Lord Of The Flies Review: Directed by Marc Munden and adapted for television by Jack Thorne from William Golding’s iconic novel, this four-episode Netflix series stars Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy, and Ike Talbut as Simon and others.
Lord Of The Flies Review
Netflix’s Lord Of The Flies unfolds by introducing a gang of schoolboys who find themselves stuck on an isolated island after a plane crash without any adult supervision. Their journey from having fun to surviving is evident. The main character, Ralph, who turns out to be a born leader, tries to bring some sense of order to their lives by blowing a conch shell as a sign of authority, making laws for them to abide by in order to ensure their salvation and rescue. Piggy backs up Ralph with logic and reasonability, repeatedly urging other boys to build shelters, maintain hygiene, and have a signal fire going.
The whole situation shifts as soon as a young boy named Jack, who is the leader of the choirboys, comes out into the open and defies the authority of Ralph’s rule. As opposed to Ralph, the only thing that excites Jack is the excitement of hunting and killing pigs and not his own survival and the survival of other boys.
However, as the plot develops, there is careful development of tension in the form of a number of important but subtle events. In the first place, the attempt of the boys to create a signal fire ends in failure; however, a fire appears that will later become a symbol of how easily everything gets out of control. In the meantime, the smaller boys start telling about some “beast” lurking in the forest, thus provoking real terror among all other boys, that becomes exploited by Jack, who manages to play on their fears.
The most fascinating thing about the Netflix series Lord Of The Flies is the gradual split of the whole society of boys into two separate groups, one led by Ralph and Piggy, whose primary task is keeping the situation under control and organising rescue operations, while the other group, led by Jack, indulges in hunting and feasting. Above all, the island starts appearing to be a truly terrifying place.
In regard to performance, Winston Sawyer creates a convincing picture of sincere and in Ralph, adding an element of authenticity to a character that has much going on yet tries to do the right thing for the team. Lox Pratt portrays the character of Jack in a very interesting way; he is not just a simple villain, but rather a deeply insecure person trying to feel accepted and have control over everything around him. In other words, his character is truly scary since he is completely taken by the dark nature of people. But it is in David McKenna’s performance of Piggy where we find our star of the story.
One aspect of Jack Thorne’s Lord Of The Flies that I especially enjoyed is its focus on the idea that danger is not something that comes from the external world but rather within the people themselves. “The beast,” in particular, takes a back seat and becomes less of a literal danger and more of a metaphorical one, representing fears and insecurities of the boys themselves and even some of their primal desires. This show does an excellent job of showing how fast civility breaks down without consequences.
Visually, the Netflix Lord Of The Flies series is highly appealing. It is interesting to note how the island becomes the backdrop for more and more morbid events. This is effectively done through the series’s cinematography, which moves from bright and light imagery to something darker. There are multiple scenes in which fire plays a role, acting as both a symbol of salvation and ruin. Additionally, music and sound effects also have their role in adding suspense, sometimes doing it as effectively through absence as with sound itself.
The only drawback is that some of the symbolic elements appear rather heavy-handed. In spite of the fact that the issues of power, fear, and loss of innocence have been addressed successfully in the show, in several cases, the film tends to overemphasise its main theme, leaving no room for any other interpretation on behalf of the viewer. Nevertheless, this factor does not detract from the viewing experience, particularly for those unfamiliar with the plot of the show.
In spite of all the aforementioned drawbacks, Lord of the Flies proves to be an entertaining series worth watching. Unlike other survival series that focus on showing how people fight to survive, the series demonstrates how fragile peace in a society is and how easy it is to destroy it.
Netflix Lord Of The Flies Review: Summing Up
Overall, the series Lord of the Flies has been well adapted. It has great acting, great narration, and an eerie mood. Though it may not be flawless, it certainly leaves a lasting impression on its viewers.
