Netflix’s “Black Mirror” returns to the Emmy Awards after a four-year break with its sixth season that premiered back in June 2023. The trajectory of the Charlie Brooker anthology series at the Emmys has been a tumultuous journey, particularly in recent years. The science-fiction dystopia used to dominate the limited/movie genre, winning Best Television Movie for three consecutive years at its height, before the Television Academy ruled that it must compete for the drama categories for its fifth season in 2020, ending its streak. Then the following year, the top category for limited series was changed to Best Limited or Anthology Series, placing “Black Mirror” back into the genre, but in the more competitive limited series race rather than the standalone television movies.
Despite the many radical switches, the program has managed an impressive eight wins out of 14 nominations overall. With its new string of six anthology episodes that star various actors including Salma Hayek,...
Despite the many radical switches, the program has managed an impressive eight wins out of 14 nominations overall. With its new string of six anthology episodes that star various actors including Salma Hayek,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Christopher Tsang
- Gold Derby
To call Black Mirror a modern-day Twilight Zone is a failure to comprehend the metaphor of the series title.
A black mirror is the reflective black screen you stare into whenever your TV, phone, or laptop is turned off. It's whatever is left of the dream, the fantasy, that technology feeds you after you turn the mechanism off.
In other words, nothing.
The show's creator, Charlie Brooker, seems fascinated by the nightmare of our technologically driven society.
Since the show debuted in 2011, when AI was merely a speck on the horizon, we have transcended Brooker's nightmares of what we might become.
We have embraced AI to the point that we find human interaction boring, stressful, and anti-climactic compared to hyperbolic simulations of the human experience.
To watch Black Mirror's earlier seasons and to enter its universe is to see the worst aspects of ourselves reflected -- to experience the...
A black mirror is the reflective black screen you stare into whenever your TV, phone, or laptop is turned off. It's whatever is left of the dream, the fantasy, that technology feeds you after you turn the mechanism off.
In other words, nothing.
The show's creator, Charlie Brooker, seems fascinated by the nightmare of our technologically driven society.
Since the show debuted in 2011, when AI was merely a speck on the horizon, we have transcended Brooker's nightmares of what we might become.
We have embraced AI to the point that we find human interaction boring, stressful, and anti-climactic compared to hyperbolic simulations of the human experience.
To watch Black Mirror's earlier seasons and to enter its universe is to see the worst aspects of ourselves reflected -- to experience the...
- 5/13/2024
- by Michael Arangua
- TVfanatic
“I hadn’t played in the sandpit of science fiction before,” exclaims John Crowley about directing “Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea.” In our recent webchat he adds, “I was delirious with joy doing it. The playfulness of realizing it visually was extraordinary.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
“Black Mirror” is the Netflix anthology series created by Charlie Brooker in which each episode takes on new characters and stories to tell a dystopian tale using sci-fi technology.
SEEJosh Hartnett interview: ‘Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea’
“Beyond the Sea” is a featured installment from the sixth season of the show. Set in 1969, Josh Hartnett and Aaron Paul play the only two astronauts on a years-long mission. Technology allows both to send their consciousness to replicas of their bodies back on earth. Crowley explains, “Shooting the material where Josh or Aaron were on their own was fascinating and quite paranoid making. It...
“Black Mirror” is the Netflix anthology series created by Charlie Brooker in which each episode takes on new characters and stories to tell a dystopian tale using sci-fi technology.
SEEJosh Hartnett interview: ‘Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea’
“Beyond the Sea” is a featured installment from the sixth season of the show. Set in 1969, Josh Hartnett and Aaron Paul play the only two astronauts on a years-long mission. Technology allows both to send their consciousness to replicas of their bodies back on earth. Crowley explains, “Shooting the material where Josh or Aaron were on their own was fascinating and quite paranoid making. It...
- 5/9/2024
- by Matt Noble
- Gold Derby
“The most surprising thing is how fun the shoot is,” reveals Kate Mara about working on “Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea.” In our recent webchat she adds, “The world my character is inhabiting and everything she’s feeling is isolated and lonely, yet it was such an amazing set to be on.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
“Black Mirror” is the anthology series created by Charlie Brooker in which each episode takes on new characters and stories to tell a dystopian tale using sci-fi technology. Mara says each episode “moves us in one way or another. Whether it’s to tears, shock, terror or laughter. Charlie always finds a way of getting people to react.”
SEEour video interview with Josh Hartnett who has just moved to the country. She lives with an artificial replica of her husband, which Cliff can transport his consciousness into while on a years-long space mission.
“Black Mirror” is the anthology series created by Charlie Brooker in which each episode takes on new characters and stories to tell a dystopian tale using sci-fi technology. Mara says each episode “moves us in one way or another. Whether it’s to tears, shock, terror or laughter. Charlie always finds a way of getting people to react.”
SEEour video interview with Josh Hartnett who has just moved to the country. She lives with an artificial replica of her husband, which Cliff can transport his consciousness into while on a years-long space mission.
- 4/25/2024
- by Matt Noble
- Gold Derby
Kate Mara had a busy weekend with multiple appearances!
The 41-year-old actress kicked things off by attending Mercy for Animals’ 25th Anniversary Gala on Saturday night (April 20) at Rolling Greens in Los Angeles.
Kate was honored at the event alongside comedian Travon Free. Mercy For Animals is the world’s leading nonprofit dedicated to ending industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system.
On Sunday (April 21), Kate reunited with her Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea co-star Josh Hartnett for an Emmy panel. The evening consisted of a screening and panel with the actors and creatives.
Beyond the Sea dropped on Netflix back in June 2023, but it will first be eligible for awards consideration at the upcoming 2024 Emmy Awards.
Browse through the gallery for more photos…...
The 41-year-old actress kicked things off by attending Mercy for Animals’ 25th Anniversary Gala on Saturday night (April 20) at Rolling Greens in Los Angeles.
Kate was honored at the event alongside comedian Travon Free. Mercy For Animals is the world’s leading nonprofit dedicated to ending industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system.
On Sunday (April 21), Kate reunited with her Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea co-star Josh Hartnett for an Emmy panel. The evening consisted of a screening and panel with the actors and creatives.
Beyond the Sea dropped on Netflix back in June 2023, but it will first be eligible for awards consideration at the upcoming 2024 Emmy Awards.
Browse through the gallery for more photos…...
- 4/22/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Fans regularly make film biopics about famous musicians successful, but they also love to nitpick the results. Or to misquote Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division and the subject of a rather good musical biopic (Control), love will tear apart any work of fan service if it screws up the story, paints the subject in too unflattering a light or, worst of all, mangles the music with impersonations that barely rise above the level of karaoke. (Consider, if you dare, Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin in Beyond the Sea.)
On the other hand, there’s also something irksome about biopics that have actors lip sync to the original songs, like Naomi Ackie did for I Wanna Dance With Somebody or, much less successfully, Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! Especially if that means access to the original recordings or even rights to the songs in the first...
On the other hand, there’s also something irksome about biopics that have actors lip sync to the original songs, like Naomi Ackie did for I Wanna Dance With Somebody or, much less successfully, Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! Especially if that means access to the original recordings or even rights to the songs in the first...
- 4/9/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hosted by comedian Tom Papa, the 60th Cas Awards for sound mixing were held March 2 at the Beverly Hilton, where Oscar-shortlisted sound contenders “Barbie,” “Ferrari,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” and “Oppenheimer” competed. Ultimately, “Oppenheimer” took home the prize for Motion Pictures — Live Action.
