Striking Vipers (2019) User Reviews (376)

Is porn cheating?

[Bored_Dragon · 7/10 · 24 October 2021]

Opinions are divided. Some consider porn to be a form of infidelity in serious relationships, while others consider it a harmless way of giving vent to oneself that no one should be blamed for.

But what if the development of VR technology makes pornography interactive content that provides a complete physical experience without physical contact? This is one of the questions that the "Black Mirror" episode "Striking Vipers" asks us.

However, this episode is not about pornography.

The two roommates, who were actively playing a video game similar to "Tekken" or "Mortal Kombat" in college, meet again after eleven years. One started a family, while the other still refuses to grow up, and, as a birthday gift for his old friend, he brings the most modern VR version of the game that they enjoyed in their boyhood days.

The game, as expected, involves a chip on the temple and completely puts you in a VR environment, where you have a complete experience of brutal fights, but without consequences for your real body. The two take the same avatars they used in college, but as one of the avatars is female, they soon discover that "Striking Vipers", in addition to fighting, provides other physical experiences.

Given that they are both men, does this make them gay, even though one of the avatars is female? Is a man who uses a female avatar a transsexual? Is their virtual sex a relationship or just playing a VR game among friends? Does this mean that the married one cheats on his wife? How many men would like to live through the experience of a female orgasm firsthand?

In addition to the obvious question of how much the escape from reality into virtual life is a harmless break from everyday life or a dangerous addiction, there is a bunch of questions that lead to thinking and introspection, while we wait for some shocking outcome, to which the series "Black Mirror" accustomed us. What will be the message/lesson/social critique this time?

A very intriguing and controversial premise, which opens up countless possibilities for a striking episode. Unfortunately, although it is excellently filmed and acted, with good characterization and overall atmosphere, "Striking Vipers" is not going anywhere. Instead of a shocking plot twist, we got a disappointingly lukewarm compromise outcome, which leaves a bland taste in the mouth.

7/10.

Look up awkward in the dictionary

[outofmana · 8/10 · 7 June 2019]

You'll see a picture of me and my (also male and both straight) roommate watching this together

Missing the point uncomfortably.

[Rob-O-Cop · 7/10 · 8 June 2019]

This was obviously a weird uncomfortable watch for many who found the vehicle of delivery too obscure to get the general point, and the point wasn't that obscure if you weren't reeling from the straight guys do gay whammy. Their relationship was internet titillation of any kind, be it bog standard porn draining the sexual energy ("I'm just tired"), and attention ("real life doesn't do it for me anymore", "I'm sorry I don't think I can", "do you mind if I finish my self off"?- pulls out screen etc etc), and video games, obviously also draining time and energy away from the real world. The gay not gay aspect was an add on which felt like it kind of overtook the whole episode and you can make of that what you will. There was insight in that concept too. For all those crying "This isn't Black Mirror!!!" this one was as Charlie Brooker black mirror as the prime minister and the pig first episode. It was weird, thought provoking and slightly uncomfortable to watch with your mum.

Where do we go from here?

[iwatchibinge · 7/10 · 5 June 2019]

Dimnishing the boundaries between VR and reality to a point where it becomes disturbing. Abnormal is the new normal of life.

It's been a long wait.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 7 June 2019]

I definitely wouldn't say it's a favourite, but it does have a very profound message, can you fall in love with more then just the physical. It has you confused at times, as you question sexuality, love, romance etc.

Some people do genuinely live in a cyber reality, where life can perhaps seem a little simpler, this episode certainly looks into the divide between real life and cyber reality.

Very well acted, and well produced, I'd argue the most bizarre episode to date, but it's certainly enjoyable.

It's always great to see a new episode of Black Mirror. 7/10.

People feeling awkward about this episode? Why?

[seronjaa-797-313124 · 10/10 · 8 June 2019]

This is probably one of my favourite episodes of "Black Mirror". I don't get people complaining about every episode and every new season, that it's not "Black Mirror" anymore, that it all went downhill and so on. In the other seasons there were good and bad episodes. I don't like S01E01, so what? Some people liked episodes, that I think are stupid and a waste of time. But now people just like to complain. If you look this show just to get a shocking ending or plot twist, then maybe you're watching it for the wrong reasons. A plot twist alone won't make something bad turn to something great, but an interesting idea as a whole will make you think. And in this episode the idea is pretty damn good. It's a question everyone has asked himself- where do we draw the line? Where is the border between being honest and a liar, a good person or a bad one, a cheater or whatever? Is our body the one thing that defines us in this life or is it our spirit? What would we do, if we had access to such a virtual reality as shown in this episode? Would you still be a moral 100% straight person loyal to your principles or would you just try everything out, because you're curious and it's only a game? In the end, the things most people would want to do in secret would be violence and sex, because it's in our nature. Did you ever have dreams similar to what happened in this episode? Where you were someone else and interacted in your dream with someone you know, but that person also looked different. Maybe you had awkward sex in you dreams with who knows whom? And maybe it was good in the dream, but when you woke up, you felt ashamed. So why is that? I think that all people are nasty and dirty from the inside, we all have our turn ons and fantasies, that we won't even confess to ourselves and especially not to others. So when we see someone else doing it, we have to judge it and hate it, because accepting it would mean that we've been wrong, our world view is wrong and our morals are questionable. People disliking this episode is similar to hetero guys not wanting to ever see one single gay movie, because that would probably make them gay or something. But lesbian stuff is ok, that's cool. Just this episode takes it a little bit further and confuses you- so it makes even more people uncomfortable, including some gays. I also don't get people saying things like- this is unrealistic, this would never happen? If these guys were gay, this wouldn't happen..if they are straight, they wouldn't behave like that, and so on. How would you know? Did you experience everything in life, that is possible to experience? Maybe we know that cats hunt down birds, but there were also some cases of a cat adopting young ducklings. This episode is what being human is about- experiencing all sorts of love and closeness to other people, an escape from the real world, curiosity and acceptance.

