Netflix Releases Interactive ‘Black Mirror’ Movie, ‘Bandersnatch’

Black Mirror had a monster 2018. It went from a British television cast off to one of Netflix’s headlining shows. Two episodes won a total of six Emmy awards including two for Outstanding Television Movie. The show frequently pushed on the boundaries of technology and the ethics of society. It only makes sense that they’d push technology with their newest release, Bandersnatch, which will cap off 2018.

The movie, released on Netflix, follows an amateur programmer named Stefan during the 1980s. He’s trying to create a choose your own adventure game named “Bandersnatch” which is based on a book of the same name. The author of the book apparently went insane after writing it and killed his wife.

Viewers are given a 10-second chance to make a decision before progressing in the film. The characters wait on the screen while you think and your decisions are seamlessly weaved into the movie. Some decisions include what type of cereal you should eat or if you should take a job but others are much darker and more fitting for the Black Mirror cinematic universe.

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There are five-hours of content that you’ll be trapped in and there’s a lot of possibilities. Don’t worry though, you won’t be alone. The characters in the film have an awareness that they’re in a choose your own adventure game. They’ll say things like, “Haven’t we met before?” or “Wrong path, mate.”

Netflix considers interactive TV to be the next step in streaming after having spent millions on custom algorithms. The show continues to be just another way that Netflix is trying to differentiate itself from normal cable television. Black Mirror rejects the notion of a linear storyline or even a connected one. This is an idea that would seem insane 30 years ago. The streaming giant also continues to buck the idea of appointment viewing. Since the first season of House of Cards was released all at once, binge-watching has become the norm. These may add some weight to Netflix’s expectations.

Here’s the Bandersnatch trailer.