Lord of the Flies 2026 Review: Why adapt Lord of the Flies in 2026? William Golding’s bleak vision of civilisation collapsing into brutality already feels disturbingly contemporary. Set on an isolated island where rules dissolve and consequences disappear, the story remains a sharp allegory about power, fear, and the fragile limits of democracy.
This four-part adaptation by Jack Thorne, following his success with Adolescence, revisits Golding’s 1954 classic with ambition but uneven results. Golding originally wrote the novel as a dark response to the optimistic Victorian adventure The Coral Island, stripping away heroic fantasies to reveal what human nature might truly look like when social order vanishes.
The series opens through the eyes of Piggy, played impressively by newcomer David McKenna. After the plane crash, his intelligence and rationality stand in stark contrast to the growing chaos around him. Alongside Piggy is Ralph (Winston Sawyers), who attempts to establish structure, cooperation, and hope of rescue. Opposing them is Jack (Lox Pratt), a chillingly persuasive figure who quickly understands how fear and desire can be manipulated.
As the boys divide into factions, discipline erodes. Hunting, violence, and superstition replace responsibility. Golding’s central conflict—moral order versus brute force—remains intact, but the series unfolds at a slow pace. Long, silent shots of the lush island dominate the runtime, relying heavily on the audience’s familiarity with the story rather than building tension organically. The stylised desaturation during violent scenes feels more like a visual trick than an emotional amplifier.
Dialogue is another weakness. Many lines sound stiff or oddly formal, draining moments of urgency. Worse, the adaptation leans too heavily on modern psychological explanations. Each major character is given a detailed backstory to justify their behaviour, which undermines Golding’s central question: is evil inherent, or merely circumstantial? By medicalising cruelty, the adaptation softens the novel’s raw philosophical force.
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Ultimately, this Lord of the Flies is thoughtful but flawed. Strong performances—especially from Piggy and Jack—cannot fully compensate for sluggish pacing, muted dialogue, and an overreliance on psychological framing. The result is an adaptation that looks beautiful but feels less frightening than it should.
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Verdict: Ambitious, well-acted, but emotionally restrained—this version struggles to capture the terrifying simplicity of Golding’s original vision.