Where are we headed?

[stabile-40928 · 7/10 · 6 June 2019]

What if one day virtual reality is so extremely real? The story that goes along with it might make people uncomfortable, but I thought it was the best part. Enjoyed it a lot.

Brilliant episode and completely black mirror

[HarbingerUK · 10/10 · 12 June 2019]

I've read the reviews complaining about it not being black mirror or the episode being boring. What were you watching? Black mirror is all about technology affecting our lives in the near future and showing us paths that may be trodden. This is about the perils and highs of immersive gaming, this is about better than life (thank you Red Dwarf), this is about boundaries being blurred, relationships being blurred, life being blurred. Nothing in this episode couldn't happen and very likely will happen. The cast was strong, the writing and direction both strong, ending strong. This had it all. Writing this review I changed my score to a 10 from a 9 as I couldn't see what was dropping the point whilst I wrote. I've intentionally not put any spoilers and the hints I have given were in the trailer. It's a great episode. I have no idea what the negative reviewers were watching to be honest.

It's a metaphor.

[Java_Joe · 6/10 · 18 August 2019]

On the surface this story is one of two old friends from college getting it on in an online fighting game. Obviously the makers of the game had something like this in mind otherwise they wouldn't have programmed it in but that's just a nitpick.

The real message is how technology and things like video games can matter more to us and be more "real" than what happens in real life.

Is it awkward? Yes. It is. Very much so. But it's also showing us the effects of such an addiction in a way that normally we wouldn't see. It's not about two dudes getting it on in VR. It's about two dudes using VR as an escape from their real lives and indulging in a little bit of fantasy. It's not harmless. It shows the real world effects of getting too into your games.

Try to look beyond the awkward. There's a story there trying to get out.

Had a good laugh

[BeefSuprim · 5/10 · 5 June 2019]

Couldn't stop laughing at the part where the guy said "You know I even *** Tundra, I *** a polar bear"

WOW! Speechless

[CineParaTodos · 9/10 · 5 June 2019]

This was such a beautiful episode. Unlike a lot of the other reviewer's comments I don't think it's about being gay or straight, but rather about sexuality in whatever form it comes. This isn't an episode about LGBT, I think it's trying to present a future where sexuality isn't confined to labels, and I quite enjoyed that in the world of the game, Karl (Yahya Abdul Mateen II) always played Roxette, love when he says (I'm paraphrasing): "Being in my body is like a guitar solo, but being in this body (Roxette's body) it's like a whole symphony." The episode is also about marriage, and family and how relationships are affected by time and children. It raises so many interesting questions! Is having sex with someone other than your spouse in VR world considered cheating? Must a healthy marriage be monogamous or might there be other healthy ways to be in a partnership that fulfills the needs of both parties?

The architecture was stunning. Shot in Sao Paulo it had everything from colonial to midcentury buildings and a gorgeous cityscape for a backdrop. The mood was light but dense. The acting was strong. I especially liked Nicole Beharie as Theo, but all of the leads were fantastic. There was a lot of contained emotions and one could feel the inward struggles of the characters.

I highly recommend this episode. I've seen all the Black Mirror episodes thus far and this has to be one of the better ones.

hmmmm...

[jankovic418 · 7/10 · 5 June 2019]

A little bit strange.. yea it's strange.. but really not that bad. Good acting.. but strange story haha

Incredibly boring.

[scottsideasare · 3/10 · 6 June 2019]

They could've cut the episode in half and it would've been better. Unbelievably boring episode. The first twenty minutes nothing happens. This is not the Black Mirror of the early seasons.

Nice!

[hamadnq-05501 · 6/10 · 5 June 2019]

Great beginning of the season this episode is worth it I mean you can watch it with no feeling boring

Pretty average episode

[martinshh · 6/10 · 5 June 2019]

I understand the wish of creators to do meaningful episodes about general society topics but it really helps if the whole plot of the episode is not kind of.. boring.

