The Fly

The Fly is currently streaming in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the UK on Disney Plus, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 5,012 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Jeff Goldblum leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Put it on tonight on Disney Plus and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Fly is worth clearing space for. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry The Fly through its more ambitious moments. When brilliant, eccentric scientist Seth Brundle makes a huge technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one. Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis lead a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. The Fly came out in 1986. What separates The Fly from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, The Fly fits the bill. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Jeff Goldblum anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.