(spoiler free)
Since December 2011 Charlie Brooker has treated us to four seasons of his critically acclaimed anthology television series ‘Black Mirror’. The often terrifying and tragic stories told through the episodes always feel uncomfortably close to reality but Brooker’s latest export takes this to the next level. ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ is an interactive feature length film event which sees viewers take an active role in deciding what direction the story will go.
Fionn Whitehead plays aspiring programmer Stefan who is developing a “choose your own adventure” style video game, Bandersnatch, immediately drawing parallels to the very style of this Netflix film. Stefan pitches Bandersnatch to a video game company, Tuckersoft and the narrative unfolds from there. However, before the story gets to this stage the audience has already had to make numerous decisions for Stefan, like for example, what breakfast cereal he has before his big pitch or what music he listens to on the bus. These choices constantly present themselves to the viewer as they watch and as a result countless different sequences of events leading to several unique endings become possible. This is a truly remarkable film experience that few will have encountered before. Avid fans of the show will appreciate how this audience involvement creates a sense that you, the viewer are starring in your very own episode of the techno-TV show.
This format allows for a story to develop as a result of different motives. Will the story be a product of what audiences think is best for the character, what they want to see happen, what they think they would do in the same situation or maybe a combination of all three? The choice to decide what happens allows for all of these options to play out. Furthermore, the added pressure of a ten second timer per decision brilliantly heightens the tension that comes with this responsibility. There’s no denying that this is an expertly immersive way to experience the film and for many it will be the most involved they’ve ever been. It capitalises on this with its meta content which is successful in provoking thought in the viewer as well as unnerving them. Once the story has reached its climax there is of course the opportunity to rewatch and explore the other options not taken first time around. As intriguing as this is it has to be said that the repetitive nature of this exploration results in the format and narrative both losing impact, therefore the first narrative sequence experienced could serve as the best stopping point for audiences experience of ‘Bandersnatch’.
The narrative itself maybe doesn’t quite stand up to the intensity of the interactive element of this experience and the unique make up of the many different possibilities will present varying levels of satisfaction for viewers. However, the execution of this added control for audiences is largely effortless with the brilliant editing only at times alluding to the different scenes eagerly awaiting to be selected. Similarly, as often is the case in ‘Black Mirror’, the cast are great. Whitehead is immediately an amicable presence as Stefan and in doing so makes the decision making process all the more stressful for the audience. He demonstrates his acting ability fantastically as the story develops showcasing Stefan’s confusion and paranoia perfectly. There are also captivating turns from Will Poulter and Alice Lowe, and depending on the unique trajectory that your version of the story will take there are some fantastic sequences featuring them both.
Casting its dark eyes once more on gaming culture, but also that of free will amongst several other themes ‘Bandersnatch’ is classic ‘Black Mirror’ storytelling but presented in an extraordinary manner. Its truly exclusive format of giving creative control over to its audiences brings with it a wealth of possibilities for viewers. Its collection and combination of content will inspire much theorising and study from fans and the results of individual decision making may reflect back onto viewers their own sense of morality in a much more direct way than any previous episode has achieved. Without a doubt ‘Bandersnatch’ is essential viewing and participating for film fans and it potentially serves as a glimpse into the near future on how film culture may progress. Really though it’s up to us to decide…can you handle the responsibility?
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 8/10
Question: What is your favourite performance from ‘Black Mirror’ to date?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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