A very powerful yet bizarre episode

[Dannyboi94 · 9/10 · 5 June 2019]

I don't think Black Mirror is ever going to run out of original stories, and Striking Vipers is one of those few episodes, where the ending isn't going to leave you in a state of depression. However this episode is very .... strange. It is a completely different take on a gay relationship, and it is handled very well, but this could be down to the amazing performances by the main leads.

Striking Vipers is a wonderfully directed drama, with some amazingly shot scenes. It is creative and imaginative, like all Black Mirror episodes, but most people will be a little baffled by the end of it. But then again, this is Black Mirror, it's meant to be strange.

Black mirror without a message

[alexanderrinkowski · 7/10 · 6 June 2019]

This Episode definitely felt most like earlier episodes and I really liked that feeling of nostalgia for the first episode of a new season. It's a nice opener and gets you straight back into the black mirror feeling. BUT I don't really see any real deeper message in this episode. Usually black mirror episodes felt like a punch in the gut - but in a good way: It made us aware of issues that we may have to face in the future - sadly this episodes lacks this feeling completely. Conclusion: Good opener but sadly it can't quite keep up with most black mirror episodes

Highly underrated episode

[pronins · 9/10 · 25 November 2020]

For me this was one of the sexiest, least depressing and highly underrated episodes. It's unpredictable and actually quite moving. The whole idea of questioning your own sexuality and how it relates to emotional attachment is quite fascinating. Definitely worth watching!

Rethink Male Bonding

[aleeward · 7/10 · 11 June 2019]

Two men struggle to deal with the consequences after playing an immersive video game.

Yet another humb dinger of a scenerio, that with a few tweaks could've been fabulous.

Slight spoilers below!!!

The problem is we don't see enough friendship development in the early stages to truly feel how powerful their connection is in the later scenes. We only see a snippet of college like behaviour.

Because of this we don't know if it's the game or their bond that makes the simulation so powerful.

The ending however adds an excellent spin on how to manage complicated relationships in modern times.

Wtf am I watching?

[greendayrw · 3/10 · 6 June 2019]

I understand Black Mirror's whole ideology about focusing on the conundrum of technology and the direction it's headed..but seriously? This episode just felt really far removed from the series as a whole. Maybe the more I reflect on it the more it will strike a chord with me, but to me it just fell flat. Pretty disappointed in this new "season" as a whole so far.

Tech addiction

[greg-goremykin · 10/10 · 26 June 2019]

I thought this episode was fantastic, and more than realistic when tech is taken to excess, just as any other drug-of-choice. I lost a fiancee once due to an online game (Battlefield 1942) in the early 2000s, just the sheer amount of time I spent playing that stupid game, and a weird pride at being 9th or 10th best player in the world every month. This also brought to mind a quip an AI prof of mine made once long ago (late 1990s), that when VR gets to a point where an average male could have a perfectly realistic (or better) sexual experience with Marilyn Monroe (I think his point was with any fantasy person, for any gender), we might as well plug ourselves into The Matrix because civil society will grind to a halt, and I had to wonder how far along his prediction generally has progressed toward an ultimate destination, and it frightens me. This episode I think seen in the proper context, using the pastiche of online gaming, but about fantasy online relationships in general I think, is biting commentary and satire. It seems a lot of folks completely missed the point.

Weird flex but ok

[lgonza-84179 · 6/10 · 5 June 2019]

Oh man, what in the world did I just watch. This is the strangest episode ever. Who creates these ideas? Seriously.

Expected better from Black Mirror

[dgl1199 · 4/10 · 11 June 2019]

I'll get to the point, this episode was both boring and highly predictable. There was no real twist to it that we didn't already see coming. We have "players" introduced into a fantasy VR environment where they discover and explore alternate sides of their true selves. But haven't we seen this before ? San Junipero? Play Test? USS Callister? I thought the writing was 2 dimensional, the characters, particularly the women, were poorly developed, and the technological conduit to the story's moral and social reflection was recycled and unimaginative. Also, it just dragged with too much concentration on making the characters deep or introspective, or troubled but it all just across as dull and unnecessary. Just overall a lackluster effort. C'mon Charlie Booker, don't get all burnt out season 5 Rod Serling on us.

Downward Slope keeps going

[NotAFakeReviewer · 6 June 2019]

Woah has this gotten worse since it went to Netflix. So weak, so limp l, so sanitised.

It's a shame to see a genuinely great gritty show reduced to saccharine twaddle

Does "virtual sexuality" exist?

[Gelaos · 7/10 · 14 October 2020]

Main motive and technologies are the same as in previous episodes, but the point of view is different. Playtest warned against loosing ourselves in virutal reality, USS Callister focused on the videogamer's psyché and frustrations and Striking Vipers is concerned with influence of videogame on (sexual) relationships.

The episode is pretty much stanard in all aspects. There's one big plot-hole, though: sex would be disabled in such videogame, wouldn't it? Even today in, let's say, Mortal Kombat, there's no sex available.

Nevertheless, Striking Vipers raises several questions: Is it cheating? Is it equivalent of pornography? Does "virtual sexuality" exist?