‘Black Mirror’ is a science fiction (can also be enjoyed by non-science fiction audience) anthology television series, which is said to be inspired by another cult anthology show ‘The Twilight Zone’.
Each episode of ‘Black Mirror’ is a standalone story that is mostly set in the near future or an alternative reality.
Nearly every episode depicts how the various technologies we casually use today (for instance social media platforms, virtual reality, etc) for the sake of convenience/entertainment and some sophisticated technologies which we often hear about (like genetic engineering, cloning, etc.).
These standalone episodes beautifully attempt to extrapolate on how these technologies can possibly evolve beyond our imagination, and begin to interfere, to instead become the bane of our lives.
Until now, ‘Black Mirror’ has been made into five seasons spanning a total of 22 episodes across all seasons (Plus a one-of-its-kind interactive film called ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’).
So, in case you are new to the show and want to watch some of the best episodes first, you have come to the right place.
We have handpicked for you five must-watch episodes of the highly acclaimed show that you can easily binge-watch this weekend on Netflix. Trust us, you won’t regret watching them.
1. The Entire History of You (Season 1; Episode 3) (Duration = 49 Minutes)
The story is set in a possible future that can enable a chip implant inside the brain, through which all the person’s actions can be recorded and replayed anytime. The technology starts to interfere with a contented married couple, when the husband begins to suspect that his wife is cheating on him.
To what extent he goes to use the chip implant technology, irrespective of the consequences, forms the rest of the story.
2. Nosedive (Season 3; Episode 1) (Duration = 1 Hour & 3 Minutes)
Another thought-provoking episode which is set in a world where a person’s every social interaction is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (akin to the present food delivery or taxi-app rating platform).
The story follows the protagonist’s desperate attempts to enhance her rating in order to get a deal on the luxury apartment she badly wants. She gets a golden chance when she is invited by a highly rated friend to her wedding function. But things do not go as anticipated. Will she be able to get the rating she wants?
3. Hated in the Nation (Season 3; Episode 6) (Duration = 1 Hour & 29 Minutes)
This one is the longest and arguably the most engaging episode across all seasons of ‘Black Mirror’. Based in London, the story revolves around two police detectives who are on the trail of a mastermind killer responsible for murdering subjects of social media hatred, by way of manipulating the insect drones.
4. USS Callister (Season 4; Episode 1) (Duration = 1 Hour & 16 Minutes)
The episode follows a brilliant but sadistic game designer, who plays the commander of a spaceship called USS Callister in a tweaked version of a virtual reality program. The role of the antagonist is perfectly played by Jesse Plemons (Fargo TV Show, Breaking Bad actor).
5. Black Museum (Season 4; Episode 6) (Duration = 1 Hour & 9 Minutes)
An anthology within an anthology. When a young girl visits a remote museum, she is greeted by the owner, who narrates three disturbing backstories relating to the artifacts kept in the museum. Each backstory is told in three separate and intriguing flashbacks.
However, viewers later realize that the most interesting story is the fourth story, which involves the girl and the museum owner himself.
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