Nosedive

This episode of Black Mirror is notable for its sharply satirical tone as opposed to bleak subject matter. In that regard, it has a different feel, but not a different tenor (unapologetic cynicism), from all of the other episodes. This one is played more for dark humor than for gut-wrenching tension and surprising revelations, and it is effective in that regard. By no means the best of the series, it was vastly entertaining, eliciting more than one gut-laugh.

Bryce Dallas Howard delivers a character we find shallow, inventive, ambitious, sympathetic, inspirational, and pitiful, often simultaneously. Two of the best performances I've seen in all of modern video have been delivered in Season Three of Black Mirror, and her work here stands side-by-side with that delivered in any other feature of note (Jerome Flynn's turn in "Shut Up and Dance" being the other outstanding role).

This is one of my favorite premises of any Black Mirror episode to date, especially given the current growing and ever evolving state of social media. This episode also creates one of the most realistic and immersive future settings (I wouldn't even mind a spin-off mini-series set in this universe exploring characters of different social rankings) and Bryce Dallas Howard is a fantastic protagonist that grows more likable and relatable as the episode progresses. This episode plays on the age-old "one bad day" theme to enjoyment of the viewer at the expense of Lacie. However, eventually we see how far one can fall in only a few hours and how much social rating costs in the future. My only real complaint about this episode has been a continuing theme throughout this season (with the exception of White Christmas), the ending. We are giving a glimpse into what some might see as a dark future, but really most people seem happy. So the flow of the episode is happy, slightly less happy, dark glimpse, happy ending. Maybe they should have just made it a few minutes longer or cut something else, but their needed to be a little bit longer at rock bottom, a little more darkness, before the hope and happiness at the end.

In a world where everyone does everything for the sake of social media status, this episode is one of the most concurrent and scarily 'close to home' to date. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Lacie exceptionally and although some may say it seemed dragged out, I thought it was very suitable for the episode. The pastel visuals were great, and the subtle technological advancements encapsulated the Black Mirror feel. The bigger budget is evident in a lot of scenes which can sometimes take away from things but mostly aids the story. If you're an avid social media user, this episode will definitely make you question why you make certain social connections, and whose acceptance are you trying to gain. Hope you found this helpful. Maybe leave me a five-star rating :)

This is the exact kind of wake up call that we need today. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's such an artistic view of what happens to the world when social media is the center of our lives. It's amazing, and I totally recommend this episode.

I hope this never happens in real life. My rating would be really lame and I think I would go crazy.