The Dictatorship
Why the Netflix adaptation of ‘Lord of the Flies’ is so utterly terrifying right now
ByHannah Holland
Netflix’s series adaptation of “Lord of the Flies,” which premiered this past week, begins with the character Piggy. He is lying on wet, soft earth, his glasses are askew and clouded. It’s shot from above with a fisheye lens, as if the viewer is leaning over him, hungry or paranoid, or both. The boy looks fragile, his cheeks are red — bloody or flushed with heat, we don’t yet know.
Then we meet the other boys, single-name references in their own right: Ralph, Jack, Simon, Roger.
Created by Jack Thorne, who also wrote and produced the 2025 award-winning series “Adolescence,” this mini series adaptation of “Lord of the Flies” stays close to author William Golding’s original source material.
It is impossible to encounter “Lord of the Flies” in 2026 and not consider the current conversations about masculinity and the crisis men and boys are facing.
The premise, for those few who may not remember from high school assigned reading: A plane carrying British schoolboys, from young children aged five or six to pre-teenagers, crash-lands on an uninhabited tropical island, with the boys as the only survivors. Without the moral and social guidance of adults, the boys are reduced to their worst impulses. They are careless and reckless, and then violent and cruel.
“Lord of the Flies” has remained an enduring classic because of its commentary on leadership, the fragility of society, and human nature. Thorne’s version is episodic, broken down into four parts, four perspectives, centering on our primary characters: Piggy (David McKenna), Jack (Lox Pratt), Simon (Ike Talbut), and Ralph (Winston Sawyers).
The boys, particularly the power-hungry and ruthless Jack, are afforded more dimension than in the original text. Jack is often portrayed, and therefore analyzed, in a single note: as a sociopathic villain. The show takes interest in the motivations behind his behavior and his relationships with the other boys.
It is impossible to encounter “Lord of the Flies” in 2026 and not consider the current conversations about masculinity and the crisis men and boys are facing: where so-called men’s rights activist lay regressive and violent blame on women and feminists for the lack of community, disenfranchisement, and the personal struggles of modern men. There’s a temptation to reduce the story, including Thorne’s adaptation, as an examination of a certain toxicity inherent in all men and boys.
But I think that misses an important point about this series, and about the reality of where so many young men find themselves today. Thorne told Esquire“I don’t think this is about boys in a state of nature. I don’t buy any of those sorts of arguments. […] It’s about a group of kids that come with a culture and a socialization that they then reenact on the island.”
I watched Thorne’s adaptation of “Lord of the Flies” as a nuanced yet universal story of the importance of vulnerability, the perils of social conditioning and the fragility of coming-of-age.
Thorne’s “Lord of the Flies” and “Adolescence” could almost be treated as companion pieces, equally emotionally demanding, equally painful to witness. Although both are works of fiction, “Lord of the Flies” exists in the grey, in the symbolic, where “Adolescence” exists in the black and white, taken straight from news headlines. They’re both devastating, but for different reasons: “Lord of the Flies” because it makes you wonder what others truly are capable of, “Adolescence” because it shows you exactly that.
Although the cultural markers of manhood have shifted since the 1950s, vulnerability has consistently been seen as antithetical to masculinity.
Although the cultural markers of manhood have shifted since the 1950s, vulnerability has consistently been seen as antithetical to masculinity. Simon, almost Christ-like in his adherence to morality, collapses to the ground in the first few minutes of the first episode. Jack scoffs and proclaims him “the least capable.” Piggy, the arbiter of intelligence and practicality, is ridiculed for being overweight, bespectacled, and frequently coughing from asthma. As in the book, both boys are murdered.
Their deaths are meant to be outrageous and profoundly emotional. For much of the audience, they are. But in a world increasingly culturally and politically dominated by President Donald Trump, his cult of personality, and men like self-described “misogynist” Andrew Tatefringe streamer Sneako, and their hordes of manosphere imitators and followers, it isn’t hard to consider an audience who would sooner align themselves with a Jack or a sadist like Roger, than with a Piggy or a Simon.
At its core, “Lord of the Flies” is a compressed coming-of-age story, a rapid loss of innocence. Nick Cutter, author of “The Dorians” and a stirring modern adaptation of “Lord of the Flies” called “The Troop,” described this to me as “a crucible.”
