Black Mirror had proven to be a success for Channel 4, with the first two series and the Christmas special pulling in good viewership ratings and high critical praise. However, when creator Charlie Brooker approached Channel 4 regarding a third series, he was met with a less than enthusiastic response. Channel 4 did want Black Mirror back, but due to budgetary constraints they couldn’t afford to do it alone, and suggested a co-production with networks in the US. After a short bidding war between networks like AMC, HBO, and Syfy, streaming company Netflix won out on the condition that two ten-episode series be produced. Not keen on the idea that they might have to pay for more than they bargained for, Channel 4 were reluctant to agree to the terms, resulting in Netflix buying the show outright. So, whilst no longer a UK production, Netflix and Brooker promised that Black Mirror would continue to be the same show that gained it so much popularity and notoriety. But did a bigger budget result in Black Mirror losing its grit in favour of a glossier, US friendly sheen?
Lacie Pound (Bryce Dallas Howard) lives in a society where each and every interaction with another human being is rated out of five stars, with the recipient having an overall rating out of five based on how other people perceive them to be. In theory, the nicer you are the higher your point value. This system allows those with higher point values to be given luxury benefits such as nicer and more affordable housing, and better jobs. Lacie has a 4.2 rating but seeks to raise it to 4.5 in order to afford a new apartment in a luxury and exclusive living complex. When she is contacted by her friend Naomi (Alice Eve) to become the maid of honour at her wedding, Lacie joyously accepts because Naomi has a 4.8 rating and a guestlist that will greatly assist her with reaching that 4.5 target. But a series of stressful interactions sees Lacie’s rating plummet and her entire life begins to spiral out of control.
Lacie Pound (Bryce Dallas Howard) lives in a society where each and every interaction with another human being is rated out of five stars, with the recipient having an overall rating out of five based on how other people perceive them to be. In theory, the nicer you are the higher your point value. This system allows those with higher point values to be given luxury benefits such as nicer and more affordable housing, and better jobs. Lacie has a 4.2 rating but seeks to raise it to 4.5 in order to afford a new apartment in a luxury and exclusive living complex. When she is contacted by her friend Naomi (Alice Eve) to become the maid of honour at her wedding, Lacie joyously accepts because Naomi has a 4.8 rating and a guestlist that will greatly assist her with reaching that 4.5 target. But a series of stressful interactions sees Lacie’s rating plummet and her entire life begins to spiral out of control.
Nosedive takes the concept of review systems like Yelp and TripAdvisor and applies them to everyday life with horrifying effect. It taps into the social anxieties of using social media and the desire most young people have of appearing as though they lead a perfect life and have a large online following.
Personally, I try to avoid using reviews for apps like Uber, because it feels so wrong to rate an individual based on their performance, especially when a lot of it is down to factors outside of their control. But Nosedive expands that concept to allow people to be reviewed and rated for every single aspect of their life. If a stranger doesn’t like the shoes you’re wearing they might rate you down for example, and it creates this horrendously toxic and utterly fake existence where everyone hates everyone else but dare not do anything that might be construed as friendly out of fear of getting a bad review. It also creates this unmanageable class warfare where those with lower ratings become ostracised by society and pushed out, whilst those with high ratings are put on a pedestal and given so many allowances even if they’re awful people.
The answer to my earlier question is no, Netflix acquiring Black Mirror certainly has not diluted the experience or sanded down the harsh edges, but it now has a whole lot of money injected into it which does result in a cleaner look and a few other potential benefits. So yes, the aesthetic. Nosedive in particular is a strange episode to kick things off with as it is one of the most visually distinctive Black Mirror episodes, and it looks so different to what came before. Everything is bright and pastel coloured, it looks inviting, and really that’s the whole point of the episode. That on the surface everything looks great and nice and everyone’s happy, but underneath that gloss everyone is a terrible person, and nobody is really happy.
Also nabbing Bryce Dallas Howard is a huge deal, this was riding hot on the heels of Jurassic World and so getting her as the leading lady was paramount in affirming to viewers that money was being spent in the right place. She delivers one hell of a performance, and it was so good that the Screen Actors Guild nominated her for an award. She brings so much humour to an otherwise dark tale that it allows the episode to go down a bit easier than most of Black Mirror’s oppressively bleak material.
Whilst Nosedive could have been a disaster for Black Mirror and Netflix, a combination of excellent writing, performances, and a drive to try something new with the show ensures that not only does it still feel like the Black Mirror that UK audiences know and love, but it opens up the possibilities of what is possible with a larger budget and international co-operation. A strong start for Season Three.
Personally, I try to avoid using reviews for apps like Uber, because it feels so wrong to rate an individual based on their performance, especially when a lot of it is down to factors outside of their control. But Nosedive expands that concept to allow people to be reviewed and rated for every single aspect of their life. If a stranger doesn’t like the shoes you’re wearing they might rate you down for example, and it creates this horrendously toxic and utterly fake existence where everyone hates everyone else but dare not do anything that might be construed as friendly out of fear of getting a bad review. It also creates this unmanageable class warfare where those with lower ratings become ostracised by society and pushed out, whilst those with high ratings are put on a pedestal and given so many allowances even if they’re awful people.
The answer to my earlier question is no, Netflix acquiring Black Mirror certainly has not diluted the experience or sanded down the harsh edges, but it now has a whole lot of money injected into it which does result in a cleaner look and a few other potential benefits. So yes, the aesthetic. Nosedive in particular is a strange episode to kick things off with as it is one of the most visually distinctive Black Mirror episodes, and it looks so different to what came before. Everything is bright and pastel coloured, it looks inviting, and really that’s the whole point of the episode. That on the surface everything looks great and nice and everyone’s happy, but underneath that gloss everyone is a terrible person, and nobody is really happy.
Also nabbing Bryce Dallas Howard is a huge deal, this was riding hot on the heels of Jurassic World and so getting her as the leading lady was paramount in affirming to viewers that money was being spent in the right place. She delivers one hell of a performance, and it was so good that the Screen Actors Guild nominated her for an award. She brings so much humour to an otherwise dark tale that it allows the episode to go down a bit easier than most of Black Mirror’s oppressively bleak material.
Whilst Nosedive could have been a disaster for Black Mirror and Netflix, a combination of excellent writing, performances, and a drive to try something new with the show ensures that not only does it still feel like the Black Mirror that UK audiences know and love, but it opens up the possibilities of what is possible with a larger budget and international co-operation. A strong start for Season Three.