Before Clayface, 1986’s The Fly is Mandatory Viewing

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The new DC film is venturing into much grimmer territory for the DC universe, and it’s not shying away from intense and disturbing content. Instead of a typical villain origin story, the film will show Matt Hagen’s terrifying transformation into a monster, with a level of gruesome body horror rarely seen since the classic film The Fly.

Released in 1986, The Fly was remarkable for its incredible practical effects and its moving, tragic story of a man who transforms into a monster through self-experimentation motivated by love. This makes it a highlight in David Cronenberg’s work, and a particularly insightful film to watch before Clayface, as the two share similar themes.

The Fly is an Adaptation of a Much Earlier Version Taken to Disgusting New Levels

Before David Cronenberg directed The Fly, the original 1958 film had a much more lighthearted, though still scary, premise: a man and a fly literally swap heads and an arm. Cronenberg, however, took the basic idea and created a truly disturbing and unsettling body horror film, building tension slowly and deeply affecting viewers.

The movie centers on Seth Brundle, a brilliant but unusual scientist who successfully invents teleportation. He begins a relationship with a reporter who wants to cover his groundbreaking work. However, during a test of the teleportation device, a fly accidentally enters the machine with him. This causes his genes to merge with the fly’s, and he horrifyingly transforms into a human-fly hybrid, losing his humanity in the process.

David Cronenberg’s The Fly is a truly unsettling and brilliant horror film, and a standout in the science fiction genre. What makes it so remarkable is that it’s a remake that not only surpasses the original, but becomes a classic in its own right – a rare achievement for any remake. The film is intensely disturbing as it depicts a man’s horrifying transformation, and it’s compelling even knowing the tragic outcome, which is a testament to its power.

The Fly is a Deconstruction of the Superhero Mythos

The real power of The Fly isn’t just its story, which is great, but how it shows Seth Brundle’s gradual transformation. It starts with minor skin problems, but quickly becomes a disturbing breakdown of who he is, as his body parts begin to fall off and he loses his ability to function normally. Even when he’s trying to be gentle, he’s unsettling to watch, and his increasingly jerky, fly-like movements highlight his loss of humanity.

The truly sad part isn’t that this is a scary story, but what it says about superhero movies in general, especially as we see more and more of them. Think about a character like Spider-Man – everyone knows his story. This film explores how gaining power, like when Brundle gets stronger and faster, can quickly turn into something horrific, almost like a disease.

His body is undergoing fundamental changes due to his powers, but this transformation isn’t simply about gaining strength. He’s actually losing parts of himself, a process happening so gradually he doesn’t even notice it, distracted as he is by the thrill of his abilities. This is a disturbing twist on the typical superhero origin story, making you question whether gaining superpowers is truly worth the cost.

Matt Hagen isn’t transforming into a hero; he’s becoming a villain. This fits a familiar pattern – an ordinary person driven to extreme measures, losing their identity bit by bit as they physically change, and being unable to stop it. Because of this, the Clayface story could be a great modern take on The Fly for DC Studios.

Clayface Has the Potential to Tell a New Type of Story Inspired by The Fly

The film The Fly is a great example of how to create a truly impactful story. It demonstrates that simply showing a character falling apart isn’t enough; the audience needs to emotionally connect with them first. The Fly achieved this by portraying Seth Brundle as a genuine person who made a sincere mistake, and then showing the harsh realities of his situation, prompting viewers to consider how they would react if they were in his place.

Clayface’s story shares similarities with The Fly, focusing on an actor caught in a terrible accident that left lasting scars. Like anyone would, Matt Hagen sought a way to fix his condition, but it backfired. Audiences can understand his desperation, making his horrifying transformation even more impactful because he didn’t ask for it – much like the character of Brundle in The Fly.

The brief trailer for Clayface strongly suggested a very different approach than previous films. It clearly signaled a darker, more intense story, and gave creators the freedom to be as gritty and shocking as necessary to generate buzz with fans.

A Clayface movie could be like a modern take on The Fly, challenging our idea of superheroes while also being genuinely disturbing. For Batman fans, Clayface is a well-known villain, much like how people remembered The Fly before the remake. A new film could build on that existing knowledge, delivering a shocking and surprisingly heartbreaking story within the DC Universe.

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2026-04-25 06:10