Bandersnatch is Black Mirror in its deepest level
New Black Mirror’s release from Netflix, Bandersnatch have multiple ways to be watched. Multi-end movie, game or as what Digital TV was promised to offer in its earlier days: interactivity. It also brings what Netflix knows very well how to use in its favor — an algorithm. Script, timing, references, and context of the story seem to have been connected by the platform’s algorithm. Same as we have seen in Stranger Things, another Netflix original series.
First of all, do you know what Bandersnatch means? Bandersnatch is the name of a fictional character from British writer’s Lewis Carroll universe. Also, the story takes place in the United Kingdom, where Bandersnatch is used to refer to people suffering from an uncomfortable aggressiveness.
If you still have not seen Bandersnatch, set aside the popcorn and pay attention to these main highlights below. But if you’ve already seen, tell me whether you agree or not.
The experience
Bandersnatch’s experience brings exactly what you would have expected if Digital TV kept its course in its earlier days. Make choices and to choose a story’s path was one of the promises of Digital TV for consumers. The power to make a decision would rely solely on the remote control. However, smartphones came up and took the power. The TV as media had to learn how to live with another screen.
Is it a game?
You can watch it as if you were playing a game. If you choose the wrong path, you lose. The game crashes and you respawn with a second chance to choose another answer until a proper end of the story. You could even say that you are playing a game — not watching a movie. I wouldn’t be surprised if Netflix decides to bet more in this format either in Black Mirror or productions with this feature.
It’s the most Black Mirror of all
Bandersnatch is Black Mirror at an extreme level. You will be swallowed into the story without a warning. More than a spectator, you are a plot agent. Black Mirror’s factor increases when you are able to make contact with the main character — or send him a signal.
Algorithm defines the synopsis
Stefan Butler is a game programmer in his 20’s in England. In 1984, he’s developing a new Atari-like video game based on a book-game called Bandersnatch. The main story begins when he shows a demo to a video game company. The 80s references, again, as we seen explored in Stranger Things: music and media, clothes, tech, etc. Should we thank the algorithm for that?
Your decisions will be collected
Is Bandersnatch a behavior test for Netflix’s subscribers? I just said early that this is the most Black Mirror movie at all — which leads to how will Netflix use the decisions we made? And of course, each decision will be stored in the platform. You can take conservative decisions or be totally crazy and reckless as you can throughout the options gave by the movie. What kind of information did I provide with the choices I made? Does Netflix know me more after Bandersnatch?
It does. This is Black Mirror.
Otherwise, “Relax, don’t do it / When you want to go to it / Relax, don’t do it / Ow ow yeah / Relax don’t do it / When you want to go to it / Relax, don’t do it!”.
