Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Lord of the Flies

Play trailer Poster for Lord of the Flies R Released Mar 16, 1990 1h 30m Adventure Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
55% Tomatometer 22 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In this updated take on William Golding's classic novel, a group of American military schoolboys become marooned on a remote island after a plane crash. While initially cooperative, after the discovery of a beast, the boys split into two warring camps, one headed by the liberal-minded Ralph (Balthazar Getty), the other by the militaristic Jack (Chris Furrh). Their society begins to descend into violence, and boys soon learn there's a thin line between society and savagery.

Where to Watch

Lord of the Flies

Critics Reviews

View All (22) Critics Reviews
Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 5/5 Feb 9, 2002 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The symbolism is right up front and unmissable, and the story part -- the events that in theory should cause our throats to tighten and our pulses to quicken -- is pretty lame. Rated: 1.5/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Christie Cronan Common Sense Media Brutally violent, with a dark, overarching theme that may be difficult for kids to process, this adaptation is the scarier, more disturbing cousin of the 1963 film. May 20, 2024 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) The clumsiest film in recent memory... an irritating parody[Full review in Spanish] Nov 30, 2022 Full Review Bruce C. Steele OutWeek Dialogue and actions that resonate in the novel and in the Peter Brook film version here fall lifeless onto the sandy beach. May 20, 2020 Full Review J.C. Maçek III PopMatters 1963's Lord of the Flies was a transcendent experience in accurate filmmaking, 1990's Lord of the Flies is only a movie. Rated: 6/10 May 21, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
Nol P The Lord of the Flies movie adaptation from 1990 is very good! I read the original novel while growing up! It is only the 2nd time I have ever seen this movie and I had to rely on You Tube to be able to watch the real McCoy original 1990 version as of course it is not on any streaming platforms as usual! The child actors were spot on excellent in this and this really reminds me now on the state of the current US with those representing the hunters and the high and mighty thinkers who have no regard for others or the good! Just DO and NOT think it out first! The US has really come to this point now and so many can learn something if they just read more and educate themself more and have an open heart. 58% of America just cannot though or do not want to be normal or real caring people! Just a bunch of potential anarchy followers like in this movie! Well done writer and producer and director...you predicted something so long ago that now represents the US upcoming demise from 2025 ON! JUST CAUSE ONE EGO MANIAC OVER TALKER SAYS STUFF DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE AND FOLLOW EVERYTHING!! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/29/24 Full Review Jerod S The book was meant to dive deep into the psyche of humans and show what happens when all control is lost. The movie is more just a bunch of boys running around til they're rescued. The dark undertones are missing. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/21/24 Full Review emo T jack merridew is pretty lowkey Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/17/24 Full Review Holly It's so hard to adapt when the book is so good Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/11/24 Full Review Rami A I wasn't a fan of book, nor was I fan of this film. Just goes to show how poorly adapted this story was. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 11/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Based on the best-selling book by William Golding The movie features a big collection of child actors whom are giving it their all with the material None of them are huge caliber names but they make the best of a dreaded situation A group of military youths end up getting shipwrecked in the ocean and stumble upon a deserted island with only 1 adult Their rankings are different from one another yet their survival will depend on them working together if they ever get rescued The child actors are really invested, the scenery is breathtaking, and the power struggle really shows when they each become desperate or corrupted by greed and control Some of the music is downright terrifying, too. I never read the book but it is scary how much division can occur being stranded, acting savage, and fighting for power. Tragedy can strike at any time when discipline, lack of control, and losing trust takes over. It’s a mixture of kid and adult themes that’s pretty intense. Not for everyone but the performances by the kids are a dime a dozen. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Lord of the Flies

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

The Edge 62% 70% The Edge Watchlist TRAILER for The Edge Sin nombre 88% 89% Sin nombre Watchlist The Salton Sea 63% 82% The Salton Sea Watchlist City Hall 60% 37% City Hall Watchlist Backdraft 73% 75% Backdraft Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis In this updated take on William Golding's classic novel, a group of American military schoolboys become marooned on a remote island after a plane crash. While initially cooperative, after the discovery of a beast, the boys split into two warring camps, one headed by the liberal-minded Ralph (Balthazar Getty), the other by the militaristic Jack (Chris Furrh). Their society begins to descend into violence, and boys soon learn there's a thin line between society and savagery.
Director
Harry Hook
Producer
Ross Milloy, Lewis M. Allen
Screenwriter
Jay Presson Allen
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Adventure, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 16, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$12.3M
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
Most Popular at Home Now