(From Odette Parfitt) So I thought it was time to chime in with a review of a Netflix series – Black Mirror – instead of a movie.

That being said, I’m kind of cheating though, because every episode of this show is essentially a movie in its own right.

Black Mirror (2011)

Basic plot: This is a bit difficult to pin down, because Black Mirror is a collection of episodes that (at least so far) don’t seem connected. Aside from a couple of minor references that show the episodes take place in the same time and universe, every episode has a new story and new cast. The central theme of it relates to technology and the role technology plays in their lives.

How it was (probably) pitched to the producers: Imagine a world where technology has made just about everything possible – but 99,8% of people use it to be crappy human beings. (This is a bit of an inside joke; you really should watch the show.)

Thoughts:

Instead of spoiling specific episodes for you, I thought it was more important to write about Black Mirror in a general sense.

When my plus-one and I tried watching it for the first time years ago, we were put off by Season 1, Episode 1. Seriously, don’t do it.

However, we gave it another shot about a month ago and it’s been an adventure. The trick with Black Mirror is to stop thinking of it as a traditional series. You get to watch the episodes in whatever order you like.

Basically: read the description for each episode and decide what you want to see.

I would recommend the following episodes in particular:

• The Entire History of You (Season 1, Episode 3)
• White Bear (Season 2, Episode 2)
• Playtest (Season 3, Episode 2)
• USS Callister (Season 4, Episode 1)
• Hang the DJ (Season 4, Episode 4)

The Internet also seems to love an episode called San Junipero, but I have not seen this one yet.
Hang the DJ is my absolute favourite so far – if you watch this, I have so many thoughts and we need to discuss them RIGHT NOW.

Bottom line: It may seem a bit sci-fi at times, but the technology that is invented by the writers is some next level ish – and all of it seems scarily close to possible. For the most part, the content is quite cynical but there are some happier episodes too. Plus, really great cast for every single episode because one episode is not a huge commitment for acclaimed actors. All in all, I would recommend this – just not for children, if that wasn’t already clear.

Will the man in your life like it?

I think it’s a safe bet he’ll find something he likes, thanks to the variety of the content.

Watch this if you like:

• Futuristic and/or dystopian movies
• British accents, British humour and British sensibilities (oh yeah, did I mention the show is decidedly British with scatterings of American?)
• Feeling less like a bad person by watching TV characters be worse people