Lord of the Flies viewers switch off and blame this ‘irritating’ problem in BBC show: ‘Spoiled the whole thing’
Not everyone is a fan of the BBC's Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies has been widely acclaimed – but one aspect of the BBC’s new adaptation has left viewers divided, with some even claiming it “spoilt the whole thing”.
Developed by Adolescence’s Jack Thorne, the series stars a fresh-faced cast as schoolboys who end up marooned on an uninhabited Pacific island after a plane crash.
Across four gruelling, thrilling episodes, we see the boys’ doomed efforts to establish order, only for chaos and bloodshed to reign.
It’s the best TV show of 2026 so far. Everything about the show’s production – the cinematography, performances, and music – serves to enhance all of its complex emotions; fear, curiosity, and loneliness among them. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.
Lord of the Flies viewers ‘switch off’ because of the music
The music (largely composed by The White Lotus’ Cristobal Tapia de Veer, with a theme by Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve) is deliberately evocative, never passive.
It’s a diverse composition, sometimes recalling bygone adventure serials and the feel of the ’50s with Benjamin Britten’s music. Other times, it’s emphatic and almost overwhelming – and it’s been a bit too much for some viewers.
“What’s with background music (& not always in the background) over absolutely everything now? Had to switch off Lord of the Flies as the music annoyed me so much. I do not need someone to fill the silence,” one user wrote on X.
“Sorry, the BBC’s Lord Of The Flies is proving to be a hot mess. Everything from unmotivated shots and cinematography to performances, casting, delivery, music score and tone,” another, more critical viewer posted.
On Facebook, one user wrote: “The background music irritated me.”
“The music was awful, jangly and distracting, I couldn’t concentrate,” another wrote.
Others have been more positive. “I couldn’t fault this production. Acting was superb as was the music which brought such atmosphere to the whole thing,” one user commented.
“The music took me back in time and started to put me on edge,” another shared. “The clever use of music… superb,” a third added.
Lord of the Flies ‘traumatises’ people… again
William Golding’s original novel was published in 1954. People have been reading it – and feeling traumatised by it – for over 70 years. With the BBC series, it’s happening again.
However, some people have been so affected by the book that they can’t face the TV show.
“The book traumatised me when I read it school (as the topic is supposed to) so no I can’t watch the series on TV,” one wrote.
“A strange choice for a Sunday evening. I watched half of the first episode… but then got anxious and switched over as the book really traumatised me when I was young,” another commented.
Those who’ve watched the series (every episode is on iPlayer) have reported similar feelings, albeit with more praise.
“Loved it! Forced me to reread the book. Some of the changes/additions were phenomenal,” one wrote, while another commented: “It is brutal! It is meant to shock! This is why so many schools studied it. It’s about human behaviour and there is a meaning behind it all.”
