7 Science Fiction Short Films For Fans of 'Black Mirror'

What if someone was coerced by a cyber-terrorist into having sex... with a pig?

That disturbing scenario is the premise behind the very first episode of the unsettling Netflix science fiction anthology series Black Mirror.

It is the latest in a distinguished line of television series—such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits—films, and books made famous by using science fiction to explore the darkest recesses of the human psyche.

Fans of Black Mirror can also discover a treasure trove of "dark" science fiction short films available now for viewing online.

From robots influenced by ominous desires to nanotechnology run amok, the following seven science fiction shorts will transport you to the intersection where the fantastic and the foreboding meet.

ABE

Meet ABE, a highly advanced and intelligent robot. ABE was created to be the perfect servant and companion. The only problem is, ABE has an alarming compulsion his programming is unable to override.

SKYWATCH

In the near-future, almost any physical and/or consumer good you can imagine can be delivered to your front door via a global system of advanced aerial drones. One afternoon, two bored teenage friends, Mike and Shaun, decide to hack into their local drone network to prank their neighbors by having the drones deliver the wrong packages. When one of the hacked drones crashes, the boys investigate and discover the machines contain hidden functionalities which expose a sinister conspiracy.

TEMPLE

In 2045, a genetic disease causes victim's bodies to reject their own organs. Having cybernetic implants is the only way to combat this merciless illness. One man (Osric Chau, Supernatural, Halo: Forward Unto Dawn) desperately searches the underbelly of a dystopian metropolis for an implant critical to the survival of a loved one.

FROM THE FUTURE WITH LOVE

This disturbing sci-fi short film depicts an alternate reality where skyrocketing crime rates have led to corporations assuming the responsibilities of law enforcement. Privatized police forces use the latest in high-tech armament to provide security and protection to every citizen - who can pay for it.

NANO

In the world of NANO, everyone has been implanted with nanites controlled by apps installed on smartphones. Want to change your eye color? Increase your sexual pleasure? Boost your adrenaline levels for longer physical endurance?

There's an app for that.

When legislation passes granting law enforcement officials the ability to paralyze criminal suspects by the use of an app, the technology takes on a far more sinister dimension.

WHIPPING BOY

In this futuristic Kubrickian thriller, people have become isolated due to their dependence on virtual reality technology controlled by two competing mega-conglomerates.

With the wealthy sequestered in shining skyscrapers that reach miles into the sky, most find they are unable to cope with the ordinary stresses of daily life. Hence the creation of "whips," individuals hired by the rich to be used as actual punching bags.

When a whip named Ollie (Tongayi Chirisa) has an encounter with a client that goes horribly wrong, he finds himself entangled in a murderous conspiracy.

RUNAWAY

In this compelling science fiction/western, the year is 2065, and a servant class of androids dubbed "synthetics" has become self-aware all at once.

Threatened by the synthetics' demands for freedom and civil rights, the corporation that owns these artificial beings has sent bounty hunters to re-capture them.

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Like Black Mirror, these seven short films use science fiction to explore the dark and wild aspects of the human spirit. But they also serve another important role: as cautionary tales, exhorting us to continue to feed the better angels of our natures.