As previously announced, JJ Abrams received the society’s Filmmaker of the Year award and multi award-winning sound mixer Joe Earle was honored with the prestigious Cas Career Achievement Award. In addition, five finalists vied for the Student Recognition Award, with Yushu “Doris” Shen winning.
For animation, the winner was Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Universe,” while “32 Sounds” took home the award for documentary.
Meanwhile, the TV winner for limited series was “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” The one-hour series winner was “The Last of Us” and half-hour series went to “The Bear.”
Below is the full list of winners (marked in bold) for...
As previously announced, JJ Abrams received the society’s Filmmaker of the Year award and multi award-winning sound mixer Joe Earle was honored with the prestigious Cas Career Achievement Award. In addition, five finalists vied for the Student Recognition Award, with Yushu “Doris” Shen winning.
For animation, the winner was Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Universe,” while “32 Sounds” took home the award for documentary.
Meanwhile, the TV winner for limited series was “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” The one-hour series winner was “The Last of Us” and half-hour series went to “The Bear.”
Below is the full list of winners (marked in bold) for...
- 3/3/2024
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
Hey, "Law & Order: Organized Crime" fans. We're back to deliver another new round of teaser scoops for your favorite show Law & Order: Oc because another new installment of it his headed your way tonight, February 29, 2024. That's right, guys. The next, new episode 6 of this current season 4 is airing tonight. We were able to track down 3, new official teaser scoops for this new episode 6 via NBC's official episode 6 press release synopsis. So, we will certainly take a look at it for this spoiler session. Let's do it. For starters, there is an official title for this new episode 6 of Law & Order: Oc season 4. The writers decided to name it, "Beyond the Sea." It sounds like episode 6 will feature some very scandalous, intense, interesting, dramatic, possible action-filled and suspenseful scenes as several bodies turn up dead. Jet does some protecting. Some heavy tensions start to rise and more. We'll go...
- 3/1/2024
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Episode 6 “Beyond the Sea” February 29 2024 Preview & Spoilers
Law & Order: Organized Crime fans, we’ve got a fresh off the press preview for the new Season 4 Episode 6 episode titled Beyond the Sea!
Find out everything you need to know about the Beyond the Sea episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!
Law & Order: Organized Crime Beyond the Sea Season 4 Episode 6 Preview
Get ready for an intense and gripping episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” airing on NBC at 10:00 Pm on February 29, 2024. In the upcoming installment titled “Beyond the Sea,” viewers will be plunged into a complex and sinister investigation that will keep them on the edge of their seats.
As the episode unfolds, Detective Elliot Stabler, portrayed by Christopher Meloni, finds himself embroiled in a chilling case when several bodies are discovered in a serene seaside town. With the stakes higher than ever,...
Find out everything you need to know about the Beyond the Sea episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!
Law & Order: Organized Crime Beyond the Sea Season 4 Episode 6 Preview
Get ready for an intense and gripping episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” airing on NBC at 10:00 Pm on February 29, 2024. In the upcoming installment titled “Beyond the Sea,” viewers will be plunged into a complex and sinister investigation that will keep them on the edge of their seats.
As the episode unfolds, Detective Elliot Stabler, portrayed by Christopher Meloni, finds himself embroiled in a chilling case when several bodies are discovered in a serene seaside town. With the stakes higher than ever,...
- 2/22/2024
- by News
- TV Regular
Get ready for a riveting episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” as Season 4 continues with “Beyond the Sea”! In this intense installment, Detective Stabler finds himself immersed in the murky waters of a seaside town as he investigates a string of disturbing murders. With several bodies discovered, Stabler must navigate the intricate web of politics and secrets within the tight-knit community to uncover the truth behind the killings and track down a potential serial killer.
Meanwhile, tensions escalate as Stabler faces the consequences of skipping his Internal Affairs Bureau meeting, adding another layer of complexity to the investigation. Amidst the chaos, Jet steps up to protect a key witness, further intensifying the race against time to stop the perpetrator.
Tune in at 10:00 Pm on Thursday, February 29, 2024, to NBC for this gripping episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime: Beyond the Sea.” Don’t miss the suspense, drama, and high-stakes...
Meanwhile, tensions escalate as Stabler faces the consequences of skipping his Internal Affairs Bureau meeting, adding another layer of complexity to the investigation. Amidst the chaos, Jet steps up to protect a key witness, further intensifying the race against time to stop the perpetrator.
Tune in at 10:00 Pm on Thursday, February 29, 2024, to NBC for this gripping episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime: Beyond the Sea.” Don’t miss the suspense, drama, and high-stakes...
- 2/22/2024
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
This Sunday at 12:30 Pm, culinary enthusiasts are in for a treat as A&e serves up a delectable episode of “Legends of the Fork.” In the Season 1 Episode 18 titled “Beyond The Sea,” viewers are taken on a gastronomic journey that transcends borders and tantalizes taste buds.
Buddy, our intrepid guide, ventures to the Belgian-inspired haven of flavors, Cadieux Cafe in Detroit. There, he indulges in the Midwest’s finest bowl of steamed mussels and relishes the succulence of braised Belgian rabbit. The culinary exploration doesn’t end there; the next stop is Taverna Kyclades in Queens, N.Y., promising an immersion into a world of delightful seafood and rich Mediterranean influences.
For those passionate about culinary discoveries and seeking inspiration for their next dining adventure, “Legends of the Fork” promises an episode that goes beyond the ordinary, celebrating the diverse and exquisite flavors that make each restaurant a legend in its own right.
Buddy, our intrepid guide, ventures to the Belgian-inspired haven of flavors, Cadieux Cafe in Detroit. There, he indulges in the Midwest’s finest bowl of steamed mussels and relishes the succulence of braised Belgian rabbit. The culinary exploration doesn’t end there; the next stop is Taverna Kyclades in Queens, N.Y., promising an immersion into a world of delightful seafood and rich Mediterranean influences.
For those passionate about culinary discoveries and seeking inspiration for their next dining adventure, “Legends of the Fork” promises an episode that goes beyond the ordinary, celebrating the diverse and exquisite flavors that make each restaurant a legend in its own right.
- 12/24/2023
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Roger Corman's 1960 feature films "House of Usher" was the first film in a long series of Edgar Allan Poe-based movies at American International Pictures. From 1960 to 1964, Corman directed eight Poe films, with all but one of them starring Vincent Price. After "House of Usher," Corman made "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Premature Burial," the anthology film "Tales of Terror," "The Raven," "The Haunted Palace," "The Masque of the Red Death," and "The Tomb of Ligeia." Technically, 1963's "The Haunted Palace" isn't a Poe movie. It was named after Poe's 1893 poem but was in fact based on the 1927 short novel "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" by H.P. Lovecraft. Poe, it seems, was a bigger marquee name than Lovecraft, so the latter author's story was merely folded into Corman's short-lived but well-remembered Poe subgenre.
Fans of gothic horror would do well to marathon all eight movies. They're all...
Fans of gothic horror would do well to marathon all eight movies. They're all...
- 11/28/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Black Mirror is coming back. Netflix renewed the fan-favorite dystopian show for Season Seven after its triumphant return in June after four years.
