We had to wait four years for the new season of “Black Mirror” and the creator of the production, Charlie Brooker, announced that it was worth it. Definitely yes, although there are better and worse elements. I’ve seen four out of five episodes so far, and I have to admit that there’s a lot to discuss – and that’s the show’s greatest strength.
Salma Hayek stars in ‘Joan Is Awful’, true crime in ‘Loch Henry’
The first episode is titled “Joan is terrible” and its star, which can undoubtedly attract those who have not yet reached for “Black Mirror”, is Salma Hayek. She plays herself – a famous actress who plays in the new series “Joan is terrible”. What’s amazing is that it tells the life of a real ordinary Joan, in almost real time. She has the same haircut, the same dilemmas, only… she’s meaner than she really is. I have to admit that at first glance you can smile when the red “S” appears on the screen after turning on the streaming service by the characters of the episode, confusingly similar to the familiar “N”, but the further into the forest, the more ominous it looks. A question for those who have already seen the episode: how much does he warn against the issue of reading contracts and controlling his own image, and how skillfully prepares us for what may be ahead of us sooner than we expect?
We’ve been talking about how we make stars out of murderers for some time now. The discussion on this topic took place, for example, on the occasion of Netflix’s true crime miniseries “Dahmer – The Monster: The Story of Jeffrey Dahmer”, protested by many close victims of the murderer. I also talked about this with the author of crime stories, thrillers and the podcast “Crime for Monday” Wojciech Chmielarz. – I am getting closer to the approach that we need to talk mainly about the victims. For me, the most important book of this genre is “Five. The Untold Stories of Women Murdered by Jack the Ripper” [autorstwa Hallie Rubenhold – red.] – said Chmielarz, praising this position for showing the biographies of the victims.
Although Brooker often uses sci-fi elements in Black Mirror, he also willingly uses horror to show us reality and where we are going in a distorting mirror. In the second episode, entitled “Loch Henry”, we can recognize m.in. known from the comedy “Four Weddings and a Funeral” by John Hannah, but his hero is in the background. The first is the human fascination with true crime, which (it seems that especially in recent years) has succumbed to many millions of people. The episode tells the story of a young couple of filmmakers who come to a small Scottish town to visit the mother of one of them during a professional trip. On the spot, however, his girlfriend persuades the boy that they should make a documentary about the shocking events that took place here years ago. It was hard to fall asleep after this episode.
What about the next episodes of the new season of “Black Mirror”? Up to two hundred
“Beyond The Sea” is heavily cast, set in an alternate version of 1969. Spoiler alert: I’ll admit that the inspiration from the Charles Manson “Family” killings we see in this episode was a bit too much for me.
Overall, the third episode, which offers many possibilities for interpretation, focuses on two men sent on a dangerous technical mission, during which they are dependent on each other. These roles were played by Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett, whose partners on the set include Kate Mara and Rory Culkin. Many people will probably find this episode the most shocking. I would put it more or less on par with “Loch Henry”, and certainly much higher than the next one, entitled “Mazey Day”. Here we have a pastiche(?) of celebrity culture and sensationalism. We go back to the beginning of the 21st century (April 2006 to be precise) and observe the work of the paparazzi, hunting (the word was used not accidentally) for a photo of a well-known actress. While the final shots are strong, they’re predictable, and I feel like there’s not much new to discuss this time around. Although I realize that as a journalist I can be a step further in the conversation about celebrity privacy, so this episode may also find fans.
I still have “Demon 79” ahead of me, in which the creators go back to 1979. A quiet saleswoman living in northern England learns in it that she must do something unimaginably monstrous to prevent a catastrophe. This is the only episode where Brooker wrote the script not alone, but in collaboration with Bisha K. Ali. I’m counting on an interesting experience, because although on Rotten Tomatoes (a website collecting opinions about movies and series), the new season of “Black Mirror” has 75 percent from reviewers. positive reviews, this particular one is rated 100 for now (just like “Beyond the Sea”).
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
