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Where to watch the ‘deliriously queasy’ Lord of the Flies and why it was banned
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Sunday, February 8, 2026
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The Lord of the Flies returns with a fresh adaptation of a classic novel about bloodthirsty boys running amok on a perilous desert island.
This update of the 70-year-old source material comes from director Marc Munden, who directed the Stephen Graham Covid drama Help in 2021.
Its screenplay is written by Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne, who previously described how the source material left a ‘scar [on him] like no other.’
It was previously adapted in a 1963 film by Peter Brook, forever traumatising audiences with its story of toxic masculinity brimming to a bloody (pig’s) head.
This four-part adaptation by the BBC retells the tale for a modern audience, with a new cast and vibrant all-colour visuals… pig’s blood and all.
But who wrote the original book? Why was it banned in US schools? And where was Lord of the Flies filmed? Here’s Metro’s handy guide.
Who is the author of Lord of the Flies and when was it written?
Lord of the Flies was written by William Golding, a British novelist, playwright, and poet.
Written in 1954, Lord of the Flies was Golding’s debut novel.
In addition to his most famous work, Golding also wrote books, which included The Inheritors, The Spire, and The Scorpion God.
In writing Lord of the Flies, philosophy teacher and Royal Navy lieutenant Golding was supposedly inspired by R. M. Ballantyne’s The Coral Island, which featured a similar plot.
Taking umbrage at its depiction of British colonialism as a civilising influence, Golding set out to write a story of children behaving as they might really behave.
Why was Lord of the Flies banned?
The book’s heavy themes and depictions of cruelty and violence have led to much controversy since its release.
In 1988, a committee of the Toronto, Canada Board of Education ruled that the novel is ‘racist’ and recommended that it be removed from all schools after parents objected to its use of racial slurs.
It has also been challenged by high schools in North Carolina, Texas, and Iowa for its violence and profanity.
When is Lord of the Flies on TV?
The first episode of Lord of the Flies – titled Piggy, after one of its lead characters – airs at 9pm on BBC One.
The following episodes will air at the same time over the next three Sundays.
Like its debut episode, each will take the name of a prominent character – Jack, Simon, and finally, Ralph.
Where to watch Lord of the Flies?
Those who don’t want to wait for BBC One to get their fix can stream all four episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
It was added to the streaming service at 6am on Sunday, February 8.
Since then, viewers have already begun to dig in, with X user TVChatty dubbing it an ‘incredible adaptation so far.’
Ollijjk2 called it ‘fantastic,’ praising the young cast as ‘incredible [sic] talented.’
However, Reddit user Cute_Ad_9730 warned that it was a ‘pretty dark’ take on an already grim story – described it as ‘morbid,’ and ‘psychologically disturbing and not really aimed at children.’
Meanwhile, a review by The i Paper described it as a ‘scary, psychedelic assault on the senses,’ with The Guardian warning that ‘you will feel sick throughout.’
Lord of the Flies cast
Lord of the Flies stars Winston Sawyers as Ralph, David McKenna as Piggy, and Lox Pratt as Jack.
Ike Tabut also stars as Roger, with Thomas Connor appearing as Roger and Tom Page-Turner as Bill.
Among its rising talent, Pratt has already been cast in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter adaptation, where he will play Draco Malfoy.
It has a few adults, including Line of Duty star Daniel Mays as a police officer and Tom Goodman-Hill as a naval officer, both of whom appear briefly in one episode.
Lord of the Flies - a deliriously queasy retelling of a classic novel
Review by Joel Harley
Like many, I first experienced Lord of the Flies at a relatively young age. Initially, on a curriculum reading list, before moving on to the 1963 adaptation. It’s been over two decades since then, but what I saw (and read) was forever etched onto my psyche.
This four-part adaptation gives Golding’s novel more room to breathe, allowing director Marc Munden to better get to know its characters beyond the core trio of Ralph, Piggy, and Jack.
The first episode is initially something of a slow burn, opening with a disorienting introduction to the island before the boys attempt to establish some kind of society.
It’s not long at all before things start to go wrong, though, and the violent power struggle between popular Ralph (Winston Sawyers), sensible Piggy (David McKenna), and hot-headed Jack (Lox Pratt) soon builds to an inevitable, upsetting head.
Indeed, this version explodes from the screen, marrying visuals that swing between lush and pure nightmare with phenomenal performances from its young cast.
Between the upped gore and the creepy costuming, Munden and screenwriter Jack Thorne (who knows a thing or two about toxic teenagers) lean into the novel’s folk horror trappings, making the story as scary as it’s ever been.
This builds, in turn, to a breathless climax in which the last vestiges of civilisation are well and truly stomped into the bloody sand.
Its story may be over 70 years old, but Lord of the Flies has lost none of its power in its old age.
Lord of the Flies’ story may descend into nightmare territory, but that didn’t rub off on the young cast, thankfully.
10-year-old Alfie Kiely, who plays one of the stranded ‘Littleuns’ (the youngest contingent of castaways), described the experience as ‘really fun.’
‘I missed home and friends, but it was really fun out there,’ he told BBC News.
Telling tales of sharing pizza parties with thirty other castmates, little Alfie also described the many animal encounters he had on the film’s set – including a crisp-stealing primate.
‘One day we were sitting by the poolside, and the monkey came down, went in our bag, took our Pringles, and sat on our sunbed and ate them,’ he giggled.
Where was Lord of the Flies filmed?
While the exact location of the boys’ plane crash is never named in either the book or the adaptation, it was filmed almost entirely on location in Malaysia.
Describing himself as an ‘avid fan’ of junglebound sci-fi series Lost, executive producer Joel Wilson described his disappointment at hearing how it had been filmed ‘in a car park in Hawaii.’
In a Q&A recorded by Radio Times, he continued: ‘And we took the opposite approach. We looked at lots of different locations, and then we carefully selected the least practical.
‘So, we were trekking into the jungles for an hour at a time, and David was often carried or pushed in his chariot, or in particularly difficult terrain. So we were shooting in very inaccessible, inhospitable places.’
Lord of the Flies airs at 9pm on BBC One on Sunday, and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer in full.
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