According to Netflix, the Charlie Brooker-created show reached the Top 10 in 92 countries with its latest season. Casting has yet to be confirmed, Variety reports.
Season Six included five episodes, which featured a star-studded lineup of actors. Salma Hayek, Michael Cera, and Annie Murphy starred in Joan Is Awful, while Loch Henry saw Daniel Portman and John Hannah, and Beyond the Sea featured Aaron Paul and Kate Mara.
According to Netflix, the Charlie Brooker-created show reached the Top 10 in 92 countries with its latest season. Casting has yet to be confirmed, Variety reports.
Season Six included five episodes, which featured a star-studded lineup of actors. Salma Hayek, Michael Cera, and Annie Murphy starred in Joan Is Awful, while Loch Henry saw Daniel Portman and John Hannah, and Beyond the Sea featured Aaron Paul and Kate Mara.
- 11/21/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Black Mirror will be back for more mind-tripping adventures.
Charlie Brooker’s science-fiction anthology has been renewed for Season 7, Variety reports.
More from TVLineBeverly Hills Cop 4: Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley Is Back in First Look at Netflix Sequel - See PhotoTVLine Items: Charles Barkley-Gayle King Show, Sheldon on Netflix and MoreUnPrisoned Renewed for Season 2
Netflix has declined comment and no further details are known about the renewal.
The pick-up comes five months after the release of Season 6, which dropped on June 15. The series’ most recent cycle was comprised of five episodes: “Joan Is Awful” starring Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek...
Charlie Brooker’s science-fiction anthology has been renewed for Season 7, Variety reports.
More from TVLineBeverly Hills Cop 4: Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley Is Back in First Look at Netflix Sequel - See PhotoTVLine Items: Charles Barkley-Gayle King Show, Sheldon on Netflix and MoreUnPrisoned Renewed for Season 2
Netflix has declined comment and no further details are known about the renewal.
The pick-up comes five months after the release of Season 6, which dropped on June 15. The series’ most recent cycle was comprised of five episodes: “Joan Is Awful” starring Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek...
- 11/21/2023
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
Jamie Foxx’s visit to Toronto in 2004 set him on an awards trajectory that resulted in his winning the best actor Oscar five months later for Ray, director Taylor Hackford’s biopic of the rhythm and blues legend Ray Charles. As Roger Ebert presciently noted in a festival dispatch: “Jamie Foxx is another actor who will emerge … trailing clouds of glory. He won a standing ovation for his virtuoso performance.”
Foxx, who met with Charles before the film went into production, said the musician gave his blessing to a warts-and-all portrayal. “He said, ‘Look, man, tell the story. If you don’t tell the story, it’s not going to be interesting,’ ” Foxx explained to JazzTimes magazine during the fest. “Nobody wants to see a movie that’s, like, ‘Ooh, Ray, you were so good all your life because you were blind.’ You want to see the serious decisions he...
Foxx, who met with Charles before the film went into production, said the musician gave his blessing to a warts-and-all portrayal. “He said, ‘Look, man, tell the story. If you don’t tell the story, it’s not going to be interesting,’ ” Foxx explained to JazzTimes magazine during the fest. “Nobody wants to see a movie that’s, like, ‘Ooh, Ray, you were so good all your life because you were blind.’ You want to see the serious decisions he...
- 9/8/2023
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal in FoePhoto: Amazon Studios
We all love a good Friends With Benefits vs. No Strings Attached moment. Or Bugs Life vs. Antz, or Deep Impact vs. Armageddon, or even Snow White And The Huntsman vs. Mirror Mirror. There’s something for everyone.
With that in...
We all love a good Friends With Benefits vs. No Strings Attached moment. Or Bugs Life vs. Antz, or Deep Impact vs. Armageddon, or even Snow White And The Huntsman vs. Mirror Mirror. There’s something for everyone.
With that in...
- 8/24/2023
- by Emma Keates
- avclub.com
Oscar-nominated actor Paul Mescal’s hot streak continues this fall with “Foe,” a new sci-fi film in which he co-stars opposite Saoirse Ronan as one half of a somewhat unhappily married couple who gets the chance to leave his life behind and live in space.
Based on the book of the same name by author Iain Reid, “Foe” is set in the year 2065 and follows a pair of farmers who live on a secluded piece of land. When a stranger (played by Aaron Pierre) shows up on their doorstep with a startling proposal, their life – and marriage – is thrown into chaos. Mescal’s character is offered the chance to live among the stars, but his wife is not. Instead, he’ll leave behind a robot clone of himself to keep his wife company.
The plot is strikingly similar to the “Black Mirror” episode “Beyond the Sea.” Reid’s book was published back in 2018.
Garth Davis,...
Based on the book of the same name by author Iain Reid, “Foe” is set in the year 2065 and follows a pair of farmers who live on a secluded piece of land. When a stranger (played by Aaron Pierre) shows up on their doorstep with a startling proposal, their life – and marriage – is thrown into chaos. Mescal’s character is offered the chance to live among the stars, but his wife is not. Instead, he’ll leave behind a robot clone of himself to keep his wife company.
The plot is strikingly similar to the “Black Mirror” episode “Beyond the Sea.” Reid’s book was published back in 2018.
Garth Davis,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
In a recent, now-viral interview, Matt Damon talked about how he told his wife that he would cut down on the amount of work he does and give her more time than before, but he would make an exception if Chris Nolan called. Damon, a Hollywood A-lister who first worked with Nolan on Interstellar (2015), where he had a very impactful cameo, has always been a vocal admirer of the director. He would probably take on any role if it was a Nolan project. Because a role in a Christopher Nolan film is sacred—at least, that’s how so many people in the business perceive it. And it makes sense, too, considering how Nolan uses his actors.
Nolan’s latest, Oppenheimer, is no exception, as the man has successfully lined up a huge supporting cast around the titular role of the controversial physicist, played by Cillian Murphy. Coincidentally, this is...
Nolan’s latest, Oppenheimer, is no exception, as the man has successfully lined up a huge supporting cast around the titular role of the controversial physicist, played by Cillian Murphy. Coincidentally, this is...
- 7/24/2023
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
Clockwise from left: Beyond The Sea (Lionsgate), Blonde (Netflix), The Conqueror (Rko Radio Pictures), Gotti (Vertical Entertainment)Photo: The A.V. Club
Ever since Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in a blaze of color-tinted flames in George Méliès 1900 drama Joan Of Arc, biographical films, or biopics, have dramatized the lives of real-life people.
Ever since Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in a blaze of color-tinted flames in George Méliès 1900 drama Joan Of Arc, biographical films, or biopics, have dramatized the lives of real-life people.
- 7/19/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
After several years of waiting, Black Mirror finally returned with its eagerly anticipated sixth season. Charlie Brooker’s anthology series has reflected on contemporary society’s complicated relationship with technology since 2011. Interestingly, though, three of the five episodes in this installment occur somewhere in the past, be it distant or nearby. And even more intriguing, not every entry this time around is bent on delivering techno-dystopian dread. In fact, multiple tales are devoid of terror brought on by our overreliance on gadgets, science, and artifice.
Black Mirror was previously concerned with the immediate present or the conceivable future. However, based on this season’s episodes, the creator has perhaps grown weary of the “now.” The world that Brooker envisioned — not to mention warned us about — has, in some ways, come to fruition. These past couple of years, reality has proven to be more unsettling than whatever Black Mirror can cook up.
