Black Mirror

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/

I 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.

Latest 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?

Black Mirror is one of the most original and best Mini-Series ever created. Each episode tells a different story about the modern world we live in and the technology we all love and while not all, most of them are fascinating. They are all filled with a-list stars and made by great directors. Each stand alone episode is thought provoking and filled with enough drama and suspense to keep you at the edge of your seat. While there are a few episodes that are not as good when compared to the others, most of them are fantastic. 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. It's hard to explain how incredible this show is so just go watch it.

The 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.