My all time favorite genre of video games are decision-based adventures, ones typically with dark twists and turns. And one of my absolute favorite TV shows is the terrifying, world-questioning Netflix exclusive, Black Mirror. So imagine my delight, after the heartbreaking loss of Telltale Games, when it was announced Black Mirror would be releasing a feature-length, choose-your-own adventure style episode of their amazingly twisted show, entitled Bandersnatch. I practically jumped out of my seat in pure, nerdy excitement when I saw it awhile back.
First and foremost, it has to be noted how much of a pioneer in the film and television industry this movie is. The sheer amount of planning and filming that had to go into crafting a project like this in film format is mind boggling. Games are already hard to design in this format, with various outcomes and twisting paths. Yet Bandersnatch does it, and does it well. This is reflected in its actual run-time, which is estimated to be over five hours of footage, so have fun finding every combo of scenes and endings.
That task seems less mind-numbing and tedious, after a first-time viewing of the film. Bandersnatch hits all the right notes of a classic choose-your-own adventure game: easter eggs, funny side endings, and plenty of lore and comments that make you question what would happen if you did one thing even slightly different. It urges exploration, and creates questions even more so than a typical Black Mirror episode. It does what a decision-based story should do: make you want to replay, or in this case, re-watch it and get a completely different path.
Now this isn’t to say the film is exactly like a decision-based game. In contrast to most video games, Bandersnatch definitely does want you to get a certain ending. Without spoiling, it’s very clear when you reach an ending Bandersnatch doesn’t really consider canon, as it will offer you paths to go back on, or just skip to the credits if you’re content with what you got. However, once you reach “the true ending,” for lack of a better phrase, it’s very clear. The credits roll, and this certain outcome is very poignant, and heartbreaking as any good episode of this show is.
While this may take away from your choices slightly, it still offers a fun way to truly explore all Bandersnatch has to offer, without having to restart every single time and make that fateful choice of which cereal you want for breakfast. In fact the more you go and go, the more these decisions become easier to make, often getting the viewer to a point of impulsively clicking a choice. The fear and stress of choosing which music to listen to on the bus eventually fades, and you’ll find yourself choosing to commit murder and hiding bodies with ease. If you don’t know where that came from, well, just watch.
Praise must also be given to the actors in the film, who all give believable performances. Powerfully and purposefully they nailed each path, even crossing from serious to comedic tones when the plot ended up in these gray areas. They obviously all took the time to commit to every single scene, trail, and outcome, even though it’s been stated in interviews many of them had no idea what was going on the entire time of production. Understandable, yet even more impressive they pulled off something quite as extraordinary as this film.
While it’s not quite perfect just yet, Bandersnatch lives up to Black Mirror expectations. It’s deep, thoughtful, and viewers are still exploring combinations and secret endings. Not to mention the format and technology created by Netflix while the film was simultaneously being filmed, is ground breaking and may lead to a whole new era and genre in film and television. Even if you end up not particularly loving the story, it cannot be denied it’s a fun new way to sit down with friends or family, and have almost complete control over how the story plays out. It leaves excitement not only for the upcoming season of Black Mirror, currently in production, but for the future of what we watch and view on a daily basis.
Jackson Horvat is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.
