Promotional artwork for David Cronenberg’s 1986 body horror remake and Kurt Neumann’s 1958 original, typically features imagery evocative of the film’s themes of transformation, mutation, and the blurring of human and insect. Examples include depictions of the protagonist’s gradual metamorphosis, scientific equipment central to the narrative, or symbolic representations of the merging of man and fly. These visuals serve to immediately communicate the film’s genre and core concepts to potential viewers.
As a key marketing tool, this artwork functions to attract audiences and establish a visual identity for the film. It captures the essence of the narrative’s horrific nature while simultaneously hinting at the scientific and tragic elements that contribute to the story’s complexity. Historically, such artwork has evolved alongside advertising trends, ranging from the lurid and sensational style of the 1950s to the more nuanced and unsettling approaches seen in later decades. These graphic representations often become iconic, instantly recognizable, and serve as a lasting visual shorthand for the film itself.
