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The Fly (1958) movie poster

Timeline

The Fly (1958) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1958 · 94 min · English
Directed by
Kurt Neumann
Starring
Vincent Price, Betty Lou Gerson, Charles Herbert, David Hedison, Eugene Borden, George Calliga

A scientist's experiment involving teleportation goes horribly wrong when a fly contaminates the process. Industrialist François Delambre becomes increasingly disturbed by his brother André's bizarre behavior and physical changes. As André undergoes a horrifying transformation, merging with the insect, François must confront a terrifying reality and uncover the truth behind the gruesome events threatening their family.

Sci-Fi Drama Horror Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Fly (1958)

Where can you watch The Fly? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

The Fly Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Fly (1958) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. André Delambre found dead in his Montreal lab

    In Montreal, scientist André Delambre is found dead, his head and left arm crushed in a hydraulic press. The investigators are perplexed, and his wife Hélène confesses to the crime but refuses to provide a motive. She also begins behaving strangely, especially around flies.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Montreal – Delambre residence basement lab

  2. Hélène's confession and escalating fixation

    Hélène confesses to the murder but cannot explain her motive. Soon afterward, she becomes obsessed with flies, including a supposed white-headed variety. The strange behavior unsettles everyone around her.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Montreal – Delambre home

  3. François fabricates a fly clue

    André's brother François lies and claims he caught the white-headed fly to mislead the investigators. His deception hints at a more complicated truth behind the death. The tension between truth and secrecy begins to complicate the case.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Montreal – Delambre residence

  4. Hélène asks for Inspector Charas

    Believing she knows the truth, Hélène asks François to bring Inspector Charas so she can explain the circumstances to both of them. She hopes the inspector will confirm her account and expose the motive behind André's death. The stage is set for a confrontation that blends present reality with past events.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Delambre home

  5. Flashback: a happy family in the lab

    In a flashback, André, Hélène, and their son Philippe appear as a loving family. They live with a secret curiosity in a basement lab where André works on a matter-transporter device. The atmosphere is bright and hopeful as the project seems within reach. The family dynamic contrasts with the looming danger of the experiment.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Basement lab at the Delambre home

  6. Development of the matter-transporter

    André works on the disintegrator-integrator, testing the device on small, inanimate objects. He documents careful progress as the apparatus seems to disassemble and reassemble matter with surprising fidelity. The science is exciting, but the stakes feel increasingly personal.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Basement lab

  7. Trials with living creatures begin: cat and guinea pig

    After initial success with objects, André extends tests to living creatures. The family's cat is the first test, and it fails to reintegrate, though its meows can be heard somewhere in the house. A guinea pig is next, and the results remain uncertain.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Basement lab

  8. Construction of the man-sized chambers

    Buoyed by progress with small tests, André builds a full-scale pair of chambers capable of transporting a human. He envisions using the device to explore new frontiers of science. The setup marks a turning point from experiments on toys to experiments on life.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Basement lab

  9. The self-transport attempt and grotesque transformation

    One day, André tries to transport himself, but a fly is trapped in the chamber as well. The atoms mix so that the fly gains André's head and left arm while André retains his mind but with a fly's features. He communicates by typed notes and knocking, revealing the terrifying fusion.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Basement lab

  10. André asks to capture the fly to reverse the process

    Knowing time is running out, André asks Hélène to capture the fly so he can reverse the mutation. The family and their housemaid search tirelessly through the house for the creature. The fly eventually slips out of a crack in the window, deepening the crisis.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Delambre home

  11. André leads to a factory; destruction of notes

    André's will begins to fade as the fly's instincts take over; in a moment of desperation, he smashes the equipment, burns his notes, and leads Hélène to the factory to complete the experiment. The journey from home laboratory to industrial space marks a dramatic escalation.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Delambre basement to factory

  12. First hydraulic press sequence

    At the factory, André places his head and left arm under the hydraulic press and signals Hélène to push the button. The first press descends, and André's arm is crushed free as the mechanism compacts. The act is a grim step toward final invention.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Factory

  13. Second press and the act of destruction

    Hélène raises the press, replaces André's arm, and activates the machine a second time. The process completes the transformation, sealing André's fate and leaving the truth dangerously entangled with the couple's actions.

