Charlie Brooker’s acclaimed sequence options two sequel episodes amongst six stellar and twisted tales that includes Rashida Jones, Awkwafina, Will Poulter, and extra.
Plot: Charlie Brooker’s darkish, satirical anthology sequence will return in 2025 with six model new episodes, together with a sequel to the sci-fi journey USS Callister.
Evaluate: Since Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror moved from the UK’s Channel 4 to Netflix in 2016, now we have been fortunate to get 4 seasons and the interactive film Bandersnatch. The final foray into the surreal anthology was in 2023, which supplied a mixture of nearly feature-length tales that felt a bit underwhelming in comparison with the legacy the sequence had constructed for itself. The seventh quantity of Black Mirror debuts on Netflix right now and is a return to the highly effective storytelling we noticed within the early years of the sequence. Bringing again spin-offs and continuations of beloved entries, this can be probably the most various mixture of story tones and themes, all tied to the continuing theme of technological horror that’s simply barely askew from what might actually occur. With a incredible ensemble of actors, the seventh season of Black Mirror is superb.
Consisting of six episodes, the seventh season of Black Mirror is the longest entry since 2017, the banner season that included the episode “USS Callister.” This season, two episodes clock in at a feature-length working time, and all see the return of administrators and writers from earlier years. The opening episode, “Common People,” stars Chris O’Dowd and Rashida Jones as Amanda and Mike, a pair struggling after the invention that Amanda has an inoperable mind tumor. When they’re approached by a consultant (Tracee Ellis Ross) from a biotech firm with a technique to save her, they join however don’t understand the subscription value is past their attain. Satirizing streaming companies in addition to on-line social media fee platforms, “Common People” is a tragic and disturbing story that blends components from the season six episode “Joan is Awful”, additionally directed by Ally Pankiw, and themes from the notorious sequence opener “The National Anthem”. Chris O’Dowd is nice in a dramatic flip, making you pissed off and shocked alongside the way in which.
“Bete Noire” and “Plaything” are the episodes North American followers may have the least familiarity with, cast-wise. “Bete Noire” follows Maria (Siena Kelly), a meals scientist at a big British sweet firm. A profitable creator of distinctive flavors and types, Maria runs right into a former buddy from her scholar days, Verity (Rosy McEwen), who was a little bit of an outcast. When Verity joins her firm, Maria begins to expertise weird shifts in her actuality that lead her to query if it’s the Mandela Impact or one thing extra sinister. “Bete Noire” is an intriguing premise that didn’t fairly stick the touchdown for me. Then again, “Plaything” is a chilling story led by Peter Capaldi as Cameron Walker, a person accused of homicide. In flashback, Cameron’s story connects on to the occasions of Bandersnatch and options Will Poulter reprising his position as Colin Ritman from the movie. Past that connection, it is a absolutely distinct story about synthetic intelligence and the hazards it might comprise. One other chilling episode with an ambiguous ending will depart audiences divided. David Slade returned to direct “Plaything” after helming Bandersnatch, whereas Toby Haynes directed “Bete Noire.”
“Hotel Reverie” and “Eulogy” are my two favourite episodes of the season and for very totally different causes. “Hotel Reverie” follows Kimmy (Awkwafina) who works for a tech firm that has devised a instrument to insert dwelling actors into outdated movies. Actress Brandy (Issa Rae) joins the lead position of the title movie by which she co-stars with Dorothy (Emma Corrin). Whereas she tries to stay to the script, the substitute intelligence behind Dorothy turns into conscious and the romance they share turns into actual. It’s a fantastically created love story that’s the least scary episode of Black Mirror however one nonetheless dripping with the hazards of what know-how could possibly be. Shot largely in black and white, the episode is each an ode to like as it’s to traditional movies. “Eulogy” is one other heartbreaker that follows Phillip (Paul Giamatti), who learns the love of his life has handed away. Utilizing a brand new know-how to recollect their instances collectively, Phillip and the A.I. Information (Patsy Ferran) return by way of his relationship and the place it fell aside. Nearly all of the episode is centered on Giamatti who has to carry out on his personal from many of the story. It’s a incredible efficiency from considered one of our greatest actors and one which has twists and turns that seemingly may have folks shedding tears all through. Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor helmed “Eulogy” whereas “Hotel Reverie” was direxted by Haolu Wang.
The ultimate episode of the season is “USS Callister: Into Infinity”, a direct sequel to the 2017 episode that audiences went loopy for. Cristin Milioti returns as Nanette Cole together with Jimmi Simpson as James Walton, Billy Magnussen as Karl Plowman, Osy Ikhile as Nate Packer, Milanka Brooks as Elena Tulaska, and Paul G. Raymond as Kabir Dudani. Toby Haynes helmed the episode, followiing his work from the unique. Whereas the twist within the authentic “USS Callister” can’t be replicated right here, there’s a lot in retailer that can have viewers speaking for weeks to come back. The episode runs eighty minutes and feels extra like a film than an episode and is a extremely nice continuation of the primary episode. Each work as self-contained narratives with this episode working higher in the event you noticed the earlier episode however doesn’t require it. Milioti is driving excessive after her work on The Penguin however provides a really totally different efficiency right here. “USS Callister: Into Infinity” is an entertaining story however I’d have fairly gotten one other new glimpse by way of the Black Mirror than revisiting this world once more.
Charlie Brooker wrote all six episodes of this season together with Ella Highway, Bisha Ok. Ali, William Bridges, and Bekka Bowling. The standard this season is the perfect it has been in years with a variety of the episodes harking back to the load and depth of the primary seasons of the sequence. I discovered myself the least impressed by the “USS Callister” follow-up however nonetheless having fun with it fairly a bit. Charlie Brooker has tapped into one thing highly effective with Black Mirror that now we have not had on tv since Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Whereas I want we might get a season of Black Mirror yearly, ready longer to get a small batch of episodes pretty much as good as these is greater than well worth the wait. This sequence continues to show that there’s little divide between huge display screen and small display screen storytelling and elevates the anthology format past what some other present has executed. Black Mirror is as soon as once more going to be a scorching subject of dialog and I sit up for listening to what folks assume.
Black Mirror debuts all six episodes of season seven on April tenth on Netflix.
