Lord of the Flies Review - Jack Thorne's Misguided Take on Golding's Classic
The latest adaptation of William Golding's iconic novel, Lord of the Flies, has hit screens, bringing a fresh take to this timeless tale of human nature. Unfortunately, it falls woefully short of its predecessor's enduring power.
Thorne's four-part series takes a different approach, focusing on individual characters and their backstories rather than the group dynamics that drive Golding's narrative. This decision leads to an uneven pacing, with some episodes feeling bloated and others thin.
The show's visual style is also noteworthy, with long, languid shots of the idyllic landscape serving to heighten anticipation for the horrors to come. However, this aesthetic choice comes at the cost of emotional resonance, as the scenes of violence are denatured by a primitive color palette that feels more like a gimmick than a genuine artistic statement.
The script is another major misstep, relying on unconvincing dialogue and reducing the complex characters to simplistic backstories. The modern curse of psychology applies here too, with each character's motivations explained away by a neat narrative. This reduces the elemental power of Golding's question: can evil be overcome? Instead, we're left with a shallow exploration of how much therapy a person needs.
The standout performance is from David McKenna as Piggy, who brings a sense of gravitas and intelligence to the role that is sorely lacking in the rest of the cast. However, even his excellent work can't salvage the overall lackluster effort.
Ultimately, Jack Thorne's take on Lord of the Flies feels like a missed opportunity to explore the timeless themes of Golding's novel. By focusing too much on individual character development and not enough on the group dynamics that drive the story forward, the show loses its way. If you're a fan of the original, you may want to stick with the 1954 classic - this adaptation is a pale imitation at best.
The latest adaptation of William Golding's iconic novel, Lord of the Flies, has hit screens, bringing a fresh take to this timeless tale of human nature. Unfortunately, it falls woefully short of its predecessor's enduring power.
Thorne's four-part series takes a different approach, focusing on individual characters and their backstories rather than the group dynamics that drive Golding's narrative. This decision leads to an uneven pacing, with some episodes feeling bloated and others thin.
The show's visual style is also noteworthy, with long, languid shots of the idyllic landscape serving to heighten anticipation for the horrors to come. However, this aesthetic choice comes at the cost of emotional resonance, as the scenes of violence are denatured by a primitive color palette that feels more like a gimmick than a genuine artistic statement.
The script is another major misstep, relying on unconvincing dialogue and reducing the complex characters to simplistic backstories. The modern curse of psychology applies here too, with each character's motivations explained away by a neat narrative. This reduces the elemental power of Golding's question: can evil be overcome? Instead, we're left with a shallow exploration of how much therapy a person needs.
The standout performance is from David McKenna as Piggy, who brings a sense of gravitas and intelligence to the role that is sorely lacking in the rest of the cast. However, even his excellent work can't salvage the overall lackluster effort.
Ultimately, Jack Thorne's take on Lord of the Flies feels like a missed opportunity to explore the timeless themes of Golding's novel. By focusing too much on individual character development and not enough on the group dynamics that drive the story forward, the show loses its way. If you're a fan of the original, you may want to stick with the 1954 classic - this adaptation is a pale imitation at best.
. The show looks so pretty but lacks heart 
. I loved the original book and I don't think this series lives up to its full potential 
. Maybe they should've taken a cue from the book and left some things to our imagination... anyway, if you're a fan of Golding's classic, stick with it! 
I just watched Lord of the Flies and I gotta say, it was super disappointing 
. The characters felt like they were just cardboard cutouts instead of real people 
. And don't even get me started on the graphics 
. It was like they took all the horror and drama out of it 
.
. Maybe they could've made up for it but nope... 
[check out a review on Collider](https://www.collider.com/123456/lord-of-the-flies-review-jack-thorne-2025/)
The show tries to get all deep and psychological on us, but it ends up feeling shallow 
Like, can't they just let the characters be their own people instead of giving them some fancy backstory 
And don't even get me started on the visuals... I mean, I love a good cinematography as much as the next person 
Can't they just go for something more consistent and cohesive? 
Anyway, David McKenna was definitely the highlight of the show for me 
sadly, it wasn't enough to save the rest of the series from its overall lackluster vibe 
so many issues with this adaptation, like what happened to the group dynamic? it felt like they were more focused on piggy's backstory than his actual character development 
and honestly, can we just stick to the book? i mean, i loved the visuals and all, but it just didn't feel like lord of the flies 
. The pacing was off, some episodes were too long and others felt rushed. And don't even get me started on the color palette - I mean, come on, a bunch of mud tones is not going to make the violence look more intense 
.
. If you're a fan of the original, there's no need to check this out. Stick with the classic 1954 version - it's still the best way to experience Lord of the Flies 
. The show should've focused more on the power struggles and tribal dynamics between the characters rather than just telling their backstories. It feels like they wanted to make it all about the characters' mental health and therapy which, honestly, isn't even mentioned in the book 
and don't even get me started on the visuals, all those long shots just made me wanna roll my eyes 
i mean, cant we just watch the original novel without some extra fluff?
it's like they're trying to fit 4 episodes into the original 1 book, it just doesn't work. And don't even get me started on the visual style, I mean I love long shots and all, but when you use them to downplay the violence, it just feels like a cop out 
and the dialogue? 
and david mckenna as piggy is amazing, he's literally the only reason i kept watching lol but overall it just didn't feel like lord of the flies to me? idk maybe i'm just not smart enough for a show about psychology or something 
. The only good thing I can say is that David McKenna's Piggy was pretty great, but that wasn't enough to save this adaptation from being a total disappointment 
. Thorne's take on Golding's masterpiece is all about individual character development, which just doesn't do justice to the group dynamics that make Lord of the Flies so compelling 
. The show's trying too hard to make everything feel "modern" but ends up feeling like a watered-down version of the original 
Anyway, not gonna watch this one... might stick with the original novel instead