Black Mirror was previously concerned with the immediate present or the conceivable future. However, based on this season’s episodes, the creator has perhaps grown weary of the “now.” The world that Brooker envisioned — not to mention warned us about — has, in some ways, come to fruition. These past couple of years, reality has proven to be more unsettling than whatever Black Mirror can cook up.
- 7/13/2023
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
[This story contains spoilers for the Black Mirror season six episode “Beyond the Sea.”]
Aaron Paul’s live-action debut on Black Mirror has been five-and-a-half years in the making.
In December 2017, Paul had a voice cameo on one of Black Mirror’s signature episodes, “USS Callister,” as series creator Charlie Brooker wanted to add another wrinkle to Paul’s fictional feud with Breaking Bad co-star Jesse Plemons. Paul, who was already a huge fan of Black Mirror, agreed to voice “Gamer691” as long as it didn’t preclude him from a future live-action role. A gentlemen’s agreement was then made, and while Paul’s Westworld commitment prevented a season five appearance on the hit Netflix anthology, Paul says he’s grateful that Brooker stayed true to his word for season six’s John Crowley-directed episode, “Beyond the Sea,” co-starring Josh Hartnett and Kate Mara.
“Once you get to know Charlie, you know that his word actually has weight to it.
Aaron Paul’s live-action debut on Black Mirror has been five-and-a-half years in the making.
In December 2017, Paul had a voice cameo on one of Black Mirror’s signature episodes, “USS Callister,” as series creator Charlie Brooker wanted to add another wrinkle to Paul’s fictional feud with Breaking Bad co-star Jesse Plemons. Paul, who was already a huge fan of Black Mirror, agreed to voice “Gamer691” as long as it didn’t preclude him from a future live-action role. A gentlemen’s agreement was then made, and while Paul’s Westworld commitment prevented a season five appearance on the hit Netflix anthology, Paul says he’s grateful that Brooker stayed true to his word for season six’s John Crowley-directed episode, “Beyond the Sea,” co-starring Josh Hartnett and Kate Mara.
“Once you get to know Charlie, you know that his word actually has weight to it.
- 7/7/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Aaron Paul’s service isn’t so hot. After all, he’s currently in the wilds of Idaho for the summer, holed up in a little mountain town. “We have a cabin up in this place called McCall, so just going to kind of be floating the river, hanging out at the lake, that sort of thing all summer,” he says over the crackling line. “Trying to be as isolated as possible, get away from the madness.”
That madness could be a lot of things — political upheaval, the endless churn of the news cycle,...
That madness could be a lot of things — political upheaval, the endless churn of the news cycle,...
- 6/30/2023
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
Every time a new season of “Black Mirror” debuts, viewers everywhere stop what they’re doing and start feverishly debating which episode was their favorite. (Wars have been started over less.) Emmy voters gave three consecutive Best TV Movie awards to “San Junipero” (2017), “USS Callister” (2018) and “Bandersnatch” (2019), but what does the entire fandom think are the show’s best and worst installments ever? We’ve consulted the cumulative IMDb rankings for all seasons and come up with the definitive list of “Black Mirror” episodes ranked by fans. Can You guess their #1 choice? (Scroll through our photo gallery above or click here for direct access.)
Season 6 was released in June 2023 and brought the total number of episodes and specials to 28. Created by Charlie Brooker, the sci-fi anthology series began on the UK’s Channel 4 in 2011 before moving to Netflix (and becoming a worldwide phenomenon) in 2016. The show took a four-year...
Season 6 was released in June 2023 and brought the total number of episodes and specials to 28. Created by Charlie Brooker, the sci-fi anthology series began on the UK’s Channel 4 in 2011 before moving to Netflix (and becoming a worldwide phenomenon) in 2016. The show took a four-year...
- 6/28/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Every time a new season of “Black Mirror” debuts, viewers everywhere stop what they’re doing and start feverishly debating which episode was their favorite. (Wars have been started over less.) Emmy voters gave three consecutive Best TV Movie awards to “San Junipero” (2017), “USS Callister” (2018) and “Bandersnatch” (2019), but what does the entire fandom think are the show’s best and worst installments ever? We’ve consulted the cumulative IMDb rankings for all seasons and come up with the definitive list of “Black Mirror” episodes ranked by fans. Can You guess their #1 choice?
Season 6 was released in June 2023 and brought the total number of episodes and specials to 28. Created by Charlie Brooker, the sci-fi anthology series began on the UK’s Channel 4 in 2011 before moving to Netflix (and becoming a worldwide phenomenon) in 2016. The show took a four-year break after Season 5, thanks in part to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, but...
Season 6 was released in June 2023 and brought the total number of episodes and specials to 28. Created by Charlie Brooker, the sci-fi anthology series began on the UK’s Channel 4 in 2011 before moving to Netflix (and becoming a worldwide phenomenon) in 2016. The show took a four-year break after Season 5, thanks in part to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, but...
- 6/28/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
[This story contains spoilers from the Black Mirror season six episode “Mazey Day.”]
In Black Mirror’s “Mazey Day,” creator Charlie Brooker stretches his genre muscles while taking audiences to a more familiar kind of dystopic nightmare.
The story stars Zazie Beetz and Danny Ramirez as Bo and Hector, respectively, two paparazzi photographers who find themselves struggling to make ends meet. Bo has stepped back from the invasive grind of capturing the “perfect shot” — a means of grappling with how her (at times misogynistic) profession can rip apart its unwilling subjects for a paycheck.
But with rent due and Hector on her doorstep with a potential payout too good to be refused, Bo gets back in the game and the duo set out to capture what is actually happening with a young actress named Mazey Day (Clara Rugaard), who has seemingly imploded within Hollywood and disappeared from public eye. It’s one last job — in more ways than one.
In Black Mirror’s “Mazey Day,” creator Charlie Brooker stretches his genre muscles while taking audiences to a more familiar kind of dystopic nightmare.
The story stars Zazie Beetz and Danny Ramirez as Bo and Hector, respectively, two paparazzi photographers who find themselves struggling to make ends meet. Bo has stepped back from the invasive grind of capturing the “perfect shot” — a means of grappling with how her (at times misogynistic) profession can rip apart its unwilling subjects for a paycheck.
But with rent due and Hector on her doorstep with a potential payout too good to be refused, Bo gets back in the game and the duo set out to capture what is actually happening with a young actress named Mazey Day (Clara Rugaard), who has seemingly imploded within Hollywood and disappeared from public eye. It’s one last job — in more ways than one.
- 6/21/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This article contains spoilers for the Black Mirror episode “Beyond the Sea.”
The sixth season of Black Mirror is full of shocking twists, though few feel as emotionally devastating as the ending of the third episode of the season, “Beyond the Sea.” Set in an alternate 1969 with advanced space travel and the ability to shift consciousness to a robotic replica, this episode follows astronauts Cliff (Aaron Paul) and David (Josh Hartnett) two years into an important six year mission in deep space. When they aren’t tending to the needs of the space station, the two are able to return to Earth and spend time with their families through a robotic doppelganger of themselves.
After David’s family is killed by a cult and his replica is destroyed, he slowly loses his mind until Cliff offers to let him spend time on Earth through his replica. During his time on Earth in Cliff’s replica,...
