Netflix's primal 'Lord of the Flies' is the best TV show of the year

May 4, 2026, 8:00 a.m. ET"Lord of the Flies" is so much more than you remember.The classic 1954 William Golding novel has been a staple of high school English classes for decades, and one of the most formative works of literature of the 20th century, influencing everything from gender-bent homage "Yellowjackets" on Showtime to reality TV (like CBS's "Survivor") to Stephen King.But like so many works of art considered "classics" and used for pedagogy, "Flies" can seem like a relic of the past, a curiosity rather than a warning. But in 2026, our modern age fueled by debates about boyhood and the "manosphere," reminders of the precariousness of democracy, the brutality and pointlessness of war and the very nature of human decorum, there is no wonder "Flies" is back and in living color.Debuting on Netflix May 4 after an acclaimed run on the BBC in the UK earlier this year, "Lord of the Flies" (★★★★ out of four) is the best show of the year, retelling a story that is desperately trenchant and resonant in 2026. Led by an astoundingly talented cast of young actors and brought to life with painterly brushstrokes of vivid color and horrifying imagery, "Flies" is