Nearly 40 Years Later, A Horror Masterpiece Joins Paramount+ (But The Sequel Is Still Missing)

The 1980s were an incredible time for horror movies. The genre has had a great run in recent years as well, in addition to a fantastic run in the late ’90s-early ’00s, but there’s something about the ’80s that remains unparalleled in the world of horror. The decade is responsible for an absurd amount of all-time classics, ranging from iconic slashers to body horror/sci-fi epics that changed the game. One such movie, that many would still consider a genre masterpiece, just made its way to the Paramount+ lineup this month, making for a perfect Halloween stream.

The 1986 remake of The Fly, from the one and only David Cronenberg, is both a horror and sci-fi classic that feels as though it hasn’t aged a day. Celebrating its 40th anniversary last year, the cautionary tale about a brilliant scientist who slowly begins transforming into a fly features better makeup and effects than many new movies. Thankfully, the film is more accessible than ever (despite still not receiving the long-overdue 4K restoration that fans have been begging for).

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The Fly joined the horror-heavy lineup on Paramount+ beginning October 1st, and the film was already available to stream on Hulu. That makes one of the best movies of the 1980s (and potentially all-time) incredibly easy to stream. If you have 95 minutes at any point this Halloween season and you haven’t seen The Fly, this is the perfect time.

The Fly II Is Still Completely Missing From Streaming

Cronenberg’s take on The Fly is a remake of a 1958 film of the same name. Unlike its predecessor, however, this edition of The Fly actually got a sequel. The Fly II arrived in 1989 and, while it failed to make the same impact, it also has a fairly dedicated fan base out there. The unfortunate thing here is that The Fly II isn’t streaming alongside the first movie.

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Not only is the sequel not on the same services as Cronenberg’s film, The Fly II isn’t actually streaming anywhere. It’s not even available to rent or purchase on-demand from places like Amazon or Apple. In the world of streaming, you simply can’t access the film anywhere.

The only official way to watch The Fly II right now is through a DVD or Blu-ray. Fortunately, both of those physical versions of the film are pretty easy to get your hands on, so they don’t carry crazy price tags. Right now, you can buy a copy of The Fly II for anywhere from $20-30 on Amazon.

In the sequel, Eric Stoltz plays the son of Jeff Goldblum’s character from The Fly. The child is adopted by the company that Seth Brundle worked for when his fly transformation began, and they study him with the knowledge that he has the same genes within him, and will likely also undergo a severe mutation over time. It doesn’t hold a candle to the first film, but The Fly II is still a worthy horror successor if you’re able to check it out.