The sixth season of Black Mirror is full of shocking twists, though few feel as emotionally devastating as the ending of the third episode of the season, “Beyond the Sea.” Set in an alternate 1969 with advanced space travel and the ability to shift consciousness to a robotic replica, this episode follows astronauts Cliff (Aaron Paul) and David (Josh Hartnett) two years into an important six year mission in deep space. When they aren’t tending to the needs of the space station, the two are able to return to Earth and spend time with their families through a robotic doppelganger of themselves.
After David’s family is killed by a cult and his replica is destroyed, he slowly loses his mind until Cliff offers to let him spend time on Earth through his replica. During his time on Earth in Cliff’s replica,...
- 6/20/2023
- by Brynnaarens
- Den of Geek
This article contains spoilers for the Black Mirror episode “Beyond the Sea” and the books mentioned.
Black Mirror’s darkest, bleakest episode yet is stuffed to the brim with references to film, television, and music. From the obvious visual references to 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as the key name “David” taken from that film, to the romantic dance around a car in a barn taken from Witness, to the highly appropriate lyrics of the featured song “Beyond the Sea,” heard only in French in the episode, to the perhaps surprising plot similarities to Red Dwarf’s “Bodyswap,” in which Rimmer tries to convince Lister to lend him his body repeatedly, this episode is steeped in pop culture history.
But there is another set of pop culture references that really stand out in this episode. The books that come to form part of the plot are all carefully chosen...
Black Mirror’s darkest, bleakest episode yet is stuffed to the brim with references to film, television, and music. From the obvious visual references to 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as the key name “David” taken from that film, to the romantic dance around a car in a barn taken from Witness, to the highly appropriate lyrics of the featured song “Beyond the Sea,” heard only in French in the episode, to the perhaps surprising plot similarities to Red Dwarf’s “Bodyswap,” in which Rimmer tries to convince Lister to lend him his body repeatedly, this episode is steeped in pop culture history.
But there is another set of pop culture references that really stand out in this episode. The books that come to form part of the plot are all carefully chosen...
- 6/20/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Note: The following Zazie Beetz, Danny Ramirez and Clara Rugaar interview discusses major spoilers for “Black Mirror” Season 6, Episode 4: “Mazey Day.”
“Black Mirror” Season 6, Episode 4 (titled “Mazey Day”) lifts the veil on the dark side of Hollywood stardom. Zazie Beetz stars as Bo, an invasive paparazzo who will go to any lengths to snap a photo of Mazey Day (Clara Rugaar) — until a devastating hit-and-run unravels the starlet’s glamorous life and success and Bo reconsiders the morality of her profession.
“It’s a really interesting way to very literally visualize, ‘Oh, you want to uncover people’s dirty laundry, well, then here it is — and it will stain you, too,’” Beetz told TheWrap. “People all have private lives [and] private worlds that need careful tending to in a safe environment, and if you open it up, then it leaves everybody raw and exposed, including the person.”
Mazey’s hit-and-run...
“Black Mirror” Season 6, Episode 4 (titled “Mazey Day”) lifts the veil on the dark side of Hollywood stardom. Zazie Beetz stars as Bo, an invasive paparazzo who will go to any lengths to snap a photo of Mazey Day (Clara Rugaar) — until a devastating hit-and-run unravels the starlet’s glamorous life and success and Bo reconsiders the morality of her profession.
“It’s a really interesting way to very literally visualize, ‘Oh, you want to uncover people’s dirty laundry, well, then here it is — and it will stain you, too,’” Beetz told TheWrap. “People all have private lives [and] private worlds that need careful tending to in a safe environment, and if you open it up, then it leaves everybody raw and exposed, including the person.”
Mazey’s hit-and-run...
- 6/19/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Note: The following Kate Mara and Josh Hartnett interview discusses major spoilers for “Black Mirror” Season 6, Episode 3: “Beyond the Sea.”
Season 6 of “Black Mirror” introduces an alternative 1969 in “Beyond the Sea,” in which two astronauts, Cliff (Aaron Paul) and David (Josh Hartnett), quite literally experience the best of both worlds by spending time with their families on Earth in a replica of their likeness while their bodies remain aboard a multi-year space mission.
Although both men spend limited time together on the mission, when a cult leader kills David’s family and burns his replica, David has no choice but to spend all his time alone on the spacecraft. After Cliff begins to worry that David might not survive in his isolation, Cliff’s wife Lana (Kate Mara) suggests that David could use Cliff’s replica for a break appear in Cliff’s likeness to visit their picturesque home and the forest surrounding it.
Season 6 of “Black Mirror” introduces an alternative 1969 in “Beyond the Sea,” in which two astronauts, Cliff (Aaron Paul) and David (Josh Hartnett), quite literally experience the best of both worlds by spending time with their families on Earth in a replica of their likeness while their bodies remain aboard a multi-year space mission.
Although both men spend limited time together on the mission, when a cult leader kills David’s family and burns his replica, David has no choice but to spend all his time alone on the spacecraft. After Cliff begins to worry that David might not survive in his isolation, Cliff’s wife Lana (Kate Mara) suggests that David could use Cliff’s replica for a break appear in Cliff’s likeness to visit their picturesque home and the forest surrounding it.
- 6/18/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
There has been a noticeable tonal shift in Black Mirror ever since it moved to Netflix from Channel Four prior to the third season. The utterly bleak, morbidly wicked British Black Mirror went through an American makeover and became a rather subtle, darkly comic show with a dash of optimism. It was still fascinating and very watchable. But obviously, a lot of people who fell in love with the show because of its pitch-black, hopeless first two seasons (and the terrifying Christmas special episode) got miffed by its newness. I personally didn’t have an issue, as I have always seen change as a sign of growth. But I could always see the logic behind the “Black Mirror is not the same anymore” argument. Especially with the last season delivering arguably the weakest batch of Black Mirror episodes, there was even a proper justification behind the argument.
Well, four years have gone by since then,...
Well, four years have gone by since then,...
- 6/18/2023
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
It’d be quite a stretch to say that Black Mirror season 6 has gone a bit subtle with its existential dread. What has, however, actually changed in the latest season of this one-of-a-kind sci-fi is how it maneuvers the delicious human follies we time and again come back to be treated to. The change in the demeanor of Netflix’s revolutionary and arguably most fearless show is glaring in how it intentionally decides to look away from the horrors it has handpicked for its beyond-disturbed characters. But make no mistake! Season 6 is just as nefarious with the predicaments it lands the characters in as Black Mirror has always been. The episode that stood out to me as a decidedly dark story of a seemingly normal person’s deadly corruption was Beyond The Sea. The Josh Hartnett and Aaron Paul starrer may have also pretty casually introduced a jaw-dropping easter egg...
- 6/17/2023
- by Lopamudra Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
Although Black Mirror is a dystopic concept, with most stories leaving us in a very saddened state, some of the episodes have been rather entertaining and even uplifting in some cases. However, the third episode of the sixth season, titled Beyond the Sea, is so heartbreaking that once you take out the sci-fi aspect of it, it’s just a mirror of human cruelty. Starring Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Mara in leading roles, the episode shows how a man goes from victim to victimizer. Here’s what happens in this heartbreaking episode:
Each episode of Black Mirror is equated to something we might witness in the future or the technology of tomorrow terrifying the people of today. However, the third episode, Beyond the Sea, jumps back in time to the 1960s, when space missions were the most funded and highlighted projects. In one such project, astronauts Cliff and...
