Two years after Black Mirror’s polarizing sixth season hit Netflix, the dark, satirical sci-fi anthology is finally back with six new tales of terrifying tech. Series creator and executive producer Charlie Brooker (Cunk on Life) wrote all six episodes, two of which are more like films.
Each episode centers on a story that reflects on the past, whether looking through old Polaroids, revisiting an anniversary destination, or looking back at past actions that led to a current disaster. As always, the casts are stacked and the storylines are as entertaining as they are unnerving.
“Common People”
Directed by Ally Pankiw (The Great), “Common People” tells the story of Amanda (Rashida Jones), a schoolteacher who suffers a brain injury. Her husband, Mike (Chris O’Dowd), is presented with a life-saving technology called Rivermind by one of the reps, Gaynor (Tracee Ellis Ross). She delivers an enticing sales pitch, downplaying the long-term cost and omitting important details. Like all technology, the Rivermind system has its pros and cons. It fixes one problem but creates others; it offers helpful features but increases the price with every “new and exciting” option. Amanda gets to continue living, but she’s also being used to spew ads, unless they upgrade their plan, of course.
The is a heart-wrenching and humorous story about working-class people desperately trying to deal with life-threatening health issues and the devastating financial toll of taking care of loved ones. It has just the right amount of creativity, humor, and tragedy.
“Bête Noire”
“Bête Noire” follows a development executive named Maria (Siena Kelly) and her thriving career creating confections. That is, until an old classmate joins the company. While Maria does her best to be nice, she can’t shake the feeling that there’s something off about Verity (Rosy McEwen), especially since she’s won over everyone in the office. Her wariness quickly turns to anger as Verity continues to undermine her in front of her colleagues, but more importantly, she’s being gaslit into oblivion and losing her grasp on reality.
This episode, directed by Toby Haynes (Andor), might be the most stressful of the season. The tension steadily builds in each scene, becoming more and more anxiety-inducing. This has that distinctly British vibe many fans have been missing. It’s funny and maddening, with a surprise ending that’s sure to satisfy.
“Hotel Reverie”
Directed by Haolu Wang (Bodies), “Hotel Reverie” centers on a fascinating and eerily realistic new way of making movies. Studio head Judith Keyworth (Harriet Walter) knows the studio is of a bygone era. An enthusiastic producer named Kimmy (Awkwafina) wants to revitalize the studio by remaking the titular 1940s classic film. Instead of assembling a new cast, they use ReDream tech to generate an AI recreation with the exact same sets and characters (who don’t realize they’re in a movie).
The only real person in the film is the romantic lead, A-lister Brandy Friday (Issa Rae), originally played by a middle-aged white British man. Brandy is immersed in the artificial black-and-white world where her role is to woo leading lady Clara Ryce-Lechere, played by Hollywood starlet Dorothy Chambers (Emma Corrin).
Like her character Brandy, this is a very different role for Issa Rae. Audiences have seen her knack for comedy in projects like Insecure, but she’s proven to be just as talented in other genres, including this sci-fi romance.
“Plaything”
“Bandersnatch” director David Slade returns to Black Mirror with “Plaything,” an offshoot of the 2018 standalone interactive film. Peter Capaldi is captivating as unnerving oddball Cameron Walker, a suspect in an unsolved murder. When he’s arrested and brought in for interrogation, the only thing he wants to talk about is his obsession with a video game from the 1990s. In flashbacks, we see a younger, less confident Cameron (Lewis Gribben) working at a gaming magazine and visiting video game company Tuckersoft to preview a new game by developer Colin Ritman (Will Poulter). Mohan Thakur (Asim Chaudhry) also makes an appearance.
While the stories take place in different decades, “Plaything” has a similarly bleak tone as “Bandersnatch,” with plenty of drug-fueled gaming sessions. The flashbacks have a gritty, punk rock look, a stark contrast from the sleekness of modern-day/near-future scenes. This will likely be the fan-favorite of the season, along with “USS Callister: Into Infinity.”
“Eulogy”
Directed by Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor (Cautionary Tales) and co-written by Ella Road (Doctor Who), “Eulogy” is the season’s major tearjerker. With the help of a virtual Guide (Patsy Ferran), Phillip (Paul Giamatti) takes a disorienting, emotional walk down memory lane via a new technology that allows him to literally enter old photographs. As he struggles to recall forgotten details of the past, Phillip is forced to face some hard truths and confront his decades-old mistakes.
Paul Giamatti always delivers a stellar performance, and he’s the perfect actor to convey Phillip’s wild rollercoaster of emotions. His journey is almost like Wanda’s trauma tour in WandaVision’s penultimate episode. However, the details he doesn’t remember are distorted, creating an even more disturbing yet nostalgic atmosphere.
“USS Callister: Into Infinity”
Season 7 ends with a feature-length follow-up to Season 4’s Emmy Award-winning episode “USS Callister,” with most of the cast returning and Toby Haynes (Andor) back to direct. Brooker and co-writers Bisha K. Ali (Loki), William Bridges (Stranger Things), and Bekka Bowling (Solos) pick up not long after where the Season 4 episode left off. Chief Technology Officer Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons) is dead in the real world and in his Space Fleet-inspired version of Infinity.
After leading them to freedom, Nanette Cole’s (Cristin Milioti, who reprised her role just two weeks after she wrapped The Penguin) digital clone is now the captain of the USS Callister, leading the remaining cloned crew members — Walton (Jimmi Simpson), Karl (Billy Magnussen), Tulaska (Milanka Brooks), Packer (Osy Ikhile), and Dudani (Paul G. Raymond). They’re still trapped in the game, only this time they’re fighting off online gamers instead of an angry guy playing God. Unlike regular players, they can sustain injuries and die; no extra lives available.
From the impressive SFX to the immersive sets, “Infinity” is just as cinematic as its predecessor. Milioti, Simpson, and Magnussen (who gets more screen time) are standouts in the ensemble cast.
Black Mirror continues to tap into our very real fears of technological advancement by showing how people use and abuse its capabilities. While I enjoyed the horror stories of Season 6, this season is a return to form with an emphasis on sci-fi and tech-related conflicts. Across the board, the performances are phenomenal, the sets and wardrobe are top tier, and Charlie Brooker’s writing still hits hard with emotional gut punches and surprising twists.
Black Mirror premieres its seventh season April 10, 2025, on Netflix.
