In this world, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s real… Charlie Brooker’s “Black Mirror” returns on Netflix October 21.
Netflix has sent us the official trailer, which boasts its “Twilight Zone” appeal, while also showing us what the future may hold. “Black Mirror” is one of the best television series on the planet, and tackles social issues in the digital space from Twitter to gaming and National Security. The original series was dark, and carried horrific finales (one episode had a political leader fuck a pig), while there’s rumors this new revival is a bit more light-hearted. I hope this isn’t true because the worst “Twilight Zone” episodes were the ones in the 1980’s that ended with a fucking rainbow.
There’s huge potential here, anyhow, with directors ranging from 10 Cloverfield Lane‘s Dan Trachtenberg (starring the infinitely awesome Wyatt Russell) to James Watkins (The Woman in Black), Joe Wright (Atonement), Jakob Verbruggen (London Spy), Owen Harris and James Hawes. The six episodes feature performances by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mackenzie Davis, Jerome Flynn, Alex Lawther, Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve and James Norton and more.
Created and written by Brooker, Black Mirror taps into our collective unease with the modern world and each stand-alone episode is a sharp, suspenseful tale exploring themes of contemporary techno-paranoia. Without questioning it, technology has transformed all aspects of our lives; in every home; on every desk; in every palm – a plasma screen; a monitor; a Smartphone – a Black Mirror reflecting our 21st Century existence back at us.
If you’ve yet to see “Black Mirror”, watch the first two seasons ASAP as primer for October 21st.