Each episode of Black Mirror is equated to something we might witness in the future or the technology of tomorrow terrifying the people of today. However, the third episode, Beyond the Sea, jumps back in time to the 1960s, when space missions were the most funded and highlighted projects. In one such project, astronauts Cliff and...
- 6/16/2023
- by Indrayudh Talukdar
- Film Fugitives
[This story contains major spoilers from the Black Mirror season six episode “Beyond the Sea.”]
Charlie Brooker warned that some of the season six Black Mirror episodes were going to be the bleakest yet. And “Beyond the Sea,” starring the trio of Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett and Kate Mara, certainly fits that bill.
In the 80-minute space saga, Paul and Hartnett play astronauts aboard a spaceship on a six-year mission. The episode, however, takes place in an alternative 1969 where technology exists so the astronauts can beam their consciousness back down to Earth via a space-travel link and walk among their families as a mechanical replica while their real bodies sleep in a spacepod.
But things go horribly wrong for Hartnett’s astronaut, David. In the middle of the night, a hippie-like cult (led by Rory Culkin) invades his family home and brutally murders David’s free-spirited wife (Auden Thornton) and children in front of his (replica’s) eyes,...
Charlie Brooker warned that some of the season six Black Mirror episodes were going to be the bleakest yet. And “Beyond the Sea,” starring the trio of Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett and Kate Mara, certainly fits that bill.
In the 80-minute space saga, Paul and Hartnett play astronauts aboard a spaceship on a six-year mission. The episode, however, takes place in an alternative 1969 where technology exists so the astronauts can beam their consciousness back down to Earth via a space-travel link and walk among their families as a mechanical replica while their real bodies sleep in a spacepod.
But things go horribly wrong for Hartnett’s astronaut, David. In the middle of the night, a hippie-like cult (led by Rory Culkin) invades his family home and brutally murders David’s free-spirited wife (Auden Thornton) and children in front of his (replica’s) eyes,...
- 6/16/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This article contains spoilers for season 6 of Black Mirror.
The long-awaited return of Black Mirror has finally arrived, and with it a soundtrack of songs as varied as the stories this show tells. Season 6 features the return of an Irma Thomas classic, a Muse song known for its ties to the best baseball scene in cinema, Art Garfunkel’s emotional Watership Down tune, and so many others.
Here are all of the songs featured throughout this season of Black Mirror:
Episode 1 – Joan is Awful “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” – Irma Thomas
The Irma Thomas song “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” has become a sort of easter egg in Black Mirror, with the song appearing at least once per season. In the first episode of season six “Joan is Awful,” the song can be heard playing when Joan (Annie Murphy) first walks into the...
The long-awaited return of Black Mirror has finally arrived, and with it a soundtrack of songs as varied as the stories this show tells. Season 6 features the return of an Irma Thomas classic, a Muse song known for its ties to the best baseball scene in cinema, Art Garfunkel’s emotional Watership Down tune, and so many others.
Here are all of the songs featured throughout this season of Black Mirror:
Episode 1 – Joan is Awful “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” – Irma Thomas
The Irma Thomas song “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” has become a sort of easter egg in Black Mirror, with the song appearing at least once per season. In the first episode of season six “Joan is Awful,” the song can be heard playing when Joan (Annie Murphy) first walks into the...
- 6/16/2023
- by Brynnaarens
- Den of Geek
Spoiler Alert: These interviews contain spoilers from the Season 6 “Black Mirror” episodes “Joan Is Awful,” “Mazey Day” and “Beyond the Sea,” now streaming on Netflix.
Back after a four-year hiatus, the long-awaited sixth season of “Black Mirror” opens — fittingly — with “Joan is Awful,” an exploration of the dubious inner workings of a fictional streaming service called Streamberry.
Streamberry, which bears more than a passing resemblance to “Black Mirror’s” Irl producing partner Netflix, co-opts users’ lives to create AI-driven, CGI-rendered semi-fictional dramas without its subjects’ consent. Kind of like, say, “Inventing Anna” or “The Crown” or “The Tinder Swindler” or “Narcos” or… you get the gist.
Giving viewers a glimpse into an entirely conceivable dystopian future in which, to butcher a Nora Ephron aphorism, “everything is content,” “Joan is Awful’s” fictionalized portrayal of Netflix — right down to the “tudum” sound that accompanies Streamberry’s logo — offers up the delicious...
Back after a four-year hiatus, the long-awaited sixth season of “Black Mirror” opens — fittingly — with “Joan is Awful,” an exploration of the dubious inner workings of a fictional streaming service called Streamberry.
Streamberry, which bears more than a passing resemblance to “Black Mirror’s” Irl producing partner Netflix, co-opts users’ lives to create AI-driven, CGI-rendered semi-fictional dramas without its subjects’ consent. Kind of like, say, “Inventing Anna” or “The Crown” or “The Tinder Swindler” or “Narcos” or… you get the gist.
Giving viewers a glimpse into an entirely conceivable dystopian future in which, to butcher a Nora Ephron aphorism, “everything is content,” “Joan is Awful’s” fictionalized portrayal of Netflix — right down to the “tudum” sound that accompanies Streamberry’s logo — offers up the delicious...
- 6/15/2023
- by K.J. Yossman, Katcy Stephan and Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for all five episodes of “Black Mirror” Season 6.]
For a moment, it looked like “Black Mirror” Season 6 was going to douse its Trojan Horse in gasoline and drop a match. The first episode of the anthology series’ new, long-gestating batch puts Netflix in its sights from the outset, using the platform’s typeface and interface to tell a story about, well, faces. “Joan is Awful” is another in the show’s “ripped from the Wired headlines” approach to technology. After a relatively long time away, its welcome back message boils down to the idea that anyone can be content, with or without their permission.
It’s a potent idea for a changing age, one now filled with massive sectors of the entertainment industry undergoing a work stoppage to fight the very trends that this episode puts forth as a potential reality. It’s also messy in its execution, true to recent “Black Mirror” form, capped...
For a moment, it looked like “Black Mirror” Season 6 was going to douse its Trojan Horse in gasoline and drop a match. The first episode of the anthology series’ new, long-gestating batch puts Netflix in its sights from the outset, using the platform’s typeface and interface to tell a story about, well, faces. “Joan is Awful” is another in the show’s “ripped from the Wired headlines” approach to technology. After a relatively long time away, its welcome back message boils down to the idea that anyone can be content, with or without their permission.
It’s a potent idea for a changing age, one now filled with massive sectors of the entertainment industry undergoing a work stoppage to fight the very trends that this episode puts forth as a potential reality. It’s also messy in its execution, true to recent “Black Mirror” form, capped...
- 6/15/2023
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
This article contains spoilers for the Black Mirror episode “Beyond the Sea.”
Black Mirror Season 6 Episode 3
David Ross (Josh Hartnett) has it all – a beautiful family, a designer home, wealth, good looks, and the kind of job that makes young guys stop him at the movies because they want to shake him by the hand. The man we meet in the opening scenes of Black Mirror’s “Beyond the Sea” is everything American society in 1969 told men they should be – except real.
The fact that David and his colleague Cliff Stanfield (Aaron Paul) are robotic replicas on Earth who timeshare their consciousnesses with their human bodies while they man a mission up in space is not this episode’s Black Mirror twist. That comes much later, and is not so much a twist as the sobering reminder that nothing is so dangerous to women and children as a man with a bruised ego.
