I just finished Black Mirror and the first word that comes to mind is...wow! I've never seen anything like it. The stories are all shocking, disturbing and thought provoking. Most of them are about how technology is changing, has changed us, and not always for the better. It's almost like a satire of how media obsessed we have gotten. Each episode really makes you think afterwards and will make you want to talk about what happened. Every episode is like a mini movie, there're stand alone episodes and every episode has an incredible cast filled with A-list actors. While everyone will have their own favorite episodes, every single one of them will make you think and there's not a "bad" episode in the entire series.
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I've been a longtime fan of Black Mirror. It had always felt like a modern Twilight Zone with a focus on the potential downsides of future technologies. With season 6 it feels like they threw the premise out the window and went with an anything goes approach to storytelling, including the supernatural. In addition, the overall quality of the writing has declined in seasons 5 and 6. The first 4 seasons of the show is among my favorite TV shows ever, but they seem to have mostly lost their touch.
It's not that the most recent seasons are irredeemable because there are some pretty good episodes, but they are nowhere near the high bar that was set by the early seasons. Don't believe me? Go watch from the beginning and it will become obvious how much the show has changed. None of the newer episodes are remotely close to the quality of "The Entire History of You", "White Bear", and "White Christmas." Even the weaker episodes of seasons 1-4 are significantly better than most of seasons 5 and 6.
I suppose it's nice to get some new episodes of Black Mirror even if it isn't what it used to be, but I was hoping for much better. Despite my misgivings about the last two seasons, I hope there ends up being a season 7 because I am a big fan of the anthology series format. Overall, I still think the show deserves a solid 8 when considering the entirety of the series to this point. -
Strait_Talk22 June 2019You're reviewing the whole show here,not individual seasons or episodes. Don't give a low rating just because you didn't like Miley or the 5th series. Keep everything in context and just rate on your overall impression of Black Mirror. Carry on.
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hoytyhoytyhoyty19 June 2023This is purely for seasons 1-4 and for Bandersnatch from season 5.
Season 5 was boring and silly. Season 6 is a mixture of terrible episodes and some quite well done episodes that have nothing whatsoever to do with Black Mirror.
Seasons 1 through 4 are masterpieces. Some episodes are better than others, like with any Anthology series. But the good ones are just next-level, even when you have to suspend disbelief sometimes (full nervous system VR systems the size of an M&M - no, not unless everything else is up to the same level of tech!).
It seems that once a series peaks, we just have to accept that that's it, it's done, it will never get up there again. For me the high water marks were CROCODILE, METALHEAD and WHITE BEAR. Though I have to say, I still got back and watch the speech from 15 MILLION MERITS for the thrill of it. It's too good.
4 seasons, 1 special - that's pretty good. Now we need something of equal calibre!
"Somebody" removes negative reviews so I hope this one will just sail through. -
Supermanfan-134 January 2023Black Mirror is one of the most original and best Mini-Series ever created! Each episode tells a different story and while not all, most of them are fascinating. There are a few episodes that are not so good when compared to the others but most of them are fantastic! Each episode stands alone, this show gets compared to The Twilight Zone a lot and while it's a pretty good comparison, I think Black Mirror is actually a lot better. Every episode has an amazing cast and director. Every episode really makes you think afterwards. It's hard to explain how incredible this show is so just go watch it!
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RedMars201728 June 2023Latest series is on the rails, by the book, it almost feels like series 6 has been written by AI.
Hold on. Is that going to be the final twist - that Charlie Brooker got ChatGPT to write series 6? That would explain the lack of plot twists and the by-the-numbers predictability.
If Charlie Brooker is playing 4D chess and has willingly created a poor series 6 to make a brilliantly executed point to the suited streamer overlords that AI cannot create as well as humans, then hats off to him. I'll revise this review to an 11/10.
But if that's not the case, then what did happen between series 5 and 6? -
Brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant.
This is NOT anti-utopian, it is an actual mirror of a utopian idea gone terribly wrong.
I've only watched 3 episodes so far and each one has made me think, made me go back and look again, made me ask myself why this had never occurred to me before.
I would call this sci-fi in the richest sense of the genre.... it is not about science, but how science affects human beings. The one thing that never seems to change is us. Technology evolves, mutates, advances and declines, but human beings, our feelings, our courage, fears, and desires remain within us.
I love this show. I hope you will love it too. And I hope you will think. -
ian-j-hannah9 December 2014The double entendre that is Black Mirror's name summarizes the show perfectly. The first interpretation is that the show looks inwards, at the darker aspects of humanity and society. This is done through the theme of technology, hence the second meaning. The black mirror is the screen that rules our lives.
