Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
When their plane crashes, 25 schoolboys find themselves trapped on a tropical island, miles from civilization.
This 1990 adaptation of Golding's classic novel is a competent but largely unnecessary remake of the superior 1963 version. The plot faithfully follows the source material's descent into savagery, which remains compelling, but the adaptation adds little new insight. The acting from the young cast is uneven — some performances feel raw and unconvincing, a persistent weakness of child-led productions without strong direction. Cinematography captures the tropical island setting adequately but without distinctive visual flair. Novelty is low — it treads well-worn ground covered by both the novel and an earlier film, and the American military school setting tweak doesn't add enough freshness. The ending, following Golding's grim resolution, retains its thematic punch despite the film's shortcomings.