Credit: Netflix

Lord of the Flies, originally released on BBC One in February 2026, arrived on Netflix US on May 4th, serving as a four-episode adaptation of William Golding’s critically acclaimed 1954 novel.

Lord of the Flies follows a group of 1950s British schoolboys who are left stranded on a deserted island following a terrifying plane crash that kills all the adults, including the pilot. So, in an attempt to establish their own governance and order, they initially all come under Ralph’s leadership, assisted by Piggy, until they eventually split into two warring factions.

Although Ralph is the group’s primary leader, when Jack is elected the lead hunter, the sense of order spirals into savagery. At first, the descent begins with fear of the unknown, as the boys become scared of a “beast” from the wild that eventually turns out to be the corpse of a parachutist stuck in a tree. When Simon discovers the same, he rushes to warn the others.

What follows next actually solidifies the loss of innocence in the children as Jack and others kill Simon, mistaking him for the beast. While the turnout is probably not intentional, how do things end for the other boys of Lord of the Flies?

What happens to the schoolboys in Lord of the Flies?

After Simon’s tragic death, another death follows in Lord of the Flies, which is actually intentional. By then, Ralph and Jack are staunch rivals. Once Jack and his friends raid Ralph’s camp, they steal Piggy’s glasses, leaving him defenceless. Although the two reach Jack’s camp to take back the glasses, the situation spirals out of hand, and Roger throws a rock at Piggy’s head.

While Eric and Sam are caught, Ralph and Piggy make a run and hide in the woods, but the latter unfortunately succumbs to his wounds. As Ralph returns to retrieve the twins, he realises that Jack and others are hunting him, trying to smoke him out of the woods. However, the smoke catches the attention of two naval officers, who finally discover Ralph.

Ralph is saved in the nick of time. But for the officers? It feels nothing less than an act of children’s games. They even criticise Ralph for his poor leadership, for having been unable to point out just how many children needed to be rescued. However, once found, the boys let go of all their weapons before launching themselves to the adults’ boat.

While the island battle between civilisation and savagery was anything but fun and games, the burning of the island signifies the loss of their innocence as they prepare to launch themselves into a more ruthless world with everything they’ve so far armed themselves with from their survival. So, even though the boys are rescued, the savagery they own up to? There’s no going back.