Netflix's 'Lord of the Flies' Miniseries Is a Powerful Adaptation With a Few Missteps | Review

If you're of a certain age, there's a very good chance you've read William Golding's classic 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, which has been required reading in many schools. The book, about a group of young boys stranded on an island after a plane crash, has inspired many other works since, including Showtime's Yellowjackets. It's also been adapted a few times on screen, most notably via films in 1963 and 1990. Now, Lord of the Flies is back as a four-part miniseries set to premiere on Netflix in the U.S., and if you've read the book, you know what to expect. Not content to simply let things play out exactly as they do in the novel, though, creator Jack Thorne (Adolescence) and director Marc Munden (The Secret Garden) take some creative risks that don't always work.

What Is 'Lord of the Flies' About?

The first thing this new version of Lord of the Flies does right is that it doesn't give in to temptation and update the source material for the modern age. The miniseries isn't set in the 21st century, with whiny kids missing their cellphones. The BBC is involved, which means it's not Americanized either. Lord of the Flies isn't interested in slowly establishing the characters before hitting viewers with the inciting incident. From the first scene, the plane crash has already happened, with the focus on a survivor lying in the muck.

Each of the miniseries' four episodes revolves around a different major character. The premiere revolves around Piggy (David McKenna), a short kid with asthma and the smarts to lead everyone, if only the others would listen. In the second episode, the plot shifts to Jack (Lox Pratt), the angry blonde kid and head of the boys' choir, who quickly assumes leadership of the hunters. Episode 3 belongs to Simon (Ike Talbut), a boy torn between two sides and mentally breaking down, while the finale centers on Ralph (Winston Sawyer) as he struggles to hold on to his role as chief.

This approach allows for an understanding of how different personalities adjust to being stranded when they're much too young to process the situation. Some rise to lead, while others crumble and let selfish desires take over. Piggy is the brains of the group, but isn't respected because of his appearance. Increasingly, it's him and Ralph against the insanity spreading in Jack's group. How many of them will make it out alive?

'Lord of the Flies' Doesn't Try to Modernize the Story

How do you add something new to such a well-known story, especially when the choice has been made not to modernize it? In some respects, you don't. Munden and Thorne seem to recognize this and allow this tale to mostly play out as is, since throwing in too many ideas would cut a classic off at the knees. Golding's story stands on its own, and its powerful themes about societal breakdown remain timely today.

Still, this Lord of the Flies adaptation is more than a simple, straightforward retelling; it's a work of art. Munden contributes an impressive cinematic flair that becomes its own character at points. Shots twist or go fuzzy in the chaos. Colors brighten or become more saturated when one character starts to fall apart. When the group of survivors is being introduced, the camera often finds them, one by one, in uncomfortable close-ups on numb faces, like end-of-the-world school photos.

The score, created in part by the iconic Hans Zimmer, has the same unnerving personality. It's never too aggressive, but it doesn't allow the viewer to relax either. It begins with simple woodwinds and strings, putting the audience in the story's era, before becoming more frantic, reaching a crescendo of horror in later episodes. These artistic touches are a treat for the eyes and ears, but they also feel a bit too overwrought at times, mostly as a consequence of the overall series length.

'Lord of the Flies' Phenomenal Young Cast Keeps the Miniseries Afloat

Golding's novel is just 224 pages long, which means that Lord of the Flies works perfectly as a two-hour film. As a four-hour miniseries, the story is strained midway through, with repetitive scenes and meandering shots leading up to bigger moments. There's one crucial scene where the new adaptation goes in a direction it should've avoided. Rather than being sudden and terrifying, it's drawn out too long, with prolonged goodbyes that diminish the immediate shock of the original moment, removing the pain of immediacy where things can go to hell in an instant. It's the only time when the miniseries makes a misstep, becoming too modernized after rejecting it elsewhere.

Thankfully, this divergence can be somewhat forgiven due to the young cast's phenomenal performances. Talbut's wide eyes convey Simon's breakdown, while Sawyer displays the calm and steadiness that make Ralph a chosen chief. Yet Lord of the Flies is especially buoyed by two cast members. Lox Pratt's Jack is awful in the best way possible. He's a horrible jerk, a selfish kid who deserves the worst, yet he's also shown to be scared and weak when he's not showing off. It's easy to see why Pratt was cast as Draco Malfoy in the new Harry Potter TV series. McKenna's Piggy is the tragic heart of Lord of the Flies, and the miniseries is at its best every time it finds him. The character is wise beyond his years, a lonely soul forced to grow up all too young, all conveyed without the necessity of dialogue.

Another adaptation of Lord of the Flies arguably isn't necessary, especially if you're already familiar with the story, but this new interpretation is a solid way in for the uninitiated. Its cinematic style is effective, and its performances are outstanding. If its four episodes had been a bit shorter, and a few changes to the source material had been reversed, Lord of the Flies could have achieved greatness; instead, it settles for being pretty good.

Lord of the Flies is now streaming on Netflix.