Stephen King Loves Netflix’s Newest Thriller

By Brian Myers
| Published 27 seconds ago

Stephen King is anything but shy about his opinions. Whether it’s politics, current events, or cinematic adaptations from his own massive body of work, the publicly acclaimed “Master of Horror” typically leaves little to the imagination when it comes to his thoughts. So, when the bestselling writer gives kudos to the Netflix Thriller Lord of the Flies, his words are seen as a giant stamp of approval.

The Salem’s Lot author took to X to post his stamp of approval for the limited series. “I had my doubts, but it’s remarkable. Captures all the horror and mystery of lost children descending into… well, you decide,” King tweeted on May 5. And when new audiences dig into the episodes, they’ll quickly catch on to what he was alluding to.

The story begins when a group of adolescent boys finds themselves stranded on a deserted island following a plane crash into the Pacific Ocean. With no adult survivors, the band of boys organizes itself into a makeshift society in order to overcome the harsh conditions thrust upon them. A fundamental difference of ideas between two of the older boys leads to a schism in the group, pitting the two factions against each other. As the society they build begins to evaporate into fear and violence, it’s a battle between the virtues of intellect and civility and the base animal instincts of dominance and survival.

The four-part series is based on the 1954 novel by William Golding. The 2026 adaptation stays loyal to Golding’s source material, save for the series taking creative liberties with several of the characters’ backstories and some rearranging of the timeline of events that unfold.

With a cast of virtually unknown British actors, Lord of the Flies is able to bring a sense of horrific realism to the small screen that an ensemble cast could not. When watching, it’s as though these young men and boys could pass as ones we know in our everyday lives, working to make the tragedies they have faced all the more harrowing and the social deconstruction they work to survive even more terrifying.

The 2026 series was produced by the filmmakers at Eleven for the BBC. It was released in early February in the United Kingdom, before debuting in the United States on May 4 on Netflix. Soon after its debut, fans and critics alike weighed in, leading to the new release holding a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%.

The BBC show isn’t the first time Lord of the Flies has been adapted for the screen. In 1963, British director Peter Brook led a cast of unknown performers in a critically acclaimed film that was listed as one of the top films of the year by the National Board of Review. In 1975, the Filipino release of Alkitrang Dugo served as a loose adaptation of the novel and went on to secure several award nominations in the Philippines.

Fifteen years later, Lord of the Flies was released in theaters by Castle Rock Entertainment. The American adaptation received mixed reviews from the critics of its era, and hasn’t fared much better in retrospect. Bringing in $13M over a $9M budget kept it from being a box office flop, but the short theatrical run and lower-than-expected ticket sales held it back from being a success.

You can stream the 2026 Lord of the Flies series with a subscription to Netflix.