I watched Black Mirror Bandersnatch firstly because of all the hype back then and secondly because im a big fan of the original series Black mirror . I knew it was a Black Mirror episode, so I expected something strange. What I didn't expect was for Netflix to basically hand me the remote control and say, You decide what happens next.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is an interactive science-fiction thriller directed by David Slade and The story focuses on Stefan Butler (Fionn Whitehead), a young programmer who is given the opportunity to turn a complicated choose your own adventure book called Bandersnatch into a video game.
Stefan is determined to create something special, particularly because the book has inspired him and he believes he can turn it into a game unlike anything people have ever played before ut as he becomes increasingly obsessed with the project, things begin to fall apart. His work starts affecting his relationships, his mental health and his ability to distinguish between what is real and what is happening inside his own mind. This is where it becomes crazy because you, the viewer, are suddenly given choices. Do you want Stefan to have one thing or another? Should he do this or that? You make the decision and the story continues based on your choice. Something as simple as choosing what cereal Stefan should eat or which music he should listen to are given as choices for you to make. You start thinking, “Oh, this is actually pretty cool.” Then the choices become more serious, and suddenly you realise that you aren't just choosing breakfast anymore. Your decisions can change the direction of the story, the relationships between characters and eventually lead Stefan into completely different situations. Its like youre playing a game through the movie.
Also as it progresses Stefan himself begins to feel like he isn't completely in control of his own life. He starts wondering whether somebody else is controlling his decisions and obviously, as the viewer, you know exactly who that “somebody” might be. That creates this strange relationship between the audience and the character because we are literally controlling someone while watching him question whether his actions are really his own. I absolutely loved the concept of Bandersnatch. I think it is one of those projects that could only really work as a Black Mirror story because the entire thing is basically about technology, control and human behavior and I think it was the first of its kind to ever be made for such a concept. Bandersnatch makes the viewer part of the experiment. Normally when you watch a movie, you can blame the writer or the director for what happens to the characters. Here, you sometimes have to sit there and think, “Wait... I actually chose that.” It creates a completely different relationship between the viewer and the story.
I also really liked Stefan as the main character because his obsession with creating the perfect game gradually becomes something much darker. He starts with this innocent ambition to create something revolutionary, but the pressure surrounding the project begins to consume him.. The whole concept also made me think about video games. Games have been giving players choices for years, but usually there is a clear understanding that the player is controlling a fictional character. Bandersnatch takes that idea and applies it to a movie which is mind blowing for me. Obviously, the writers created all the possible outcomes, but for a brief moment you feel responsible for the direction you chose. It is a very clever way of making the audience emotionally involved.
The only issue I would point out is that the interactive format can sometimes interrupt the flow of the story. Instead of simply getting lost in the narrative, you occasionally have to stop and make a decision. For some viewers, that might be frustrating, particularly if you just want to sit back and watch a movie but if you made the decision to watch the movie, I guess you know what you signed up for What I love most about Bandersnatch is that underneath all the technology and interactive gimmicks, it is still asking a very old human question, do we really have control over our lives? We make decisions every day and believe those decisions belong entirely to us, but our choices are influenced by our upbringing, experiences, fears, relationships and circumstances. Bandersnatch takes that idea and turns it into an interactive experiment, its almost like a social experiment Overall, I think Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is one of the most creative things Netflix has ever done. It isn't perfect, and I can understand why some people might prefer a traditional movie but as an experiment in storytelling, I think it is brilliant.
Rating: 85/100
