VHS Vault: The Fly (1986)

 

“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Slide this one off the dusty VHS shelf and prepare for a mix of science, tragedy, and grotesque body horror. David Cronenberg’s The Fly is the kind of tape you watch with a bowl of popcorn clutched in both hands; equal parts fascination and horror as Jeff Goldblum’s scientist loses himself in the name of science.

Seth Brundle thinks he’s on the verge of a breakthrough with teleportation… until one tiny fly changes everything. Mutation, transformation, and hair-raising practical effects turn this rental into a “don’t watch alone” experience that still creeps under your skin decades later.

Vault Fact File

• Title: The Fly
• Year: 1986
• Director: David Cronenberg
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Rating: R
• Tagline(s): “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” / “The ultimate man-to-monster story.”
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Cast Highlights: Jeff Goldblum as the doomed Brundle, Geena Davis as the sweetly unsuspecting Veronica, and John Getz as the doomed colleague. Goldblum’s charm makes the horror hit even harder.
• Special FX Magic: Chris Walas’s practical effects were groundbreaking; from Brundle’s first grotesque mutations to the horrifying final form, it’s body horror perfection on VHS.
• Fun Vault Trivia: Goldblum and Cronenberg spent hours in prosthetics to achieve the mutation effects, some so realistic that crew members fainted on set. This tape turned nightmares into an art form.

⏪ Rewind or Fast Forward?

Rewind. If you love horror that creeps under your skin while making you feel for the monster, this one’s a must-play. Tragic, creepy, and visually unforgettable, The Fly is a VHS classic that still makes you squirm in the best possible way.

⚡ Watch It

You can stream The Fly on Max or Shudder, rent it on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV, or snag the Collector’s Edition Blu-ray for that glorious practical effect experience in high definition.

Official Trailer for The FLy

Back to the Vault: Want more VHS horrors? Check out our last tape, The Thing (1982), and see what other nightmares lurk in the shadows of the Vault.