SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
Netflix’s Black Mirror has always been a series that captivated viewers because of its eccentric plot that pushed boundaries. However, in its latest release, a choose-your-own-adventure interactive movie, the series aims to open the minds of viewers and see what they would do if they were in the shoes of Black Mirror characters. The movie has the same techno-paranoia theme that has been incorporated throughout the series.
Netflix teamed up with Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker to create Bandersnatch, an exciting gift for fans that allows the viewer to choose what happens throughout the movie. The interactive film was so extensive that season five of Black Mirror has been delayed, and in total, there are five hours of footage to match every potential outcome.
Bandersnatch is set in 1984, when Stefan Butler (Fionn Whitehead), a young programmer, loses touch with reality when he creates a video game based on a dark fantasy novel. He realizes he is being controlled, unable to make his own decisions. The controller of Stefan’s choices is, in fact, the viewer.
Other main characters, Colin Ritman (Will Poulter) and Mohan Thakur (Asim Chaudhry) work at the video game company which offered to hire Stefan. The choice for Stefan to accept or decline the job was a decision for the viewer to make. The relationship Stefan has with his father, Peter Butler (Craig Parkinson), is tested due to Stefan’s mental state.
Viewers have the option to completely restart Bandersnatch once they feel they have made a mistake, but it will erase all stored information of previous choices.
Fans resorted to sharing their Bandersnatch experiences on Twitter, and here are just a few of the reactions:
Black Mirror is available to stream on Netflix.
