Nosedive kicked off the Netflix era of Black Mirror off in style, retaining the series staple bleak outlook on technology, but giving the show considerably higher production values in the process. But for some skeptics it wasn’t enough and they needed a Black Mirror episode that was going to hit hard and play dirty. Thankfully, season three’s second episode, Playtest, did just that.
Cooper (Wyatt Russell) is backpacking across Europe and the final leg of his journey finds him in London. A lack of funds sees him scouting out work and landing a job as a play tester for a new horror game that uses a revolutionary new immersive peripheral that taps into your own personal fears and projects them into reality. But has Cooper bitten off more than he can chew when he is trapped in a creepy mansion with all of his worst fears?
Cooper (Wyatt Russell) is backpacking across Europe and the final leg of his journey finds him in London. A lack of funds sees him scouting out work and landing a job as a play tester for a new horror game that uses a revolutionary new immersive peripheral that taps into your own personal fears and projects them into reality. But has Cooper bitten off more than he can chew when he is trapped in a creepy mansion with all of his worst fears?
I would argue that second only to White Bear, Playtest is the cruellest episode of Black Mirror. Aside from being a somewhat obnoxious American tourist, Cooper seems like a perfectly decent guy who’s gone through a lot of hardship and just wants to get away for a while. So to see him go through a living nightmare as intense and personal as what he does in Playtest is really quite depressing. There’s no happy ending to this either, no optimistic future, just bone crushing hopelessness. In fact is so bleak that it does arguably work against the episode at times.
That’s not to say that Playtest isn’t great though, because it really is. Russell gives a fantastic leading performance with some excellent supporting performances from Hannah John-Kamen, and Wunmi Mosaku.
It also retains the same high production values as Nosedive, even landing Dan Trachtenberg as director.
It has some great scares too, being perhaps the only Black Mirror episode that’s full blown horror. There are a number of really well executed jump-scares that divert expectations, anticipating one thing but getting something else entirely.
Playtest won’t be for everyone. It’s horror through and through with some rather gruesome imagery to match, and it’s extremely depressing outcome is sure to just drain all sense of hope from any viewer with the slightest ounce of compassion.
But for those who endure what Playtest has to offer you’ll be treated to one of the most intense and rewarding Black Mirror endings of all time.
That’s not to say that Playtest isn’t great though, because it really is. Russell gives a fantastic leading performance with some excellent supporting performances from Hannah John-Kamen, and Wunmi Mosaku.
It also retains the same high production values as Nosedive, even landing Dan Trachtenberg as director.
It has some great scares too, being perhaps the only Black Mirror episode that’s full blown horror. There are a number of really well executed jump-scares that divert expectations, anticipating one thing but getting something else entirely.
Playtest won’t be for everyone. It’s horror through and through with some rather gruesome imagery to match, and it’s extremely depressing outcome is sure to just drain all sense of hope from any viewer with the slightest ounce of compassion.
But for those who endure what Playtest has to offer you’ll be treated to one of the most intense and rewarding Black Mirror endings of all time.