Black Mirror - Seasons 1-2 (2011-2013-2014)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2011, 2013, 2014
	Creator: Charlie Brooker
	Actors: Hannah John-Kamen, Michaela Coel, Beatrice Robertson-Jones
	Country: GB
	Genre: Thriller, SF
	Conditions of visioning: December 2017, VOD, 10" tablet screen.
Synopsis: This SF anthology series explores a twisted, high-tech near-future where humanity's greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.
Review: A great British TV-series produced nowadays and known worldwide is Sherlock, but Black Mirror (which started a year later) certainly deserves the same recognition. It is called an anthology series because each episode has a Universe of its own and involves totally different characters. The references in that respect are The Twilight Zone in the early 60's and The Outer Limits in the late 90's, but the format of a TV-series dedicated to a specific sub-genre (in that case near-future anticipation) reminds also of Masters of Horror, Tales from the Crypt, Masters of Science Fiction, Fear Itself... In long-feature format, known anthologies (usually of Horror) are Heavy Metal, V/H/S 1 and 2, The ABCs of Death, The Theater Bizarre, German Angst, Southbound, Pawn Shop Chronicles... The excellent concept of that TV-series can be summarized by: where is our over-connected society going to lead us? Each episode of those first two seasons at least provides a possible answer that I always find plausible, and also shows the dark side associated to it, thus the series title that hints that it is supposed to make us reflect on the possible dangers associated to what we are making of our world. Because of the modest production, the series doesn't overload us with special effects and high-tech gadgets, but it is more than compensated by clever scenarios. And in fact if you look around you the technology boost in the last twenty years hasn't really changed our surroundings: we still live in houses, drive cars and take buses that still look pretty much the same. The changes have operated at a much smaller level, in the miniaturized computers we carry around with us and in our behavior around them. The episodes are long enough (45 to 75 minutes) that they can be considered as small films thus I will review them individually. S1E1: The National Anthem. A very sober start for the series, with no high-tech gadgets but a lesson on our daily voyeurism. 7/10 S1E2: Fifteen Million Merits. Many people have boring lives, boring jobs and forget about them by using numbing entertainment. What if that all merged and became a lifestyle? The topic was also mentioned in both 2016 French productions Ares and Virtual Revolution. 6/10 S1E3: The Entire History of You. What if you could record and replay everything you see? A husband gets obsessed with finding evidence of his wife's wrong-doing in what he saw. The bitter revelation was quite unexpected to me. 7/10 S2E1: Be Right Back. Starring Hayley "Agent Carter" Atwell. An intimate story of loss intertwined with the omnipresence of social networks and our addiction to them. As usual, a very subtle mix delivered by the series. 6/10 S2E2: White Bear. Starts very far from the approach of the rest of the series, to reveal later its true message about (spoiler) reality-TV. Brutally ends in a traumatizing matter, the kind that would give me nightmares if I was more easily influenced or watching the movie too young. 5/10 S2E3: The Waldo Moment. The story of this virtual character taking on politics and being successful at it in front of the masses doesn't seem futuristic at all. A manipulated puppet rising to a world-leading position, doesn't that remind you of somebody? Oh that episode dates from 2013 so was quite anticipating at that time. 5/10 S2E4 (Special): White Christmas. A special episode that was released between the second and third season (that trick was used in Sherlock as well). An anthology within the anthology, three stories flawlessly linked within this long episode by a fourth. A delight for the fans of the series thanks to four clever stories, small hints linking to the Universe of other episodes (a song here, an eye-tech there...) and another traumatizing ending. 8/10 In conclusion, Black Mirror is definitely worth watching in spite of some episode endings that could be considered abrupt but prolonged during the credits. Most episodes require some processing time afterward, the series thus fully deserving its title.
Rating: 7 /10