The Fly(1958)
1958 · Kurt Neumann · 94 min
Industrialist François Delambre is called late at night by his sister-in-law, Helene, who tells him that she has just killed her husband. Reluctant at first, she eventually explains to the police that he invented a matter transportation apparatus and, while experimenting on himself, a fly entered the chamber.
Science Fiction · Horror · Drama
7.0623 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
1/5
Gore
3/5
Stays with you
How The Fly scares
The Fly builds its horror slowly, told mostly in flashback with a somber, tragic tone rather than shocks or scares. The fear comes less from gore and more from watching a man slowly lose his mind and body to something he can't undo, which makes it unsettling in a sad, creeping way. There's a famous unnerving image near the end that still gets under people's skin, but the movie as a whole plays more like a tragedy with horror elements than a scare machine. Good for people who like old-school sci-fi with real emotional weight rather than jolts and blood.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Fly rates psychological 4/5, visceral 3/5, gore 1/5, lingering effect 3/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 4 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 1 of 5
- Lingering: 3 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 15 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 30 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 50 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
Starts with a grim confession before easing into a slow, drama-heavy flashback that gradually tightens into mounting dread, ending in a sharp, disturbing climax.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is The Fly?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Fly rates 2/5 — moderately scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be restrained with gore and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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