'Black Mirror' Season 5 Review

Released: 5th June 2019

Created by: Charlie Brooker

Number of Episodes: 3

Where to Watch: Netflix

Starring: Different actors each episode

Since coming to prominence back in 2011, Black Mirror has delivered an inventive and often horrifying collection of stories that really left a mark on viewers. Returning once again with a trio of episodes, what tales of technology gone bad does Charlie Brooker have for us this time? Based on the shorter length of the series, it’s worth talking about each episode individually.

Episode One: "Striking Vipers" at first glance seems intriguing; Anthony Mackie plays Danny, who lives comfortably with his wife Theo (Nicole Beharie). On occasion however, he spends time playing video games with his friend Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), most notably a popular fighting franchise that marks the episode’s namesake. Bringing back the same immersive virtual reality technology seen in season 4’s USS Callister, the two friends find themselves getting up to more risqué activities every time they play the game; the acting from every cast member is spot-on, with great chemistry that makes their close friendship believable. The problem with the episode however is that the controversial activities within the game never really hamper the character’s bonds; there’s never an embarrassing discovery or a dark turn that makes you feel for the characters. On top of this, things are rather repetitive with the in-game avatars hooking up intimately on a frequent basis. It feels more like a morbid curiosity than anything else and doesn’t have the cohesion or pacing to make it wholly engaging. Before, I argued that "Metalhead" back in Black Mirror’s fourth season was the weakest episode of the entire series; "Striking Vipers" had sadly inherited that title for me.

"Smithereens" is another dark, more emotionally driven tale that uses a simple premise; a taxi driver named Chris (played by Andrew Wilson of Sherlock fame) kidnaps an employee from a social media company, for what purpose? The truth is gradually revealed over its seventy-minute run-time, which sees Chris cornered in a field by the authorities desperately trying to break through to the high-ranking executives of the company. With its more realistic setting and reduced use of technology, the episode plays out like a police drama with another set of strong performances. The outbursts from Andrew Scott are visceral and shocking, getting across the trauma Chris has gone through and when you combine these with the fear from his victim Jaden (Damson Idris), the result is an effective thriller scenario. Even the characters more external to the drama are well played, most notably Topher Grace as Billy Bauer, the eccentric head of the social media company. As the tensions rise and armed police are brought in to help, you’ll be left wondering what will happen next and this makes "Smithereens" work well enough.

The final episode, "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" is pure fun, with a great sense of duality at its centre; it plays out half and half, following the famous pop star Ashley O (very fittingly played by Miley Cyrus) and a lonely fan named Rachel (Angourie Rice). To boost Ashley’s appeal, a robot with the singer’s artificial intelligence is released on the market, which ends up being a bit too enticing for Rachel. The results are what you’d expect, but the plot is more ambitious than this; as Ashley O is endlessly pressured by her greedy aunt and record label to put out more music, so too is Rachel influenced by the robotic companion to think too highly of herself. Eventually the two stories collide in a humorous way, as Miley Cyrus ends up playing two versions of her character with Rachel and her sister Jack (Madison Davenport) racing to save the music artist from endless exploitation; Cyrus is the highlight of the episode with a performance that really gets her away from the often kid-friendly roles she had in the past. Because of these elements and the more light-hearted tone, the third and final episode of season five is easily the most enjoyable.

Black Mirror’s fifth outing is easily the weakest of the bunch, mostly down to the underwhelming narrative of "Striking Vipers"; despite this, however, the acting is still strong, the commentary intriguing, and the production design competent. When compared to previous entries however, its twists and turns aren’t as cutting or inventive as they were before.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (Good)