B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping Charlie Brooker’s series, Black Mirror, into the ol’ VCR. 

Well, friends, the time has finally come. We FINALLY have new episodes of Black Mirror. 

I definitely think this season was worth the wait, BUT I do have some strong feelings about the premise of Black Mirror. The original idea behind the series was to examine the dystopian dangers of technology. And, for a while, Black Mirror lived within the confines of technological terrors. 

However, it’s clear with the new season that Charlie Brooker is wanting to make a horror series outside of Black Mirror. NETFLIX, GIVE THIS MAN A HORROR SHOW. You can keep the Black Mirror name if you absolutely must, but take out the technological angle. On the flip side, please keep all of the Easter eggs for other episodes (pay close attention to the other nominees announced in Loch Henry). 

I think Charlie Brooker and Co could make a wonderful show like Fear Itself or American Horror Stories. This season almost watches like a proof of concept. Since Mike Flanagan has moved to Prime, let’s bring on Charlie Brooker for horror content. Black Mirror has always been horror, if not horror adjacent, so why not take the plunge into straight horror and/or horror comedy?

Now that I’m on my soapbox, let’s get into the episodes themselves in order of my definitive ranking. 

Demon 79 

This is not only my favorite episode of the season, but it’s in my top five of the entire series. It’s an incredibly well done horror/comedy that serves as an homage to the horror of the 1970s. My prediction is that we’ll also see listens of Boney M’s “Rasputin” spike like we saw for Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” when Stranger Things 4 premiered. Chuck, I have no notes.

This is the first caption where I can say, “Man, I love Boney M,’ without being sarcastic. 

Beyond the Sea 

Two things up top: 1) Aaron Paul is one hell of an actor and 2) Josh Hartnett can still get it. This episode kept me guessing until the last few minutes, and I’m known for my annoying ability to see twists coming from a mile away. The remnants of old Black Mirror are present, but again, the technology isn’t the focal point. Also, the last scene of this episode is *chef’s kiss*. 

I’ll admit that I said, “Mr. White” after several of Aaron Paul’s lines to make myself laugh. 

Joan Is Awful 

Joan Is Awful is the obligatory “funny” episode of the season, and it’s the most Black Mirror episode of the season. Annie Murphy really shows off her acting chops, and Salma Hayek’s self-reports don’t come across as forced or cruel. Additionally, I never thought I would ever hear Salma talk about her asshole. It’s funny and silly and meta, so we all know I enjoyed it. 

I blame Zoey Deutch’s movie, Not Okay, for bringing back the chunky highlights I definitely had in the sixth grade. 

Loch Henry 

Okay, let’s talk about Loch Henry. Personally, I feel like they wanted to riff on the true crime genre but didn’t know exactly how to stick the landing. Contrary to Beyond the Sea, I saw the twist coming early into the episode, and the “technology” being video tapes and/or streaming services is a loose connection at best. I’ll give them props for the fake intro, though, because it’s absolutely how Netflix would frame the content in a true crime miniseries. 

The real mystery here is what happened to the plot. 

Mazey Day 

Now, my sister and I heavily disagree on this episode. I think it’s purposely framed as a mid-to-early aughts horror movie, but I can also see how the episode watches a bit lazy and plays out an old trope. However, I think Mazey Day is the strongest case for my theory that Charlie Brooker wants to go full horror. This episode reminded me SO MUCH of Fear Itself, it’s not even funny. I don’t think the episode is necessarily bad, but I do think it’s the weakest out of the bunch, especially when it’s compared to heavy-hitters like Beyond the Sea and Demon 79. 

This photo is how I feel when I’m walking down the street with headphones in. 

Black Mirror is now streaming on Netflix.