Each self-contained episode is brilliantly crafted and produced. The stories are compelling and the acting is phenomenal. This show is not for those looking exclusively for entertainment, as the episodes leave you with a distinctly empty feeling. Although this is obviously the intent, one cannot help but wonder at the creators' bleak outlook on the world. The presence of bestiality in the first episode could very well deter some viewers, but I would remind them that the show is Twilight Zone-esque in structure as well as theme. The episodes may be watched in any order, as they are all completely independent of one another. The second episode in particular is storytelling of the highest form.
Black Mirror is disturbing in the best possible way. It unflinchingly explores the issues of society through deeply intimate stories and characters and their interactions with technology. Let me be clear, it will not leave you feeling fulfilled. Watching it was an exhausting experience that shook me deeply. The thought provoking subject matter combine with powerful, desolate stories and excellent performances to create one of the most unique and brilliant shows that I have seen. It not only holds the viewer's attention while it plays, it enthralls your thoughts long after the credits roll. -
Shinitaika21 January 2012I have only seen the first two installments of this series and but was impressed enough to leave a review. Charlie Brooker has popped out of the internet at times when I least expect it revealing the more unsettling aspects of our culture through his program Screenwipe and others. That was my first exposure to Doug Stanhope, a comedian who among others brings us closer together via demonstrations of how media and technology are changing our society and rarely for the better. Black Mirror arrives in the form of anthologized science fiction in the vein of the Twilight zone. It is a series that examines our society's relationship with the media and how it allows us to both shape our own identity and imprison us in a space where empathy and truth are weaknesses and something to hide in order to get ahead.
I have always been interested in futurists and Brooker seems to fill the requirements for one. There is nothing in the first two installments that do not reflect current trends in our collective behavior but instead extrapolates where current trends in communications technology; avatars, social media and reality television might lead us if we do not seek to preserve what is beautiful and pure about our collective consciousness and humanity.
Having seen reviews here that feel there is no commentary embedded within these stories I couldn't disagree more. As the title suggests, Brooker's Black Mirror shows us a dark reflection of our selves and allows us to evaluate these scenarios through our own emotional filters.
There are no blatant soap box messages but I interpreted the narratives as cautionary tales and would hope that no one, when confronted with them, would hope for these near futures. The only thing holding them back from becoming reality is our own resistance to complacency and purely spectator culture.
Beyond these philosophical aspects, the program is incredibly well produced and executed in my opinion. The characters and sets create convincing realities and I was never once drawn out of the story due to poor acting, scripting or characterizations. I could not recommend this series more and hope that it will continue on. Congratulations to Brooker and company for their work and their apparent concern for all of us. -
svenvanlathem11 January 2012This is the biggest surprise i came across these last couple of years. This series is one of the best i've seen. Every episode is unique yet criticizes the same absurd society we're living in. I was shocked at the great filming/acting/directing and of course writing of these different stories. My personal favorite would be episode 2. The most futuristic but also the most accurate representation of what most of our lives look like right now. Just saw in a review that a guy stopped watching after 20 minutes at the second episode. That's the biggest mistake he could do. Definitely the best episode. I wont miss anything else Charlie Brooker does and i'm patiently waiting for the DVD to come out. I hope this also gets a Blu-Ray version and maybe some new episodes after wards?
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andersonmarin26 June 2020If you watch this whole series...you can see the reality of it...and it's horrifying. I believe that this series really makes you think about how easily and fast things can get out of control. It was an awesome show!
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sspureurubin11 June 2019-1 because of that Season 5 that I wished I never knew existed.
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I used to think that Black Mirror was my most beloved dystopian Sci-Fi series of the last years.
Until season 6.
Let me explain: all the previous series were about the abuse and exploitation of technology and its possible, undesired side effects. I will remember here "The National Anthem", "Nosedive", "Metalhead" just to name a few.
But now? Apart "Joan Is Awful" and "Beyond the Sea" (this one pretty mediocre, if compared to the one I've mentioned before, no matter the excellent Aaron Paul) I've seen some fantasy flicks!!! Wherevolves and demons! I mean... Seriously? Are those, quoting Wikipedia, "explores technology and its side-effects."?? No, of course. They are not.
I don't know who the production had to please to insert those totally misplaced topics in an otherwise perfect series but the choice was poor. At least IMAO. Very poor, very out-of-context and I haven't been able to find a real meaning for those "harrypotter-esque" episodes. I admit, I've been really irked by those. Science Fiction is a serious genre, a genre that is supposed to make you seriously ponder about your present and about your future and there's nothing wrong in being serious.
