Each Black Mirror episode can be watched independently as a short movie. With that in mind, we've compiled a ranking of all the episodes so you can start binge-watching one of the best British science fiction series of all time.
Created by Charlie Brooker, the series is premised on a not-too-distant future that reveals the impacts of technology on the economy, politics, relationships and culture. Black Mirror is a powerful social critique of contemporary life and the excessive use and sharing of information on the internet.
1. San Junipero
Season 3 | episode 4
Winner of two Emmys (considered the Oscars of North American television), this episode features a girl discovering a new love in the seaside town of San Junipero. Throughout the plot, we discover that Yorkie goes after Kelly in different decades and that they will have to sacrifice something very important to keep the love they feel for each other. This episode spells out Black Mirror's move to Netflix and showcases the romantic and optimistic side of its creator, Charlie Brooker. San Junipero is one of the most beloved episodes by the public and it makes us question whether immortality would really be worth it.
2. Free Fall (Nosedive)
Season 3 | episode 1
Imagine if everything in our lives depended on the ratings we receive on our social media. That is, what kind of car can we rent, what kind of house can we buy and even what kind of event can we attend. That's the premise of Free Fall, one of the most talked about episodes of Black Mirror. It presents a not-too-distant dystopian future that is really a critique of our obsession with social media and the approval of others.
3. All Your History (The Entire History of You)
Season 1 | episode 3
Jealousy, obsession and betrayal drive this electrifying episode of Black Mirror where things go from bad to worse. In a world where people have the possibility to record absolutely everything around them and review the events, Liam suspects that his wife is cheating on him and will analyze every detail of a dinner with friends to seek explanations. Actor Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) was so impacted by this episode that in 2013 he bought the rights to make a film about the story.
4. National Anthem
Season 1 | episode 1
The first episode of Black Mirror came as a shock to audiences and established one of the bizarre theories about the show: predicting the future. In National Anthem, the British Prime Minister is blackmailed into having sex with a pig on a live broadcast, if he does not carry out the act, a princess will be killed by kidnappers. Four years after the episode, a person in the United Kingdom claimed that former British Prime Minister David Cameron had to perform similar acts with an animal as a form of ritual when he was at university, which shocked the public and fans of the series.
5. USS Callister
Season 4 | episode 1
Inspired by the Star Trek universe, this episode features a young and frustrated programmer who creates a game with avatars of his co-workers, where he performs simulation scenarios where he is the master. The creator of Black Mirror criticizes power and submission in this episode, while paying homage to all the aesthetics of the science fiction films and series that inspired him.
6. Face Já (Be Right Back)
Season 2 | episode 1
We live in a world where many of our thoughts, feelings and desires are stored on the internet. Would a robot created with this information be a replacement for us after our death? That's the premise of this acclaimed episode of Black Mirror, which features young widow Martha, who orders an android version of her husband Ash after he dies.
7. Hang the DJ
Season 4 | episode 4
In this Black Mirror universe, people date by algorithms. They go on blind dates decided by an app and date for a period of time that can last from a few hours to many years. The episode is named after a song by the British band The Smiths and presents a social critique of modern relationships, where the possibility of finding the perfect match is just a click away.
8.Manda Quem Pode (Shut Up and Dance)
Season 3 | episode 3
This thrilling episode of Black Mirror exposes the dangers of privacy invasion by internet hackers. In it, a teenager is blackmailed by an anonymous person to carry out several bizarre missions after being recorded masturbating. When he finds another victim of this hacker, the missions will escalate to an absurd level.
9. Striking Vipers
Season 5 | episode 1
Virtual reality fighting games are already here. But what if it was also possible to feel the punches and all the sensations in an alternate reality? This is the premise of this bizarre and enigmatic episode of Black Mirror. Two longtime friends will end up creating a sexual relationship in fighting game scenarios through virtual reality.
10. Fifteen Million Merits (Fifteen Million Merits)
Season 1 | episode 2
Artist Andy Warhol once said that we will all be famous 15 minutes into the future. The countless reality programs are there to prove his theory. In this episode of Black Mirror, low-income citizens cycle for their lives to earn points or the equivalent of money in this universe. When a young woman decides to participate in a television show to sing live and another character revolts against the universe they live in, their lives will become a real hell due to their choices.
