Creator: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Hayley Atwell, Domhnall Gleeson, Claire Keelan, Lenora Crichlow, Michael Smiley, Tuppence Middleton, Daniel Rigby, Chloe Pirrie, Jason Flemyng,
Running Time: 135 minutes
Certificate: 15
Charlie Brooker is a genius when it comes to astute social commentary. His Wipe series demonstrate his biting wit and scathing satire, as well as highlighting his powers of observation. In 2011, Brooker’s dark anthology series BLACK MIRROR arrived with a bang – the banging of a pig that is, in the unforgettable and shocking first episode ‘The National Anthem’. Although this second series never quite reaches the heights of series one, it is still some of the most impressive storytelling on television.
BLACK MIRROR is a painfully short series (always leave them wanting more), but in just three stand alone episodes it does more than other shows can produce with longer runs. The main theme behind the show is to take a close look at society and its vices, but then exaggerate them without ever becoming absurd or unrealistic. It’s a difficult task, but Brooker rises to the occasion with natural dialogue and sympathetic characters. The series’ cinematography also keeps the show grounded in reality, presenting us with a grim but not repulsive look at the United Kingdom.
The three episodes here are ‘Be Right Back’, ‘White Bear’, and ‘The Waldo Moment’. ‘Be Right Back’ looks at how we are currently in a time where we put our entire lives on the web, but only represent the trivial and inconsequential thoughts and events of our existences. ‘White Bear’, the strongest episode of this series, is a horrifying glimpse into extreme right wing beliefs, and the general ‘burn the witch’ mentality that is resonating through the country at present. Finally, ‘The Waldo Moment’ shows how easily swayed the British people can be and how making a mockery of politics isn’t going to sought out anything. Each of these episodes is extremely topical and, like the title of the show suggests, holds up a mirror to the audience and reflects an uncomfortable darkness. Despite the grim nature of the show, Brooker doesn’t go so far as to spit bile and venom over the viewer. This isn’t an attack, it’s a warning.
Each episode refrains from becoming a lecture by also supplying us with fantastic performances, and characters we can identify with and feel for. ‘Be Right Back’ stars Hayley Atwell as a woman that brings back her husband via a computer interface that uses his online activity to recreate his persona. In just 45 minutes, Atwell takes us through a range of emotions that build upon one another and gradually escort us to the climax.
BLACK MIRROR continues to be some of the best, most intelligent, and certainly thought provoking television that the world has to offer. Even at its weakest (‘The Waldo Moment’), it still offers up enough humour and points of discussion to cement it as essential viewing. What we have here is a real case of quality over quantity, even if some of the ideas expressed have been handled elsewhere before.
BLACK MIRROR Series 2 is out on DVD now! It can be ordered via this link.