Black Mirror Season 6 Episode 3
David Ross (Josh Hartnett) has it all – a beautiful family, a designer home, wealth, good looks, and the kind of job that makes young guys stop him at the movies because they want to shake him by the hand. The man we meet in the opening scenes of Black Mirror’s “Beyond the Sea” is everything American society in 1969 told men they should be – except real.
The fact that David and his colleague Cliff Stanfield (Aaron Paul) are robotic replicas on Earth who timeshare their consciousnesses with their human bodies while they man a mission up in space is not this episode’s Black Mirror twist. That comes much later, and is not so much a twist as the sobering reminder that nothing is so dangerous to women and children as a man with a bruised ego.
- 6/15/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Plot: Expect the unexpected. The long-awaited return of Charlie Brooker’s dark, satirical anthology series which reinvents itself with each new episode. The sixth season of Black Mirror is the most unpredictable, unclassifiable and unexpected yet. The series is created and written by Charlie Brooker.
Review: Black Mirror has become a prescient look at our modern world of technology through a Twilight Zone lens. Charlie Brooker’s creative vision for his anthology series has amassed only twenty-eight entries over twelve years, each a chilling, satirical, horrifying, and sometimes funny look at the 21st century and beyond. Since shifting to Netflix from Channel 4, Brooker has ventured outside of the expected to give us an interactive film and almost feature-length episodes. The newest season of Black Mirror boasts two entries that are feature films themselves and another that mocks the streaming platform it can be found on. The result is an...
Review: Black Mirror has become a prescient look at our modern world of technology through a Twilight Zone lens. Charlie Brooker’s creative vision for his anthology series has amassed only twenty-eight entries over twelve years, each a chilling, satirical, horrifying, and sometimes funny look at the 21st century and beyond. Since shifting to Netflix from Channel 4, Brooker has ventured outside of the expected to give us an interactive film and almost feature-length episodes. The newest season of Black Mirror boasts two entries that are feature films themselves and another that mocks the streaming platform it can be found on. The result is an...
- 6/15/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Do you ever wonder what makes you keep coming back to a show when you belong to a time that keeps you submerged in an ocean of entertainment? What hold does Black Mirror have on you when there’s no scarcity of sci-fi to scratch your dystopian itch? It’s because Black Mirror is the Mike Flanagan horrors of the universe of make-believe. Here, you’re treated to the most harrowing existential crisis in settings that soothe you with their improbability. Some like their entertainment to be brimming with unfathomable joy, while some prefer being reassured of the state of their own lives as they switch off the TV and shut the door to the fictional purgatory they’ve just witnessed. And if your taste resembles the latter, you’ve likely had an emotionally turbulent time getting through Beyond The Sea. And now that you’re thanking your stars for...
- 6/15/2023
- by Lopamudra Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
This article contains no spoilers for Black Mirror season 6.
Speaking to Den of Geek shortly before the long-awaited sixth season premiere of his sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror, creator and writer Charlie Brooker owned up to having some opening night jitters.
“It’s quite different in many ways, which means it’s much more unpredictable,” Brooker says of Black Mirror season 6. “Hopefully, the psychological landscape of it is traditionally Black Mirror, even if it sort of shakes up what the rules are. But I don’t know. It’s scary because you just don’t know how people will react.”
No two episodes of Black Mirror are the same. That comes with the territory of anthology storytelling. But ever since Channel 4 premiered series opener “The National Anthem” in 2011, Black Mirror installments have traditionally followed certain rules, formats, and traditions – even as the series moved to Netflix starting with its third season.
Speaking to Den of Geek shortly before the long-awaited sixth season premiere of his sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror, creator and writer Charlie Brooker owned up to having some opening night jitters.
“It’s quite different in many ways, which means it’s much more unpredictable,” Brooker says of Black Mirror season 6. “Hopefully, the psychological landscape of it is traditionally Black Mirror, even if it sort of shakes up what the rules are. But I don’t know. It’s scary because you just don’t know how people will react.”
No two episodes of Black Mirror are the same. That comes with the territory of anthology storytelling. But ever since Channel 4 premiered series opener “The National Anthem” in 2011, Black Mirror installments have traditionally followed certain rules, formats, and traditions – even as the series moved to Netflix starting with its third season.
- 6/15/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
“Black Mirror” Season 6 is full of wild cards, including some of the most out-there episodes in series history — but it also delivers one bonafide old-fashioned “Black Mirror” yarn with “Beyond the Sea;” a sci-fi fueled chamber piece built on a handful of knockout performances, a clever high-concept plot and, of course, relentless dread. And unlike most “Black Mirror” episodes, “Beyond the Sea” is nearly feature-length with an 80-minute runtime.
You’re going to be spending a lot of time with the “Beyond the Sea” cast in the twisty and twisted third episode of Season 6, so if you’re wondering where you’ve seen them before or who they’re playing in the new episode, we’ve got a handy (no spoilers) cast and character guide.
You’re going to be spending a lot of time with the “Beyond the Sea” cast in the twisty and twisted third episode of Season 6, so if you’re wondering where you’ve seen them before or who they’re playing in the new episode, we’ve got a handy (no spoilers) cast and character guide.
- 6/15/2023
- by Haleigh Foutch
- The Wrap
This post contains spoilers for the sixth season of Black Mirror, which is streaming now on Netflix.
“Joan Is Awful,” the first episode of the new season of Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi satire anthology series Black Mirror, stars Annie Murphy as the title character, a tech-company executive horrified to discover that her life has, without her permission, been turned into a drama series on a streaming service called Streamberry.
“Joan Is Awful” is notable for several reasons. First, it’s the best — or, at least, the best-structured — episode of the new batch.
“Joan Is Awful,” the first episode of the new season of Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi satire anthology series Black Mirror, stars Annie Murphy as the title character, a tech-company executive horrified to discover that her life has, without her permission, been turned into a drama series on a streaming service called Streamberry.
“Joan Is Awful” is notable for several reasons. First, it’s the best — or, at least, the best-structured — episode of the new batch.
- 6/15/2023
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
The season stands out for its unique style, which is characteristic of the show, and its exceptional technical quality that evokes the best moments of the series. Black Mirror has once again managed to surprise its audience by returning to its British origins and bringing back the quality and ideas that have made it one of the most popular shows among viewers. The season comprises several episodes, each with its own storyline and message.
Season 6. Chapters Joan is Awful
This episode is more amusing than terrifying and features Salma Hayek (who mocks her own diction) playing an actress in a series that parodies itself. It is a charming and humorous episode that serves as an excellent appetizer for this sixth season. Did you expect Charlie Brooker not to take AI beyond imagination? Wait until the end of the episode, where his idea of personalized content for Netflix is quite curious and,...
Season 6. Chapters Joan is Awful
This episode is more amusing than terrifying and features Salma Hayek (who mocks her own diction) playing an actress in a series that parodies itself. It is a charming and humorous episode that serves as an excellent appetizer for this sixth season. Did you expect Charlie Brooker not to take AI beyond imagination? Wait until the end of the episode, where his idea of personalized content for Netflix is quite curious and,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid - TV
Beyond the Sea is the third episode of the sixth season of the popular TV series Black Mirror. Directed by John Crowley and starring Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Mara, the episode explores the concept of alternate realities and challenges viewers to question whether our current reality is truly real or just a fantasy. With the help of technology, we are now able to immerse ourselves in fictional worlds that are so realistic and enticing that we may even consider abandoning our own reality to live in them permanently.
