“Black Mirror” is back after a long absence.
The sixth season seems to be deliberately breaking away from what the series is
supposed to be. Maker Charlie Brooker takes Netflix to task on several
occasions. Instead of writing a full review for the season, I will rank the
five episodes worst to best, with mini reviews for each episode.
5. Mazey Day
Director: Uta Briesewitz
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Danny Ramirez, Clara Rugaard, Robbie Tann, David Rysdahl
This episode charges against unscrupulous, old-fashioned paparazzi terrorizing stars. Rather a look back to the past than an extrapolation of the present, where everyone uses their smartphone to take photos. This episode is set in the 2000s. Bo (Zazie Beetz) is one of these paparazzi photographers, struggling with her conscience when a celebrity caught on camera commits suicide. At the same time, movie star Mazey Day is involved in a hit an run and doesn’t seem to be able to forget about it. Bo sees on the news Mazey hasn’t been seen in a while, making it her mission to find her. And she ends up finding something unexpected. I believe this was the shortest episode and they have more to tell than can fit in 40 minutes. This way, the story feels rushed and unfinished. I did like the unexpected turn the story took, but this episode really suffered from the runtime.
4. Joan is Awful
Director: Ally Pankiw
Starring: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, Michael Cera, Himesh Patel, Avi Nash, Ben Barnes
The dull, cowardly routine life of Joan, a mid-level tech executive, is thrown into disarray when a streaming service airs a popular show about her life: Joan is Awful. Salma Hayek plays her and re-enacts her daily life. Real-life Joan becomes an outcast and everything goes downhill. This is a very meta and self-mocking mindfuck. It’s funny and crazy and very entertaining. Although poop-jokes are never funny. Only downside.
3. Loch Henry
Director: Sam Miller
Starring: Samuel Blenkin, Myha’la Herrold, Daniel Portman, John Hannah, Monica Dolan
Filmmaker Davis (Samuel Blekin) visits his mother in his hometown near Schotland’s Loch henry: he wants to shoot a documentary about an environmentalist. Tourists in his hometown dropped stopped visiting after serial killer Ian Adair kidnapped and tortured people to the death in his basement. Davis’ father Kenny, the local policeman, was injured trying to arrest Adair and later died. Together with his girlfriend Pia, he decides to make this crime story their topic for the documentary. A story with deeper layers and secrets revealed as you go along. It has a slow start, but eventually has some great WTF-moments. Probably the darkest and most disturbing episode of this season.
2. Demon 79
Director: Toby Haynes
Starring: Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Rose Morely, David Shields
In this thrilling, at times hilarious episode, a lonely Indian shoe saleswoman (Anjana Vasan) brooding internally over her racist co-worker Vicky (Katherine Rose Morely) cuts her finger on an amulet with runic characters, summoning demon in-training Gaap (Paapa Essiedu). He takes the guise of her idol, Boney M singer Bobbby Farrell, and explains to her that she must kill someone each day for the next three days to prevent an apocalypse. Dark comedy with a bittersweet twist. And I loved Vasan in her role, she was so good.
1. Beyond the Sea
Director: John Crowley
Starring: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Auden Thornton, Rory Culkin
This was a stand-out for me, what a fantastic episode. Astronauts Cliff (Aaron Paul) and David (Josh Hartnett) are on a years-long space mission in an alternate 1969. To combat loneliness and cabin fever, the duo uploads their consciousness to a replica: an android copy living on Earth with their family. Until David’s family is murdered before his eyes and his replica is set on fire by a Charles Manson-like cult that wants to restore the natural order. Concerned about David’s possible suicidal depression, Cliff occasionally grants him use of his replica. This leads to psychological complications. Josh Hartnett and especially Aaron Paul are very strong on their roles. I was invested in this story from start to finish and the ending went in a different direction then I expected it would go.
Director: Uta Briesewitz
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Danny Ramirez, Clara Rugaard, Robbie Tann, David Rysdahl
This episode charges against unscrupulous, old-fashioned paparazzi terrorizing stars. Rather a look back to the past than an extrapolation of the present, where everyone uses their smartphone to take photos. This episode is set in the 2000s. Bo (Zazie Beetz) is one of these paparazzi photographers, struggling with her conscience when a celebrity caught on camera commits suicide. At the same time, movie star Mazey Day is involved in a hit an run and doesn’t seem to be able to forget about it. Bo sees on the news Mazey hasn’t been seen in a while, making it her mission to find her. And she ends up finding something unexpected. I believe this was the shortest episode and they have more to tell than can fit in 40 minutes. This way, the story feels rushed and unfinished. I did like the unexpected turn the story took, but this episode really suffered from the runtime.
Director: Ally Pankiw
Starring: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, Michael Cera, Himesh Patel, Avi Nash, Ben Barnes
The dull, cowardly routine life of Joan, a mid-level tech executive, is thrown into disarray when a streaming service airs a popular show about her life: Joan is Awful. Salma Hayek plays her and re-enacts her daily life. Real-life Joan becomes an outcast and everything goes downhill. This is a very meta and self-mocking mindfuck. It’s funny and crazy and very entertaining. Although poop-jokes are never funny. Only downside.
Director: Sam Miller
Starring: Samuel Blenkin, Myha’la Herrold, Daniel Portman, John Hannah, Monica Dolan
Filmmaker Davis (Samuel Blekin) visits his mother in his hometown near Schotland’s Loch henry: he wants to shoot a documentary about an environmentalist. Tourists in his hometown dropped stopped visiting after serial killer Ian Adair kidnapped and tortured people to the death in his basement. Davis’ father Kenny, the local policeman, was injured trying to arrest Adair and later died. Together with his girlfriend Pia, he decides to make this crime story their topic for the documentary. A story with deeper layers and secrets revealed as you go along. It has a slow start, but eventually has some great WTF-moments. Probably the darkest and most disturbing episode of this season.
Director: Toby Haynes
Starring: Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Rose Morely, David Shields
In this thrilling, at times hilarious episode, a lonely Indian shoe saleswoman (Anjana Vasan) brooding internally over her racist co-worker Vicky (Katherine Rose Morely) cuts her finger on an amulet with runic characters, summoning demon in-training Gaap (Paapa Essiedu). He takes the guise of her idol, Boney M singer Bobbby Farrell, and explains to her that she must kill someone each day for the next three days to prevent an apocalypse. Dark comedy with a bittersweet twist. And I loved Vasan in her role, she was so good.
Director: John Crowley
Starring: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Auden Thornton, Rory Culkin
This was a stand-out for me, what a fantastic episode. Astronauts Cliff (Aaron Paul) and David (Josh Hartnett) are on a years-long space mission in an alternate 1969. To combat loneliness and cabin fever, the duo uploads their consciousness to a replica: an android copy living on Earth with their family. Until David’s family is murdered before his eyes and his replica is set on fire by a Charles Manson-like cult that wants to restore the natural order. Concerned about David’s possible suicidal depression, Cliff occasionally grants him use of his replica. This leads to psychological complications. Josh Hartnett and especially Aaron Paul are very strong on their roles. I was invested in this story from start to finish and the ending went in a different direction then I expected it would go.
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