Eeeeeeew! Bluuuuuuck! Graaaaaaak! But not just fingernail pus squirting out at the bathroom mirror money shots or regurgitation bile melting feet and hands. Also there is a true tragic love story. When Brundlefly discovers Ronnie’s plan to have an abortion there is, amazingly, real feeling in the scene. Cronenberg’s ability to play these scenes straight, yet still frightening, is remarkable. Also — Goldblum’s ranting pre-metamorphosis monologues (“Drink deep, or taste not, the plasma spring! Y’see what I’m sayin?”) are an absolute riot and, perhaps, the greatest examples of the Cronenbergian “is he kidding or does he actually take this seriously” phenomenon. Plus, there’s no good guy or bad guy. . .yet the movie was still a hit. Go figure.
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Jordan Hoffman is a New York-based writer and film critic working for The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Thrillist, Times of Israel, NY Daily News and elsewhere.
He is the host of ENGAGE: The Official Star Trek Podcast, a member of the New York Film Critics Circle and challenges you to a game of backgammon.