Beyond the Sea
The episode is a thought-provoking and intriguing exploration of these ideas, and it is difficult not to give away any spoilers for this brilliant episode that revisits the show’s core themes. “Beyond the Sea” is a clever mix of vintage and space-age elements that complements the fictional and real aspects of the story. It is a...
Beyond the Sea
The episode is a thought-provoking and intriguing exploration of these ideas, and it is difficult not to give away any spoilers for this brilliant episode that revisits the show’s core themes. “Beyond the Sea” is a clever mix of vintage and space-age elements that complements the fictional and real aspects of the story. It is a...
- 6/15/2023
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid - TV
In retrospect, it was probably inevitable that reality would catch up to Black Mirror. Not in the literal sense (we still don’t have cookies or grains, and thank goodness for that), but in a spiritual one. When the series launched in 2011, it stood out for its deep skepticism in the age of tech optimism. Now actual headlines about AI replacing human workers or entire democracies being upended by social media algorithms feel like the stuff of Black Mirror plotlines, much in the same way the Trump era outdid Veep and Peak TV brought some of 30 Rock’s most cynical gags to life.
Add to that the general sense that creator Charlie Brooker might be tiring of the whole exercise, going by season five’s uninspired entries, and it’s little wonder that the newest batch feel less prescient than they once did. But Black Mirror has one final...
Add to that the general sense that creator Charlie Brooker might be tiring of the whole exercise, going by season five’s uninspired entries, and it’s little wonder that the newest batch feel less prescient than they once did. But Black Mirror has one final...
- 6/15/2023
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After taking a four-year break, Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror returns this weekend. The creator and writer of Netflix’s Emmy-winning anthology series has been vocal about his reasons for the long wait, saying essentially that the world itself felt too dystopian for his dystopian series.
When announcing its return with season six, releasing Thursday, Brooker said he set out to once again reinvent the series by “deliberately upending some of my own core assumptions about what to expect” from a Black Mirror episode. The result is five episodes — “Joan Is Awful” (which centers around a renamed Netflix-like streamer), “Loch Henry,” “Beyond the Sea,” “Mazey Day” and “Demon 79” — that will no doubt continue to subvert audience expectations.
And despite delighting viewers in the past with surprisingly hopeful episodes, like the Emmy-winning “San Junipero,” Brooker says the new installments are… bleak.
“I sort of circled back to some classically Black Mirror stories as well,...
When announcing its return with season six, releasing Thursday, Brooker said he set out to once again reinvent the series by “deliberately upending some of my own core assumptions about what to expect” from a Black Mirror episode. The result is five episodes — “Joan Is Awful” (which centers around a renamed Netflix-like streamer), “Loch Henry,” “Beyond the Sea,” “Mazey Day” and “Demon 79” — that will no doubt continue to subvert audience expectations.
And despite delighting viewers in the past with surprisingly hopeful episodes, like the Emmy-winning “San Junipero,” Brooker says the new installments are… bleak.
“I sort of circled back to some classically Black Mirror stories as well,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For over a decade, Black Mirror has been shaking up television with its terrifying tech-inspired visions. With a new season upon us, Charlie Brooker tells us what really scares him…
Read an extract of our exclusive major new interview with Charlie Brooker from our July 2023 issue below, or see the full piece here.
Built-in obsolescence is not just for iPhones; it’s part of the human condition too. Charlie Brooker has been trying to tell us this for years now, at least since his dystopian, techno-paranoia anthology series first aired on Channel 4 in 2011. Right from the start, Black Mirror has blended genres of speculative fiction to spread existential dread, while asking us which parts of humanity’s hard-drive are essential to basic functioning, and which should be deleted in the next upgrade.
After making the leap to Netflix in 2016, the show has grown from a cult hit to an Emmy-winning,...
Read an extract of our exclusive major new interview with Charlie Brooker from our July 2023 issue below, or see the full piece here.
Built-in obsolescence is not just for iPhones; it’s part of the human condition too. Charlie Brooker has been trying to tell us this for years now, at least since his dystopian, techno-paranoia anthology series first aired on Channel 4 in 2011. Right from the start, Black Mirror has blended genres of speculative fiction to spread existential dread, while asking us which parts of humanity’s hard-drive are essential to basic functioning, and which should be deleted in the next upgrade.
After making the leap to Netflix in 2016, the show has grown from a cult hit to an Emmy-winning,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Ellen E Jones
- Empire - TV
Consciousness transfers, ominous implants, surveillance and tracking systems, suspicious social networks, evil apps and killer robot dogs and bees… Black Mirror’s relationship with technology has always been an uneasy one. The series even once made streaming technology an integral part of its storytelling. So with all the recent flap across multiple industries about the possible need to arrest the development of Artificial Intelligence, you might wonder about Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker’s own position on AI-fuelled software like ChatGPT. Well, forget deep fakes – think deeply unimpressed.
“I’ve toyed around with ChatGPT a bit," Brooker reveals in the new issue of Empire. "The first thing I did was type 'generate Black Mirror episode' and it comes up with something that, at first glance, reads plausibly, but on second glance, is shit. Because all it’s done is look up all the synopses of Black Mirror episodes, and sort of mush them together.
“I’ve toyed around with ChatGPT a bit," Brooker reveals in the new issue of Empire. "The first thing I did was type 'generate Black Mirror episode' and it comes up with something that, at first glance, reads plausibly, but on second glance, is shit. Because all it’s done is look up all the synopses of Black Mirror episodes, and sort of mush them together.
- 6/8/2023
- by Owen Williams
- Empire - TV
“Black Mirror” creator Charlie Brooker revealed to Empire magazine that he went full “Black Mirror” by asking the artificial intelligence chatbot known as ChatGPT to write an episode of his beloved anthology series. The final results were “shit,” according to Brooker.
“I’ve toyed around with ChatGPT a bit,” Brooker said. “The first thing I did was type ‘generate “Black Mirror” episode’ and it comes up with something that, at first glance, reads plausibly, but on second glance, is shit. Because all it’s done is look up all the synopses of ‘Black Mirror’ episodes, and sort of mush them together.”
Brooker added, “If you dig a bit more deeply you go, ‘Oh, there’s not actually any real original thought here.’ It’s [1970s impressionist] Mike Yarwood — there’s a topical reference.”
While the ChatGPT-scripted “Black Mirror” episode was unusable, it did prove helpful for Brooker in pointing out several “Black Mirror” cliches.
“I’ve toyed around with ChatGPT a bit,” Brooker said. “The first thing I did was type ‘generate “Black Mirror” episode’ and it comes up with something that, at first glance, reads plausibly, but on second glance, is shit. Because all it’s done is look up all the synopses of ‘Black Mirror’ episodes, and sort of mush them together.”
Brooker added, “If you dig a bit more deeply you go, ‘Oh, there’s not actually any real original thought here.’ It’s [1970s impressionist] Mike Yarwood — there’s a topical reference.”
While the ChatGPT-scripted “Black Mirror” episode was unusable, it did prove helpful for Brooker in pointing out several “Black Mirror” cliches.
- 6/6/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
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