Jack Thorne's new television adaptation of William Golding's classic novel Lord of the Flies has received a lukewarm review, with critics noting that the four-part series fails to capture the original's power. The acting is praised as excellent, particularly David McKenna's debut performance as Piggy, but the script is described as 'unevocative' and 'unconvincing'.
The series, set in 2026, follows a group of boys stranded on a tropical island after a plane crash. Each episode focuses on a different character, beginning with Piggy. The story traces the boys' descent into savagery as they abandon civilisation for hunting and feasts under the charismatic but brutal Jack.
Critics argue that the adaptation relies too heavily on viewers' familiarity with the novel rather than building its own sense of dread. The slow pacing, lingering shots of landscape, and jangling strings are seen as attempts to heighten tension that fall flat. The script is criticised for lines like 'This is a bad camp of bad people!' and 'He has an enviable facility.'
The series also adds psychological backstories for each main character, explaining their behaviour through troubled home lives. This approach is said to reduce the elemental power of Golding's allegory about the fragility of civilisation and the innate evil in humanity.
