Tuesday, July 04, 2023

Black Mirror_series


Black Mirror (Netflix) is a British science fiction television series written and created by Charlie Brooker and centered around dark and satirical themes that examine modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies, reminding us that to revere our digital gadgets is to become their pathetic slaves. Episodes are stand-alone works, usually set in an alternative present or in the near future. All genuinely unsettling and thought-provoking.

Stories tap into the collective unease about our modern world. Over the last fifteen years, technology has transformed almost every aspect of our lives before we've had time to stop and question it. In every home; on every desk; in every palm -a plasma screen, a monitor, a smartphone- a black mirror of our 21st Century existence. A must-watch series. Take my word for it.



Check the plot summary of Black Mirror's 28 episodes (6 seasons) on Wikipedia or on radiotimes.com only after you have watched an episode. I personally recommend the following stories:
The National Anthem
The Entire History of You
Nosedive
Shut Up and Dance
San Junipero
Hated in the Nation
Black Museum
Smithereens
Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too
Joan is Awful

4 comments:

Carlos Martín Gaebler, PhD said...

If technology is a drug – and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are the side-effects?

Anonymous said...

The only way I watch T.V. shows nowadays is by recommendation. There are so many shows that I could be completely consumed by them all and I can guarantee that over half of them are not worth my time. I actually heard about Black Mirror from a sports radio host and thought, "that sounds interesting."

I watched episode one of season three and was hooked. Just as a refresher: season three ep one was titled "Nosedive" starring Dallas Bryce Howard. It was about a world in which ratings are currency and clout. Every individual has a rating attached to him/herself that can be seen upon viewing the person's face. Using a five star rating scale, those with a higher rating have greater privileges whereas those with lower ratings are the scourge of the Earth. It was amazing to see what people would do just to get a five star rating (not too far from our current reality).

I binged watched that entire season then watched all three seasons. Just about every episode was genuinely thought provoking. These shows are extremely well done and offer so much food for thought. Each episode is replete with quality writing, quality effects and filming and quality acting. Black Mirror is a Netflix gem.

Bored_Dragon19 said...

"Black Mirror" is an anthological series that, for now, consists of 22 episodes, unequally divided into five irregular seasons. The episodes vary in length, genre, and style and are completely separate short films by different authors. What they have in common is only a general theme - the position in which modern technology puts us and not very optimistic forecasts of its further progress.

The "black mirror" is in fact the effect that the screens of our monitors, telephones, and TV have when turned off, and symbolically also a dark reflection of our reality and potentially darker future.

LAURA FERNÁNDEZ HIDALGO said...

‘Black Mirror’ y el abismo post-tecnológico. En su sexta temporada, la serie de Charlie Brooker recula hacia la oscuridad del pasado irracional del ser humano, reflejando aquello a lo que aboca el fragmentario, individual e irreflexivo presente: la involución de la conciencia.

Como un cruce entre "La dimensión desconocida" y "Relatos de lo inesperado", de Roald Dahl, centrado por completo en la relación (perversa) del ser humano con la tecnología. Así nació, allá por 2011, Black Mirror (Netflix). Lo hizo en el exacto momento en el que el mundo había empezado a acelerarse. Ya existían las redes sociales, el planeta conectado se estaba convirtiendo a pasos de gigante en una aldea global, y la realidad había empezado a fragmentarse.