Films in this genre include Inception (2010) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and these works often show the unreliability of the state, technology or family. Academics writing in Quarterly Review of Film and Video found that Black Mirror episodes fall into a genre of "mind-game films", wherein protagonists are disoriented and narratives are non-linear or fragmented. For instance, in "Nosedive", the protagonist Lacie strives for a utopian life through superficiality and performativity, in a society where social media success contributes to high socioeconomic status. Juliana Lopes of Via Panorâmica argued that the dystopian settings resemble the French Marxist Guy Debord's concept of the spectacle, wherein mass media create alienation and an unattainable utopia for individuals to pursue. However, characters who carefully consider the risks of technology with which they engage are met with happy endings, as in "San Junipero". īlack Mirror can be seen to demonstrate a negative view of unending pursuit of scientific and technological advancement. Other genres include drama (" Fifteen Million Merits"), psychological thriller ( Black Mirror: Bandersnatch), post-apocalyptic fiction (" Metalhead"), and war film (" Men Against Fire"). Some episodes employ features of lighter-hearted genres, such as romance in " San Junipero" and " Striking Vipers", romantic comedy in " Hang the DJ", or space opera in " USS Callister". The first episode, " The National Anthem", contains black comedy and political satire. Horror and psychological horror are features of " Black Museum" and " Playtest", respectively. Crime fiction episodes include the police procedurals " Hated in the Nation" and " Smithereens" and the Nordic noir "Crocodile". However, individual episodes explore varying genres. Recurring themes throughout Black Mirror include data privacy and surveillance, virtual reality, individualism and consumerism. The settings are generally patriarchal and capitalist. Adrian Martin of Screen wrote that many episodes depict "basic human emotions and desires" that "intersect with, and get twisted by, a technological system that invariably spins out of control and into catastrophe". They provide convenience or freedom to the user, but exacerbate problematic personality traits. Many such technologies involve altering the human body or consciousness, with little in-universe concern for the morality of these actions. An example is " Crocodile", where the Recaller device used to view a person's memories is the main difference from the modern world. The programme is an instance of speculative fiction within science fiction: the majority of episodes are set in dystopian near-futures with novel technologies that exaggerate a trait from contemporary culture, often the internet. Premise Genre and themes Īs Black Mirror is an anthology series, each episode is standalone and can be watched in any order. Black Mirror, along with American Horror Story, has been credited with repopularising the anthology television format, and a number of episodes have been seen by reviewers as prescient. However, some critics consider the morality of the series obvious or cite declining quality over time. The programme won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie three times consecutively for " San Junipero", " USS Callister" and Bandersnatch. The series has received critical acclaim and is considered by many reviewers to be one of the best television series of the 2010s. Soundtracks to many episodes have been released as albums. Two related webisode series were produced by Netflix, and a companion book to the first four series, Inside Black Mirror, was published in 2018. A sixth series is scheduled to be released in June 2023. The programme then moved to Netflix, where three further series aired in 2016, 20. The first two series aired on the British network Channel 4 in 20, as did the 2014 special " White Christmas". There are 22 episodes across five series and one special, in addition to the interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018). Most episodes are written by Brooker with heavy involvement by the executive producer Annabel Jones. The series is based on The Twilight Zone and uses technology to comment on contemporary social issues. Individual episodes explore a diversity of genres, but most are set in near-future dystopias with sci-fi technology-a type of speculative fiction. Black Mirror is a British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker.
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