    When
    Flashback
    Where
    Factory

  14. The spider-and-fly revelation and cover-up

    Back in the present, Inspector Charas and François reach the garden to see the fly, still fused with André's head and arm on a garden web. A lurking spider advances toward the trapped creature, and Charas crushes both the spider and the fly with a rock. To shield Hélène from murder charges, Charas and François decide to declare André's death a suicide.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Back garden

  15. Ending: croquet, truth, and quiet aftermath

    Sometime later, Hélène, François, and Philippe resume their daily lives. Philippe and his aunt play croquet in the yard as François reflects that the search for truth is noble yet dangerous. The film closes with a quiet, ambiguous note about what really happened and what can be believed.

    When
    Some time later
    Where
    Delambre residence yard

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:41

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Timeline questions answered

The Fly Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Fly (1958): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did André ask Hélène to use the hydraulic press on him?

André begged Hélène to activate the hydraulic press because he was losing his humanity to fly instincts. As the transformation progressed, he feared he would completely lose his human mind and become fully insect, so he chose a swift, deliberate death to spare himself that fate and to end the horror for his family.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, André warns Hélène that the fly's animal instincts are starting to take over his mind.

  • andre delambre
  • hydraulic press
  • suicide
  • transformation
  • fly instincts
Q2

How did the fly end up inside the teleportation chamber with André?

A fly became trapped in the chamber at the exact moment André initiated the transfer. The exact source of the fly is never determined, but the device's design allowed the insect to enter unnoticed before the process began, resulting in atomic mixing between André and the insect.

Foreshadowing: André had been testing the device on smaller creatures, increasing the pressure to attempt human teleportation.

  • fly
  • teleportation
  • disintegrator
  • experiment
  • atomic mixing
Q3

What happened to the fly that had André's head and arm?

After the failed teleportation, the fly escaped with André's miniature head and left arm fused to its body. The creature was eventually found trapped in a spider's web in the garden, where Inspector Charas crushed both the fly and spider to prevent anyone from discovering the truth.

Foreshadowing: Hélène had been obsessively searching for a white-headed fly throughout the house.

  • fused fly
  • andre delambre
  • inspector charas
  • spider web
  • garden
Q4

Why did François lie about catching the white-headed fly?

François lied to protect Hélène and the family reputation. When he saw how distressed Hélène was over the fly, he fabricated the lie to comfort her and buy time, not knowing that the fly actually existed or that it contained his brother's remains.

Foreshadowing: François pretends to know more than he lets on from the moment he arrives at the house.

  • francois delambre
  • white-headed fly
  • lie
  • deception
  • helene
Q5

What happened to the family cat after André teleported it?

André tested the disintegrator-integrator on the family cat first. The cat failed to reintegrate properly, its meows could be heard somewhere in the house, but it never fully reassembled, foreshadowing the disaster that would later happen to André himself.

Foreshadowing: The failed cat experiment showed the device was not ready for human use, yet André proceeded anyway.

  • cat
  • teleportation
  • failed experiment
  • disintegrator
  • family pet
Q6

Why did André destroy his notes and equipment?

André destroyed everything because he realized the world was not ready for his discovery. As his fly instincts took over, he smashed the laboratory equipment and burned his research notes so no one else would attempt to replicate his dangerous experiment.

Foreshadowing: André tells Hélène that the fly's instincts are beginning to dominate his human thoughts.

  • andre delambre
  • notes
  • equipment
  • destroyed
  • discovery
  • scientific discovery
Q7

Why did Inspector Charas declare André's death a suicide?

Charas ruled it suicide because the truth was too impossible to prove. After witnessing the fused fly in the garden, he understood what had happened but knew no court would believe such an extraordinary story, so he and François agreed to call it suicide to protect Hélène from murder charges.

Foreshadowing: Charas initially condemns Hélène as insane and guilty of murder before seeing the proof.

  • inspector charas
  • suicide
  • cover-up
  • trial
  • truth
Q8

Why did Hélène become obsessed with flies after André's death?

Hélène's fixation on flies stemmed from guilt and the desperate hope of finding the fused creature. She believed that if she could capture the fly carrying André's remains, there might be a way to reverse the transformation, leading her to search obsessively for the white-headed fly.

Foreshadowing: From the moment she confesses, Hélène displays unusual behavior around flies.

  • helene
  • flies
  • obsession
  • guilt
  • search
  • white-headed fly
Q9

What caused André's personality to change after the transformation?