Now tell me: how werewolves and a demon dressed up like an Abba member are supposed to make me ponder about my future?
So sad to see that even Black Mirror had to "sell its soul". -
jimbobcreamer27 June 2023This show is science fiction. Science. Fiction. For years I have raved about this show. For years I have told people to watch this show. And now you give me a werewolf. A fantasy werewolf. I can not watch an episode, a single minute of this show without thinking that the writers think I'm an idiot. I never thought that 1 episode could ruin a tv show, until I saw A werewolf in a science fiction show. We live in a world where AI is now a thing we can use on our computers. We live in a world we're voting fraud is a thing people are actually scared of. We live in a world where tv shows make people do things. A world where people are actually doing things that would make people be scared. AND THE BEST THING YOU HAVE IS A WEREWOLF!!!
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Amazing British anthology series with a very intriguing concept. The premise: taking contemporary phenomena (ranging from the wild popularity of talent shows on TV to the impact of social media and smartphones on our lives) as a starting point and speculate how such phenomena could/would evolve in the future. Each episode tells a different story with different protagonists and focuses on a different theme. Of course, the series doesn't explore the beneficial aspects or any positive trends - (where would the fun be in that?) - but clearly approaches its topics from a pessimistic, cynical point of view (hence the title). As the show's creator Charlie Brooker ('Dead Set') puts it: "...They (the different stories) are all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy."
The resulting mix of bleak sci-fi, drama, satire and black comedy makes for highly intelligent Television and ranks among the most original and entertaining shows I've ever come across. The writing and directing are excellent and the cast includes such talented thesps as Domhnall Gleeson, Rory Kinnear, Toby Kebbell, Hayley Atwell, Jon Hamm, Jason Flemyng and Rupert Everett - to name but a few. Unique, fascinating and highly recommended. 9 stars out of 10.
Favorite Films: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054200841/
Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/
Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/
Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/ -
...season five was bad (episode 1), mildly acceptable (episode 2) and are you kidding me? (episode 3). Miley Cyrus? This series started out as an inventive, original and disturbing show. When it became "Americanized", it went downhill fast. Please, either return to the original premise, or don't put out more trash.
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Galadai16 October 2013I found myself irritated with one of the reviewers who gave this mini-series a terrible review because it left him feeling "disturbed". Ermm.... I think that's the intention....
As many others have pointed out, the series is superbly put together: the actors are great; the script, if anything, is minimalist and the production excellent.
This isn't reality TV. This picks out the darkest aspects of how are future in this this modern age could end up, in extremis....
Personally, I think it's a Facebook/Twitter/Flickr/Android/iPhone/Tab/internet horror story and whilst I think it's probably too brutal for most people, it is a reflection of how we give up and of ourselves to the digital, overwhelmingly public way that the world now wants us to be.
I love the show. Will it change my FB or other behavior? No but, truth be told, I might be watching out of the corner of my eye.... -
trabuqueta5 December 2013Watching it was disturbing and shocking at the same time.
Depressive in a way, but also genius and defying! The way it makes you question and think about reality and our modern technological ages it's brilliant!
And although being fictional and mostly sci-fi, it's so realistic in the scariest way!
It's not about tech... it's about us and our "human nature", the good and the bad, our best and worst as humans and that is definitely the most disturbing aspect of it all.
Worth seeing it all with detailed attention cause it's probably one of the most intelligent and critical TV series done recently!!
Thank you Mr Brooker and all the team!
P.S.: the first two episodes are probably the most disturbing ones and it's curious that all the bad reviews focus only in the first one... Reading those bad reviews only make more sense to the all series idea... Shocking uh? But wouldn't we be all in the pub watching it? -
kggpgk28 December 2022In the new golden age of tv shows, this one is on another level. That's saying something, considering the expectation we have now. Black Mirror is an anthology series that, if you follow dope stuff, has achieved that rare-air status that if there's another season you feel blessed. It's that good imo. Absolutely a 21st Century version of The Twilight Zone. And it keeps coming back, but on nobody's timeline. And A list stars just flock to it?! I don't really love each and every episode. But there are so many episodes of this program that really leave ya shaken. Because us doesn't seem that far removed from a plausible scenario. Check it out. It'll make ya wonder......
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So while Seasons 1 to 5 have been punchy, and captivating from the first to last second, Season 6 is suffering from Netflix Disease i.e. Pad it out with narrative filler to get it out to 40 min (the longer you keep us watching, the less we are watching your streaming competitors).
