Funko Mystery Minis – Horror Classics Series 2: The Fly

The 1950s were a golden era for horror and monster movies. Much of the world was undergoing a post-WWII boom, but there were still threats aplenty that people needed to exorcise from the psyche somehow – Communists (real or imagined) and the omnipresent spectre of nuclear war. From this climate, The Fly was conceived and birthed.

The film takes a very literal approach to the costuming, with a giant plastic fly head and “claw”. It’s cheesy by today’s standards, but it’s pretty typical stuff for the time. And when you watch enough older sci-fi or horror movies, you get to kind of enjoy this aesthetic. For instance, you can see the mould lines on the Metaluna Mutant’s costume – but does it really detract from the mood of the movie? Would a modern CG version look better without a substantial redesign? Generally, the answer is no. So you’re better off just rolling with it.  

This Mystery Mini replicates the look from the film fairly faithfully, while still matching with the stylised feel of the wider range. He’s got his lab coat, fly head and claw – all the key details that stand out. Paintwork is fairly nice too, with a metallic blue giving the distinctive fly’s eye look.    

I’ve never seen the original version of The Fly, but I’m quite a fan of the 1986 Cronenberg version, which is far more graphic and focused on body horror than the original ever would have been allowed to be. And of course, I like the Misfits song about the series too. So this figure wasn’t essential for my collection – but in spite of being from 20^th Century Fox, he fits in nicely with the Universal Monsters.  

The Fly is packed at a 1/24 ratio; I’ve only ever come across one, and I was fortunate enough to find it in a comics store that sold them individually. It’s a great figure, and if you can track it down for a reasonable price, it’s well worth the investment. Now here’s hoping we eventually get a POP of this guy, and a Brundlefly too.