11. Hated in the Nation
Season 3 | episode 6
Nowadays, the hatred disseminated on social networks is palpable. In this episode of Black Mirror, two female detectives investigate cases of homicide that are connected to hate on social media and the hacking of killer bees. At 89 minutes, this is the longest episode of the series and has all the elements of a crime investigation film.
12. Black Museum
Season 4 | episode 6
In one of Black Mirror's most gruesome episodes, a young woman finds herself in a bizarre museum of horrific crime memorabilia. This episode is one of Black Mirror's most self-reflective and shows that many of the series' technologies and storylines are intertwined.
13. Archangel
Season 4 | episode 2
Directed by actress Jodie Foster, Arkangel presents the beginnings of a technology that is present in other episodes of Black Mirror: a chip that can be implanted in a person to record everything around him. In this episode, we learn the story of a mother and daughter and the danger of adults controlling teenagers through the internet.
14. Test Version (Playtest)
Season 3 | episode 2
In this macabre and electrifying episode of Black Mirror, we follow the development of virtual reality games that immerse the player completely. Inspired by the acclaimed Resident Evil game, the episode features stunning twists and a horror setting that will have you biting your nails.
15. Metalhead
Season 4 | episode 5
Filmed in black and white, this is one of the most different episodes of Black Mirror ever made. In this universe, humans run away from robots that look like killer dogs to try to survive. We follow a survivor of this post-apocalyptic scenario who tries in every way to escape from the robots that have become a real threat to the human race.
16. Bandersnatch (filme)
It's not an episode, but it's part of the Black Mirror universe. Bandersnatch was the first film that is considered an interactive game on Netflix. In it, we control the life and decisions of young programmer Stefan Butler, who dreams of turning a book by writer Jerome F. Davis into a game. The decisions you make throughout the episode can make it last anywhere from 40 minutes to 90 minutes.
17. Natal (White Christmas)
2014 Special
In this special Christmas episode of Black Mirror we have as protagonist the actor Jon Hamm (Mad Men), who was a fan of the series and connected with its creator to be part of this universe. In the episode, two men tell stories related to the technological outages they witnessed during a Christmas dinner. Strangely, the stories connect and the twists and turns throughout the episode are breathtaking.
18. Waldo Moment (The Waldo Moment)
Season 2 | episode 2
A frustrated comedian named Jamie is behind a computerized bear character named Waldo. He interviews politicians on a television show and ends up gaining fame beyond expectations, which makes the character's creators and rights holders put him as a candidate for public office.
19. Reverse Engineering (Men Against Fire)
Season 3 | episode 5
The horrors of war are drastically and viscerally criticized in this episode of the series. When a soldier begins to show symptoms of post-traumatic stress, he begins to question the existence and veracity of the mutants he kills in a war.
20. Crocodile (Crocodile)
Season 4 | episode 3
Filmed in Iceland, this is one of those Black Mirror episodes where things start out badly and get even worse as the plot progresses. Accidents and chain deaths are covered up by the protagonist Mia, who must open her mind (through a technology) to an insurance company to report an accident involving a pizza truck and a pedestrian. However, the other crimes that preceded the incident still remain in her memory.
21. Smithereens
Season 5 | episode 2
A mobile app driver kidnaps an employee of a large social media company. His quest for revenge will cause chain incidents to happen throughout the episode. Smithereens is yet another critique by creator Charlie Brook about the excessive use of social networks in modern times and the dangers they cause in people's lives.
22. Rachel, Jack e Ashley Too (Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too)
Season 5 | episode 3
Starring singer Miley Cyrus, this episode of Black Mirror features a 15-year-old girl who receives an artificial intelligence doll of her favorite pop singer, Ashley O, as a birthday present. a limiter of the robot and revealing all its personality.
23. White Bear (White Bear)
Season 2 | episode 2
In this agonizing episode of the series, we follow the day of a woman who wakes up in a house and doesn't remember anything. When she goes out into the streets, she notices that people refuse to help her or even communicate with her. Also, people film her at all times. The uncomfortable situation will extend throughout the entire episode and the turn of events is a shock for the viewer.