So all but Ep2 has dragged from the start, and could have got to the not too bad endings within 20min.
Get the original UK writers in again and try a reboot. Short, sharp and punchy once more. Perhaps we'll get a few more episodes per season too.
Please, please save this awesome show by giving it back to the Brits! -
erin_lou1817 January 2012To sum up this series for me is quite easy, It's a dark look at what could be, and a very deep look at the worst of human nature.
The cast and set are different every time, but one theme I found recurring was that each episode was extremely haunting, and it definitely gets the viewer thinking about what could be if the world was just a little bit different. I don't think Black Mirror will appeal to everyone because some themes are a slightly uncomfortable especially in the pilot episode. So far the actors that have been cast have done an amazing job, and the writers have managed to make some far fetched ideas seem graspable. Basically this series is unlike anything else on TV and for that it gets a big thumbs up from me.
I don't want to write any spoilers, but what I will say is this if you want a drama with dark twist or a series that is completely Original make it Black Mirror. -
El-Pata23 June 2023It hurts me to see what Netflix did to this absolutely brilliant show.
Just finished season 6 and I am baffled.
3 of 5 episodes have nothing to do with the show theme of digital dystopia, they are just some 'stories' , here a demon, here some murder story and here a werewolf.
The one with the werewolf is utter rubbish, filled with poor script, poor dialogues, bland and shallow narrative - it felt like being forced to munch a lemon for 45 minutes, ouch.
I don't know what is happening there, but Netflix goes downhill. The one show that I loved turned into some twisted pathetic version of itself.
Do yourself a favor, yes, watch seasons 1 to 5, but then consider it closed. Or live the disappointment. -
shenzencowboy28 June 2023Black Mirror has always been one of my favourite shows. It is completely different from everything else. It has been fresh, quirky and gripping in every respect. Every episode has been different and has transfixed me. It is now described as a Netflix original. It was on U. K TV years before it got to Netflix.
I have been anxiously awaiting the release of season 6 which I've just binge watched over a couple of days.
I was quite disappointed in Season 6 with some episodes having a familiar ring to them where I've seen very similar themes before, even in previous episodes.
The best episode of season 6 from my perspective was episode 2 Loch Henry which was scary, original and brilliantly acted. Overall I found season 6 patchy and disappointing. -
korapica_50016 June 2023I COULDNT tell i was watching black mirror through the whole 6th season. All the time I was waiting for that mind-f black mirror moment and plot where i really pause to process but I didn't get any.
On joan is awful Salma presence felt like she was shooting a commercial rather than filming TV and wro wasn't strong.. such a waste for the amount of talented actors and actresses in 1 episode.
On the Loch henry, it really felt just like watching a documentary, any random documentary only showing you behind the scenes except for the ending.
Mazey Day, was a Don't Look Up wannabe TV which is very mediocre.
I don't know what's happening to the show but bring us Black museum, white Christmas, Nosedive, White bear, Playtest creators...
chatGBT, TikTok, Crypto, Podcasts...all of these addictive concepts and you went with a documentary... -
Black Mirror is an anthology, meaning it is complied of different sci fi tales to make their seasons. This means the series doesn't really have any synopsis I can say, the only thing I can say is just watch the bloody show already. Every episode is different, some horror, some romance, some drama, and if you don't like the episode then just skip it, it's not like you'll miss anything as the next episode on your binge watch will be the complete opposite of what you just watched. As far as acting goes, it's top notch, stars like Jon Hamm, Daniel Kaluuya also appear on episodes bringing their amazing performances to the table. Every episode has their own cinematography, some bright and colorful, one episode will be black and white, really adding in on the unique feel of the whole thing. I would definitely call this show a masterpiece, but i almost gave it a 9 because of the 5th series. 2 episodes from the fifth series were pretty sh*te. Smithereens was great, so was Andrew Scott's performance. So yes, a masterpiece still, I won't let 2 bad episodes change that especially when compared to the works of art that the previous series had to offer. So ignore season 5 apart from Smithereens, Smithereens had a very important message and was a wonderfully shot and acted tale. Think of it as a mix of mini films. Now there may be some things that you may not find good, but there's always an episode for you. There 's twists, laughs, scares all in hour long episodes and tied up in a neat little bow just for you. And the Christmas Special was stunning, don't forget to watch that. But if that isn't enough, they have their own interactive film, Bandersnatch. An. Interactive. Film. You choose what the main character does, and it is awesome. So please, If you have the time, try watching this, you will not be disappointed. Verdict: With something new every episode, Black mirror really gets to you, and in all the right ways. A+