“It is a time when you would consider [boys] to be generally innocent. The idea is, you put the [boys] in a crucible, that forces them to take on adult decisions at a point when they really shouldn’t have to.” Here, there is a failure of moral guidance, emotional permission, as well as safety.
I consider my own adolescence, my own coming-of-age experience as a heteronormative girl. No one ever asked me to cleave any parts of myself away to fit into the restrictive space of accepted womanhood. Even now, in my early 30s, I am allowed to express myself in ways that feel as intuitive today as they did at seven, at 13. I wonder if my brothers, my friends, and my husband, most of whom were raised in households as loving and as charmed as my own, were permitted the same. Were they allowed to hold on to skipping rocks and face paint and sleepover parties and glitter glue and asking their mothers for help?
An island is not required for these young men to find themselves in a place without empathy, vulnerability or kindness. It doesn’t take a crucible for young men to adopt violent and backward notions about women, about their own identity and self-worth, about what it means to be a man. All they need to do is scroll their TikTok feeds.
My best friend is pregnant with a boy, due in the middle of summer. We talk about who he will become all of the time: the curious toddler, the brave child, the fair-minded adult, the loyal friend, the loving dad. We talk about the person that she and her husband intend to raise him to be and how they will do that.
I suppose, if nothing else, Golding, Thorne and their pack of boys are a reminder of the importance of providing moral guidance, nurturing empathy and a willingness to speak up. We must demand men stand up to other men, boys to other boys. We must demand men and boys take an active part in stopping the systemic violence against women and girls. Pollyannaish? Maybe. For now, though, these lessons, the work of parents, and community and peers, are our best antidote for the worst-case scenarios that Thorne explores in his work.
I think, when you finish the series or close your worn copy of “Lord of the Flies,” you’re left with two fundamental questions: Would you rather raise a Simon, a Jack, a Piggy or a Ralph? And does your answer scare you?
Hannah Holland
Hannah Holland is a producer for MS NOW’s “Velshi” and editor for the “Velshi Banned Book Club.” She writes for MS NOW.
Over the course of June, Donald Trump spent nearly every day focusing attention on assorted construction and beautification projects, emphasizing the unavoidable conclusion that the president takes his renovation crusade very seriously.
His allies aren’t necessarily pleased. The Hill recently reported that Republican officials, worried about the midterm elections and maintaining partisan control, have been “thrown off-balance” by, among other things, Trump’s focus on “pet projects” instead of more meaningful national priorities.
The list of projects keeps growing nevertheless. It includes (but is by no means limited to) the ballroomthe Reflecting Poolthe “triumphal arch,” the fountainsthe horse statuesthe “Trump Promenade,” the “statue garden” and the dozen or so additional renovation projects he’s prioritized in and around the White House complex.
But let’s also not forget the helipad.
A couple of months ago, The Washington PostThe Wall Street Journal and The New York Times separately published similar reports about Trump hoping to build a permanent helicopter landing site on the White House grounds. Evidently, those plans have now advanced to the construction stage. The Post reported this week:
President Donald Trump has begun construction on a new White House helipad, his latest change to the historic grounds, according to three people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the project publicly.
Construction crews worked into the night Monday on the White House’s South Lawn, with the project blocked off by a large fence.
The report, which has not been independently verified by MS NOW, added that the project hasn’t yet been formally announced by the White House, even as construction is apparently underway.
It’s not yet clear how much the project will cost, who will pick the tab and whether this has joined the growing list of no-bid contracts.
Unlike some of the president’s other priorities, there is a legitimate issue here — the latest generation of helicopters really do damage the White House lawn — although this doesn’t answer the other lingering questions or explain why Team Trump hasn’t acknowledged the existence of the project.
What’s more, this almost certainly won’t be the last of the Republican’s projects.
Earlier this week, the president used his social media platform to promote an artificial intelligence-generated image of a gold eagle affixed to the White House exterior. Trump added in his online image, “A Golden Gift to the White House for its 250th Birthday Year!”
The text (which erroneously said the White House is celebrating its semiquincentennial) suggested the president intends to add this gaudy addition to his ambitious renovation agenda.
