing the limits of discovery, cool creature costumes, Vincent Price hamming it up like only he can, and beautiful Cinemascope.
1	BillyShears	75 _65th
She changed her mind, you know how woman are - a ten year old eating a gravy soaked meal with Vincent Price. Gobsmacked over how classy it was to be accused of murder in the 50s. Interrogated in bed over tea. I kept the subtitles on during the cat scene and ... it’s longer than you think, Dad! Longer than you think!
1	sork	38 _26th
Kind of cool, but more depressing.
1	INDYATMN	87 _80th
Haven't seen this since I was a kid but it stayed w/ me. Bc of this & bc some of the impact of this requires surprise, I had to FF parts of it. & as an adult there are 1950s flaws: the eye-rollingly perfect family; the tacked-on happy ending; the contrivances (why not tell people what happened? why did the scientist avoid telling anyone for so long when he had the greatest invention ever?) BUT what worked still works: the suspense, the reveals, the gruesome fly head & the chilling "Help me!"
1	WWallce4prez	74 _56th
The tragedy of this story is played with a few horrific images to really set a somber tone that feels refreshing for 1958. Sure, there is some camp, but the brevity of the titular character works well.
1	SirStuckey	75 _67th
That ending is quite the scene.

Average Percentile 52.02% from 986 Ratings