This second episode of the second season of Black Mirror has some common ground with the opening episode of the first season in its tone and themes. The plot here sees a young woman waking up in a house with no memory of what has gone before but knowing something is wrong – not least the symbol endlessly broadcast on her TV. Wandering outside she finds the other residents in the dead town are staring at her, filming her on their phones without speaking to her. Things take a darker turn when a man in a mask pulls up in a car, takes a shotgun from the trunk and advances on her. Fleeing she is rescued by a couple who don't seem to be in the stupor of the others and it is from these people that Victoria learns more of what has happened.
It is very hard not to spoil this story while talking about it so I will just go ahead and give up on that from the start. This is a great film which succeeds while also being a little bit messy and inconclusive – indeed I would say that this tumbling uncertainty is part of the appeal since the film works as many things at different stages. In the first sections it works as a really effective chiller and horror; the fear felt by Victoria is very well portrayed and the imagery of this nightmare world is very convincing and unsettling. While it works at this level the film also functions as a comment on the internet (some watch while the hunters just become hunters because they can get away with it) or a comment on the voyeuristic nature of the modern media and internet culture. Not a razor sharp comment perhaps, but one that works while partnered with the much stronger horror aspect.
At a later point the film flips things as we see that Victoria is not the innocent that we thought she was and that this is all some sort of game at her expense. This threw me well and this feeling of not being sure what was going on was quite satisfying and engaging. The horror theme continues but in a different way as the crowd of silent voyeurs becomes something much more sinister and violent as the themes of justice and mob-mentality are brought out. It is this odd mix that means the film isn't wholly successful and does tend to jump around thematically a bit too much, but it is also what works well. It gets over the hurdle and works partly because it flips the viewer so effectively from being on the side of the persecuted to later being forced to reluctantly take their place amongst the voyeurs. It is a nice flip that gives you a lot to think about (plot wise and theme wise) and in this way it also covers up the various plot holes it has at the same time.
Crichlow is great in the lead. Just as the previous Black Mirror film was carried by a very strong female lead, so too is this one. She is convincing throughout and her fear makes the early sections works while her pain makes the viewer's discomfort an effective part of the narrative later. Supporting turns from Smiley, Middleton and others are good but the film belongs to Crichlow and she really commits. Tibbetts' direction works all the angles well while Brooker's script may not be perfect but balances all the ideas as well as I guess they could have been done.
White Bear is another great piece of sci-fi satire. It may not have the emotional punch of the previous episode but it is thoughtful, unsettling and very effective. Just in case you needed one, it is another reason to love Charlie Brooker.
It is very hard not to spoil this story while talking about it so I will just go ahead and give up on that from the start. This is a great film which succeeds while also being a little bit messy and inconclusive – indeed I would say that this tumbling uncertainty is part of the appeal since the film works as many things at different stages. In the first sections it works as a really effective chiller and horror; the fear felt by Victoria is very well portrayed and the imagery of this nightmare world is very convincing and unsettling. While it works at this level the film also functions as a comment on the internet (some watch while the hunters just become hunters because they can get away with it) or a comment on the voyeuristic nature of the modern media and internet culture. Not a razor sharp comment perhaps, but one that works while partnered with the much stronger horror aspect.
At a later point the film flips things as we see that Victoria is not the innocent that we thought she was and that this is all some sort of game at her expense. This threw me well and this feeling of not being sure what was going on was quite satisfying and engaging. The horror theme continues but in a different way as the crowd of silent voyeurs becomes something much more sinister and violent as the themes of justice and mob-mentality are brought out. It is this odd mix that means the film isn't wholly successful and does tend to jump around thematically a bit too much, but it is also what works well. It gets over the hurdle and works partly because it flips the viewer so effectively from being on the side of the persecuted to later being forced to reluctantly take their place amongst the voyeurs. It is a nice flip that gives you a lot to think about (plot wise and theme wise) and in this way it also covers up the various plot holes it has at the same time.
Crichlow is great in the lead. Just as the previous Black Mirror film was carried by a very strong female lead, so too is this one. She is convincing throughout and her fear makes the early sections works while her pain makes the viewer's discomfort an effective part of the narrative later. Supporting turns from Smiley, Middleton and others are good but the film belongs to Crichlow and she really commits. Tibbetts' direction works all the angles well while Brooker's script may not be perfect but balances all the ideas as well as I guess they could have been done.
White Bear is another great piece of sci-fi satire. It may not have the emotional punch of the previous episode but it is thoughtful, unsettling and very effective. Just in case you needed one, it is another reason to love Charlie Brooker.