Recent polling has found two-thirds of Americans are convinced their unpopular president simply has the wrong priorities. Trump could take steps to change their mind, but he apparently doesn’t want to.
Steve Benen is a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He’s also the bestselling author of “Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past.”
The Dictatorship
Hegseth blasts protesters at ceremony for D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force: ‘Ingrates’
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday derided protesters at an event in Washington, D.C., tied to the America 250 celebrationscalling the demonstrators “ingrates” who are “blinded by ideology.”
The D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force event in Meridian Hill Park was set to begin at 9 a.m. ET but did not start until roughly 30 minutes later, as members of the National Guard waited for Hegseth’s arrival amid a brutal heat wave. Protesters shouted during his brief address, in which he said he was to blame for the delay and praised the troops for their service.
“In fact, this background noise this morning is perfect,” Hegseth said about the protesters, with White House adviser Stephen Miller and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche standing behind him.
“It’s the sound of ingrates, of ingratitude of people who are so blinded by ideology they can’t see law and order and common sense in front of them,” Hegseth said. “That there’s nothing ideological about this group, there’s nothing political about this exercise.”
Some protesters could be heard shouting “Shame!” and “Guard, go home!”
Pete Hegseth: “This background noise is perfect. It’s the sound of ingrates, of ingratitude, of people who are so blinded by ideology they can’t see law and order and common sense in front of them.” pic.twitter.com/aWt5ciuRG3
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar)”https://x.com/atrupar/status/2072679604184109222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 2, 2026
National Guard troops have been deployed to assist with America 250 celebrations in the capital, though some Democratic governors have warned against their guard members being utilized for a larger federal joint task force to tackle what the Trump administration has called“rampant crime” in Washington.
Many Washington residents are not thrilled with the National Guard’s presence. The controversial America 250 festivities have also sparked criticism from Democrats who accuse President Donald Trump of putting himself at the center of the celebrations.
At the Thursday ceremony, Hegseth suggested the protesters were not from Washington.
“These ingrates will fade away; they’ll go back to wherever they came from,” he said, before asserting that National Guard troops have brought the crime rate down in the capital — a claim that at least one study has found to be inaccurate.
“The crime rate here has dropped in staggering amounts, and the media won’t want to admit it because, of course, they’d have to give credit to President Trump, and then they’d have to give credit to the Department of War or to Stephen Miller,” Hegseth said. “But courageous men like President Trump and Stephen, who said enough is enough, are the reason why this city is a safe and beautiful place.”
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
Stephanie Ruhle said she was left “almost speechless” after the release of Donald Trump’s new financial disclosureswhich reported he raked in more than $2 billion since returning to the White House. “Man, it looks good to be president,” the “Money, Power, Politics” host said Wednesday.
According to the 927-page document released Tuesday, Trump’s income has only increased since retaking the White House. The president reported almost $575 million in real estate and golf-related income and another $68.6 million in royalties and licensing fees.
But, as Ruhle pointed out, $1.4 billion of Trump’s 2025 total comes directly from one industry: crypto.
Despite having called that industry a “scam” and a “disaster waiting to happen” in 2021, Trump has in recent years appeared to have a change of heart about digital currency.
“That was just five years ago, but now he is a major crypto industry operator and essentially its top policy maker,” the MS NOW host said. “Remember, he is the one who appointed regulators that changed the rules to hugely benefit the crypto industry, and since he came back to office, he has either completely dropped or settled a whole lot of cases with crypto companies.”
As Trump rakes in more cash, Ruhle said the American people are not experiencing the same kind of prosperity, in part because of the administration’s policies. “[They] are suffering, whether it’s because of tariffs, whether it’s because of inflation, whether it’s because of increased costs, because of the war in Iran,” she said.
While Ruhle noted the president has said he does not choose his investments and has said they are in a “blind account,” she said the American people should not ignore how much Trump has profited since returning to the White House.
“Here’s what you need to know: All of this would be a major conflict of interest — a huge scandal — if it were any other presidency,” she argued.
You can watch Ruhle’s full breakdown in the clip below.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW. She was previously a segment producer for “AYMAN” and “The Mehdi Hasan Show.”
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