The BBC’s adaptation of William Golding’s 1954 coming-of-age cautionary tale, Lord of the Flies, has arrived to glowing reviews.
Based on the popular post-World War Two novel about a group of boys who crash land on a deserted island and their destructive plight for survival, plenty of the nation will be familiar with this tale from the classroom.
Now, Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne has brought his own spin to the novel in a new four-part series, bringing this classic story to life on the small screen for the first time ever.
For those unfamiliar with the plot, here’s your crash course.
We meet a gang of British schoolboys (ranging from aged 6 to 12) who must create their own community on this abandoned patch of land.
Corralled by outgoing leader, Ralph (Winston Sawyers), and supported by his picked-on but wise deputy Piggy (David McKenna) they create a makeshift society.
But with divisions quickly souring the ranks, encouraged by bully Jack (Lox Pratt who will also star in HBO’s Harry Potter), order soon descends into chaos, bloodshed and startling violence.
After a widely acclaimed exploration of masculinity during boyhood in Adolescence, it’s those same themes that drew Jack to this story.
‘The interesting thing about Lord of the Flies is that, I think, it’s a really loving portrait of boys. When I read it as an adult, I thought of it as a tender portrait of a lot of very complicated boys having a complicated relationship with their status and anger.
‘It’s the perfect distillation of our contemporary problem I think, in terms of looking at the male condition,’ he shared.
Certainly, Jack’s take seems to have won viewers over.
Overo n X, Gavin Watson called the show ‘extraordinarily good’ and Fiona said the showrunner has ‘produced a masterpiece’.
Fi added: ‘Haunted me when we read it at school in the 70’s, this series is stunning beautifully shot and absolutely impeccable acting, it’s still as haunting to me now as a mature adult as it did as a child.’
Jam dubbed it ‘the best drama I’ve seen on the BBC for years’, praising the young actors for their ‘exceptional’ performances.
‘Beautifully filmed, well paced and great performances from the young cast. As I watched I just thought this is what the BBC does brilliantly,’ Karen Eckersall reflected.
Madooner called it ‘esoteric and unsettling’ while Elaine Parr echoed it was ‘atmospheric and intriguing’.
Critics have shared mixed thoughts on the highly-anticipated series.
Why has Lord of the Flies representation of human nature sparked debate?
The Lord of the Flies has been the subject of intense scrutiny over the years – with some schools in the US and Canada banning the book over its use of racist terms and, also passages of violence and profanity.
But beyond these bans, the book has also been the centre of fierce debate from scholars, critics and readers alike over the years for its portrayal of human nature as ‘inherently evil’.
There has been critique of Golding’s unfolding of the tale, with author Rutger Bregman pushing back against the cynical threads of the novel by investigating a ‘real life Lord of the Flies’ incident in which a group of boys worked together after getting stranded.
Jack Thorne has reflected on where he stands with the debate what Golding’s work says about the nature of young boys, telling the i paper: ‘I don’t think that’s the story.
‘I think it’s about understanding boys and trying to reach them. Seeing boys grapple with questions of morality, right and wrong. There is really only one savage boy on that island. I think the rest could be reached in all sorts of different ways.’
There is complexity to this portrayal, and while some have been turned off by the cynicism of the story, I think exploring the layers of human nature in extreme circumstances is a rich playground.
‘The acting is absolutely excellent, but the script isn’t great. This show lacks the dread of William Golding’s novel,’ The Guardian said in a three-star review.
The Independent offered more praise, saying: ‘For the second time in a year, after Adolescence, Thorne has written a television show that will terrify parents.’
Meanwhile, The Times called it an ‘extremely classy adaptation which, I imagine, will please Golding purists and newcomers alike.’
Jack was writing the scripts for Adolescence and Lord of the Flies at the same time, which meant the two seeped into one another in unintentional ways, as he told the Big Issue: ‘Some of Golding’s story slipped into Adolescence, and I’m sure a bit of Adolescence slipped into Lord of the Flies.
‘Although it’s not adolescence we are studying here, it’s the time before that. I find that moment fascinating. My son is about to reach that age, 10, 11, 12 – and no one has quite captured it like Golding,’ he shared.
Lord of the Flies is now streaming on BBC iPlayer.
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