André's human mind began deteriorating because the fly's insect brain was slowly overtaking his consciousness. He explained to Hélène through typed notes that the fly's animal instincts were gaining control, which is why he became desperate to end his life before he lost his humanity completely.

Foreshadowing: André admits he can feel the fly's impulses starting to influence his decisions.

  • andre delambre
  • personality
  • fly instincts
  • mind
  • human consciousness
  • transformation
Q10

What did Hélène do when the hydraulic press nearly saved André?

When the first press crushed André's arm free from the fused mass, Hélène desperately tried to save him by raising the press, repositioning his arm, and restarting the machine, hoping to reintegrate him properly. However, the second press completed the fatal crushing, making her intervention futile.

Foreshadowing: The first press only partially activated, giving Hélène a moment of false hope.

  • helene
  • hydraulic press
  • arm
  • rescue attempt
  • failed
Q11

What did Inspector Charas discover in the garden?

Charas discovered the fly with André's head and left arm fused to its body, trapped in a spider's web in the garden. Philippe had spotted it, and when Charas approached, he saw the horrifying creature firsthand before destroying both it and the spider to keep the secret hidden.

Foreshadowing: Philippe reports seeing a strange sight in the garden with both a fly and a spider.

  • inspector charas
  • garden
  • fly
  • andre head
  • spider
  • discovery

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Fly, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Fly tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Sci-Fi Horror Movies About Science Gone Wrong Like The Fly

Stories where groundbreaking experiments lead to catastrophic and monstrous consequences. If you liked The Fly, explore more movies about unethical experiments and scientific ambition leading to terrifying consequences. These similar sci-fi horror stories feature groundbreaking discoveries that backfire, creating monsters and unleashing chaos on their creators and loved ones.

  • horrifying
  • tense
  • dread-filled
  • macabre
  • suspenseful
  • desperate
  • Tone: dark, horrifying
  • Pacing: steady, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a brilliant but obsessive scientist who pushes boundaries without considering the ethical costs. Their experiment, often involving the human body or nature, fails spectacularly, triggering a chain of horrific events. The story becomes a desperate struggle to contain the disaster, often involving grotesque physical transformations and profound moral crises.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared thematic core: the cautionary tale of science overstepping its limits. They share a dark tone, high intensity from the visceral horror of the consequences, and a heavy emotional weight as characters face the ruin of their own making.

The Projected Man movie poster

The Projected Man

1966
Metamorphosis movie poster

Metamorphosis

1990
Monstrosity movie poster

Monstrosity

1963
The Ghost of Frankenstein movie poster

The Ghost of Frankenstein

1942
The Vampire movie poster

The Vampire

1957
The Creeping Flesh movie poster

The Creeping Flesh

1973
Horror High movie poster

Horror High

1973
Island of Terror movie poster

Island of Terror

1966

Body Horror Transformation Movies With Dread Like The Fly

A terrifying and gradual physical metamorphosis that erodes one's humanity. Fans of The Fly's horrifying metamorphosis will find more movies like it in this thread. These films focus on gruesome bodily changes, where a character's physical form becomes a source of terror, suspense, and tragic loss, creating a deeply unsettling viewing experience.

  • body horror
  • dread-filled
  • grotesque
  • suspenseful
  • unsettling
  • tragic
  • Tone: dark, macabre, suspenseful
  • Pacing: steady, methodical build
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The central journey is one of physical and mental decay. A protagonist, often through an accident or experiment, begins an irreversible transformation. The narrative builds suspense by methodically revealing the worsening physical changes and the corresponding psychological toll, leading to a climax of horrific revelation and often a bittersweet or tragic resolution.

Why they belong together: These films are united by the core experience of body horror—the fear of physical violation and loss of self. They share a steady, dreadful pacing that lets the horror sink in, a dark tone, and a heavy emotional weight centered on tragedy and the fragility of the human form.

Metamorphosis movie poster

Metamorphosis

1990
Body Parts movie poster

Body Parts

1991
Thanatomorphose movie poster

Thanatomorphose

2012
The Beast Within movie poster

The Beast Within

1982
Monstrosity movie poster

Monstrosity

1963
The Fly movie poster

The Fly

1986
Grotesque movie poster

Grotesque

1988
The Man Who Changed His Mind movie poster

The Man Who Changed His Mind

1936

Every angle

The Fly (1958) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Fly in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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