You remember the late nineties, right? It was a weird, frantic time for independent cinema. Everyone was trying to be Tarantino, but nobody quite had the rhythm. In the middle of that neon-soaked, cigarette-stained era, a movie called The Last Days of Frankie the Fly dropped. Honestly, it kind of disappeared into the bargain bins of Blockbuster almost immediately. But if you actually sit down and watch it now, you realize it's this bizarre, gritty time capsule of a Hollywood that doesn't really exist anymore.
It wasn't a blockbuster. Far from it.
The film follows Frankie—played by Dennis Hopper, who was basically the king of playing twitchy, high-strung losers at that point—as a low-level lackey for a mob boss. He’s the "fly." He’s the guy everyone swats away. He’s obsessed with a porn star named Margaret, played by Daryl Hannah, and he wants to save her. It’s a classic noir setup, but it feels sweatier. Grimmer.
What People Get Wrong About The Last Days of Frankie the Fly
Most critics at the time dismissed it as just another "Pulp Fiction" clone. That’s a lazy take. While it shares that mid-90s obsession with colorful criminals and snappy, profane dialogue, this movie is actually much more of a character study about aging out of relevance.
Dennis Hopper wasn't just acting here. He brought this frantic, desperate energy that felt real. By the mid-90s, the "New Hollywood" icons of the 70s were finding themselves in these straight-to-video or limited-release gritty thrillers. There is a meta-layer to The Last Days of Frankie the Fly that most people miss: it's about people who are tired. Frankie is tired of being the fly. Margaret is tired of the industry. Even the villain, Sal (played by a scenery-chewing Michael Madsen), feels like he’s bored with his own cruelty.
The Cast was Actually Stacked
You’ve got Kiefer Sutherland in there too. This was before 24 made him a household name again. He plays Joey, a director with a serious drug habit who helps Frankie write a screenplay. It’s meta as hell. A movie about making a movie to save a girl.
It’s easy to forget how much talent was squeezed into these mid-budget indie films. You had:
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- Dennis Hopper: Bringing that Blue Velvet instability but softened with a pathetic edge.
- Daryl Hannah: Playing a role that felt a bit too close to the bone regarding how Hollywood treats actresses as they age.
- Michael Madsen: Doing what Michael Madsen does best—leaning against things and looking threatening.
The chemistry is jagged. It’s not smooth. The scenes between Hopper and Sutherland have this erratic, improvisational feel that you just don't see in modern, over-polished streaming movies.
Why the Ending Hits Differently Today
The "last days" part of the title isn't just a countdown. It’s a prophecy. In the final act, the movie shifts from a dark comedy into something much more nihilistic.
Without spoiling the beat-by-beat, the resolution of The Last Days of Frankie the Fly isn't a clean, heroic "save the girl" moment. It’s messy. It’s violent in a way that feels heavy rather than stylized. When Frankie finally tries to assert his dominance, it’s a tragic reminder that the "small guys" rarely win without losing everything else in the process.
Most 90s crime flicks wanted to be cool. This movie didn't care about being cool. It cared about being lonely.
The cinematography by Peter Collister captures a version of Los Angeles that is perpetually sunset-hued and grimy. It’s the L.A. of cheap motels and back-alley deals. This isn't the L.A. of La La Land. It’s the L.A. that smells like old exhaust and stale beer. Honestly, that's why it's worth a rewatch. It captures a specific texture of the city that has been priced out and gentrified since 1996.
The Script’s Rough Edges
The screenplay was written by Rick Cleveland. He went on to do big things, like writing for Six Feet Under and The West Wing. You can hear the beginnings of that sharp, rhythmic dialogue here. However, it’s unrefined. Some of the lines are clunky. Some scenes go on for three minutes too long.
But isn't that what's missing from movies now?
We’re so used to "perfect" pacing. Everything is tested by focus groups. The Last Days of Frankie the Fly feels like it was made by people who were just allowed to make a movie. It has flaws. Huge ones. But those flaws give it a pulse.
Finding a Copy in 2026
It’s surprisingly hard to find this movie on the major streaming platforms. It’s one of those titles that fell through the licensing cracks. You might find it on a random ad-supported service like Tubi or Pluto TV, or buried in the back of a boutique DVD collection.
If you’re a fan of 90s noir, you have to track it down. It’s a fascinating look at the "second act" of Dennis Hopper’s career.
Actionable Steps for Film Buffs:
- Check the "Leaving Soon" sections: These types of mid-tier 90s thrillers often rotate through Amazon Prime or MGM+ for a month and then vanish for three years.
- Look for the Rick Cleveland connection: If you like his work on House of Cards, watching this will show you his raw, early voice. It’s a great exercise in seeing how a writer evolves.
- Compare the "Fly" archetype: Watch this back-to-back with something like Drive (2011). See how the "loser protagonist" evolved from the sweaty, nervous Frankie to the silent, cool Driver. It says a lot about how our expectations of "heroes" changed over thirty years.
- Support Physical Media: This is a prime example of a movie that could easily become "lost media" if the digital rights aren't renewed. If you see a DVD for five bucks at a thrift store, grab it.
The film is a reminder that even the movies that "fail" at the box office have stories to tell. Frankie wasn't a hero, and his last days weren't glorious, but they were definitely memorable.