So, Netflix bought the distribution rights to a BBC production of the series adaptation of William Golding’s classic Lord of the Flies. If read the novel, you know it’s a harrowing look at stupid making the better argument when it comes to mob mentality. But, does the show create something memorable or should it be sequestered to its island to rot like the headless boar? Innocence descends into savagery when a group of British schoolboys become desert island castaways and social conventions disappear while attempts to rule responsibly fail. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, it’s basically a large group of young kids, all preteens with some probably being closer to five-ish, who crash-land on an island with all of the adults being killed.
Now, as they struggle to organize and coordinate, egos, machismo, it kicks in, leading to a devastating series of events. Now, it’s typically used as a cautionary tale of how humanity can devolve into barbarity when a moral code isn’t constraining actions. Now, the production, it is absolutely stunning to view. From the opening scenes, we’re awakened in a jungle with the camera using this wide-angle fisheye lens, creating a semi-distorted view of the surroundings. Now, the images towards the edge of the frame, they bend and they wave, instantly creating this dream-like sense and then the emotional confusion that their characters are experiencing.
Throughout the four episodes, the color saturation, it’s manipulated, sometimes to enhance the vibrancy of the plants and the trees, other times to create the illusion of dissociation, even madness. This also allows the boys to become even more fearsome and dreadful, especially once the hunters paint themselves up all in some dark green hues that are mixed with whites and some deep reds. Now, at times, especially in the first two episodes, I half expected Sir David Attenborough to provide a voiceover of the jungle life and plant species because the camera pauses for extended periods of time to look at a bug or maybe focus on some plants. Now, I’m not sure this technique added anything meaningful to the story, but it does help to showcase the purity of an untouched area, which then contrasts exceptionally well with the mayhem and the chaos the large group of boys unleashes upon its surroundings. Now, it’s the contradiction between beauty and malice in the visuals that work to just continually reinforce the actions we watch play out with some growing aggression.
I also need to address the musical score for this. It is a strange mix of orchestral music that at times feels as though I’m watching the old Swiss Family Robinson film, which kind of works given the circumstances, but it also has this slightly whimsical dancey feeling. Like a radio was broadcasting across the island, blasting out the tunes of the day encouraging the boys to play and take it easy, belaying the reality of their dire situation. Now, ultimately, I do think it works, but it does make for a somewhat conflicting emotional response. Now, while the story contains many characters, the real focus is on four of the mains: Piggy, Ralph, Jack, and Simon.
Now, right from the start, I got to give Locksley Pratt, the actor who portrays Jack, some major kudos because he nails the self-righteous pseudo-confident that Jack is. Now, I know the character’s a kid, but I wanted terrible things to befall him the minute he appeared on screen. And Pratt is excellent in the role. I especially appreciate the subtler looks and expressions that he creates as Jack’s macho facade wavers, even breaks. He knows he’s a fake, but hubris won’t allow him to be vulnerable.
So, instead, he becomes the ultimate bully. And each of the four leads is wonderful in their portrayals of their respective characters. They all fully understand the assignment and despite being relatively young actors, they showcase a mastery of their emotions that many seasoned actors could actually learn from. Winston Soaries plays Ralph and he captures this wishy-washy follower-made leader personality perfectly. We can see that he wants to have confidence in his decisions, but he’s not proficient in that area of planning.
But, he does have the charisma that instills belief in others, so he can utilize that, just not always effectively. And Simon is played by Ike Talbot and this kid tackles the mental anguish Simon is confronted with by the dichotomous relationship that he has with Jack. Like any fake friend, Jack never wants to be alone. So, he feigns friendship with Simon while others aren’t around. But, the second someone Jack deems more important shows up, he drops Simon like a hot coal.
And Talbot has the opportunity towards the final portion of the story to showcase some major emotional turmoil. And the combo of his haunted performance and the way the production creates the isolation and fear for him, ah, it turns a sequence into a beautifully riveting mournful experience. And then we have who I consider to be the standout of the cast. David McInnis plays Piggy. He’s this chubbier kid who wears glasses, has asthma, and is basically looked down on by anybody cool.
But, this is absolutely where, as my seventh-grade English teacher used to say, it would behoove everyone to pay attention. McInnis so endearing as Piggy. He’s got this innocence to his eyes that showcases a pureness, but what makes the character so engaging is to watch how intelligent and thoughtful he comes across, all while not being condescending or power-hungry. Piggy’s the true leader here, but he also knows that he will be instantly dismissed because of how he looks, which only then adds to the tragicness of the tale. And if you do know what’s coming with the plot, it’s even harder to watch the character fight for the betterment of everybody else.
And because we’re watching innocence die at this exponential rate as the boys are stranded, the suspense and the tension that the production creates, I thought it was impressive, especially given the fact that I do know what’s going to happen. There’s a small air of mystique that lingers around the actions and as the days go on, we feel a lot of the dwindling morals, just a lot of which are visually represented by the kids as they progressively become more feral. But, the atmosphere is also one that is full of animosity, moving towards this climax that we know is almost going to be certainly horrific. Now, I was impressed with a lot of the visuals used in the series, too. There are a few scenes that utilize blood and it is quite gory, even when we don’t see all of the actions that led to that bloodshed.
There’s one sequence that’s pretty difficult to watch and hear because while the hunt for food is a necessity for the boys in order to survive, they don’t really have the skill or the tools to effectively and mercifully capture their prey. So, what we get is this prolonged scene that works to illustrate the start of the bloodlust while also showing how the mob mentality can take over and become a frenzied mess. But, the storytelling also does a wonderful job at showing the aftermath for some of the boys, how they deal with their actions once the adrenaline rush has subsided and they are now facing their behaviors. And just like within real life, I mean, the reactions are mixed, building out a believable dynamic that makes all of the characters richer, even if they are somewhat background players. But, at one point within the final episode, there is this heightened emotional scene and while the sentiment is translated well, the visuals, they are clearly green-screened, using a fake background with the boys’ actions shot in the front.
The lighting is off, there’s a very noticeable separation that comes from using an artificial background and then the lighting that just isn’t perfectly matched. Now, it doesn’t distract too much, but for the majority of the show, it’s something I picked up on. It leaves a slightly unpolished perception, like it was a last-minute reshoot or just something completely unplanned. Now, overall, this is a brilliant adaptation of Golding’s novel, full of richly portrayed characters who completely embrace their personas to craft stirring performances that elicit powerful emotional responses. The pacing across the four hours does occasionally dip as the camera becomes distracted by wildlife and foliage, but more often than not, the momentum is steady and carried by an impending sense of dread, beautifully in contrast with the richly captured colors and unusual musical score.
The social critique is delivered solidly, but without condemnation, allowing the morality play to do its speaking for it and showcasing the brutality that can erupt when power-hungry hubris reigns unchecked. This is probably the best adaptation I’ve seen using endearingly charismatic actors, enveloping filming styles, and then a balanced mix of visual and sensory violence. There’s no sexuality or profanity, but there is a lot of violence. I give Lord of the Flies four and a half out of five couches. So, are you a fan of this story?
Who’s the person that you root for the most? It better be Piggy, right? but if not, what kind of similar story have you seen done really well? I would love to hear some of your recommendations in the comments below. If you enjoyed this review.
