Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Dec 28, 2018
User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 277 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 192 out of 277
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 277
  3. Negative: 39 out of 277

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User Reviews

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  1. Bruterake
    Aug 18, 2021
    7
    Muito legal a ideia n é nenhuma obra prima do entretenimento mas foi massa.
  2. Diptanshu
    May 29, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Brilliant,Pure art and masterpiece!it was literally dark and self-questioning wonder,the options right from the start they were amazing although the breakfast and music thing felt like playing the sims at 1st it was awesome,the music was phenomenal specially in alternate ending although every ending is alternate the mother song it was emotionally great.the acting was amazing,the base story and alternate ending with the options it was great although some options were like repetitive but it was fun,the characters were awesome the programmer and the boss they were great,the inspiration of book and the author's backstory with the backstory of Stephen's both were dark the under pressure work with the therapy and kind-of over thinking it was psychologically dark.the slow turns and the speech with drugs of the famous Programmer it was iconic the Pac-man's philosophy of the maze and the theory of being pupets and all alternative reality it was literally mind-blowing stuff the time travel and the jump with the missing of Programmer it was too much to handle unbelievable and awesome stuff it was a brain teaser.the someone's controlling thing felt like he's directing to us it was awesome.the PAC and the symbol from white bear it was little unexplored but engaging stuff the symbol was mystery itself the root and tree type thing it was awesome,the Author going Total mad and killing someone the shades of that in Stephens and going all crazy with the alternate ending i saw 2 it was pure unbelievable and shocking,the self death and killing father with sentencing jail with whatever there the review of game being 2.5 out of 5 it was like a loop it was pure mind-blowing stuff the mother thing was emotionally great,the dream sequence and all were mind-bending thing,Overall it could've been perfect if its more explored and little work on options thing but whatever it was a fun,dark,psychologically challenging and literally mind-blowing movie its a Masterpiece!… Expand
  3. Mihael131
    Mar 27, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Black Mirror, a Netflix unconventional movie where it is eclatant Netflix is making a commercial for itself which is I can admit something very odd, not in a negative way but unusual. It's a part where Charlie is asking who is there and then he sees a message telling him what's Netflix. „I am watching you on Netflix. I make decisions for you“. It could spoil a movie, you just don't get that movie satisfaction when they make some obvious commercial inside. I didn't quite catch that, they shouldn't bring firm name into the movie. I consider it a minor mistake but it could cost them the ratings. Again they did the self-promotion when he spills a psychiatric with a cup of a coffee, it's a cut-out scene of a movie and he does not know where he is and it's continuous.
    Charlie is a person with the mental problem and he is writing code for a game which is unconventional and it's made by a book where the reader decides what will happen so he is transferring the book data into the game. It is pretty obvious from the start of the movie, someone is 'playing his life'. What he does into the game someone, later on, we found who, a woman who is renewing his game does playing his life. Basically what you are seeing is what happens when someone press a choice „take the meds“ or „go to the Collin“.
    He knows something is wrong, he knows what is literally happening but I just like to be old school and to get the movie in a conventional way. I don't like that supernatural things where there is a monster which by what he is referring is eating your soul, a Netflix woman who is playing his life. I just get he is ill. He is not well. Netflix part is a figment of his imagination, he made it. He is keeping getting awake from the bed every morning and all the plot is what he dreams. He had a trauma when his mother had died and he is not sane. There are no supernatural things, he is just a game programmer who got even more screwed up when he saw his friend jumping off the verge of a balcony. The part where is seen they both have LSD hallucination is just a drug effect. There are no other ways of your life. If you die, you die. The part where is he jumping of a building is a fruit de mon what he thought that way, it never had happened. He had never jumped off that edge, his friend did and got killed. Later he is still talking with him, but as I told it's fruit de mon, ain't happening.
    What is the most annoying part in the movie is continuous going through the memory lane and the scenes are recycled. It feels like when you are watching the one and a half long movie you are watching one hour and another quarter is getting back and back. Thus when I thought it's over they displayed Collin again, he had already done the suicide and there was a lot of happening and then he is missing, he is alive. I just wanted the movie to finish, it was so tiring to watch it all over again and again.
    The movie is all about what happened to the original author of the book which we conclude got possessed and when he decapitated his wife's head got great book inspiration, that happened to him. Have you all noticed the game god five out of five stars when his dad's head was in his room and the lowest rating when everything wasn't so screwed up. It's a type of movie for those who like imagination, supernatural things and who like to think a lot but at the average viewer perspective, I could even say it is dense for people who want to watch a normal movie.    … Expand
  4. KeenWatcher
    Feb 19, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fun, but probably plays on the game too much, choose your own adventure should never be so interactive. I think that's the key, being able to choose without you being involved… Expand
  5. WizardOfCoke
    Feb 18, 2019
    9
    I do not want to give anything away to those that have very little insight into Bandersnatch as it is perfect when you know absolutely nothing about it, I went into it knowing nothing and I struggled to leave almost as if I had an impulse making me watch on and see the multiple choices, and if you don't understand that reference you've not put enough time into watching Bandersnatch.I do not want to give anything away to those that have very little insight into Bandersnatch as it is perfect when you know absolutely nothing about it, I went into it knowing nothing and I struggled to leave almost as if I had an impulse making me watch on and see the multiple choices, and if you don't understand that reference you've not put enough time into watching Bandersnatch.

    it's genius the concept itself is not new we've seen games from companies like Telltale and Quantum Dreams and earlier this year I was stunned by Detroit: Become Human, but now I'm questioning everything as this was incredible and I can't compare it to the quality of any of piece of media it has the creepy factor you've come to expect from Black Mirror but with you making each choice it just feels that much more intense.

    Many people may critique the parts where you're "Wrong" and have to go back but you get the option to watch the credits from that option it just means that journey was far shorter, and it knows about this many of your "resets" are referenced and every time they referenced it I was stunned by the levels of interactivity because they don't have to add that detail but with the detail it just makes me want to replay it over and over to see what happens in each of the different realities, truly a work of art, go watch it now.

    My one issue is I would've like to see more big style endings but I was still happy with the ones we did have.    … Expand
  6. AdamBeam
    Feb 12, 2019
    9
    Black Mirror is the modern Twilight Zone (you know before the new Twilight Zone) and constantly brings new and genuinely unnerving concepts to the table, showing the dark side of technology. And now they're changing the game again with this new choose your own adventure style movie. While only considered an episode of the series, I see it as a movie, as you could spend hours trying allBlack Mirror is the modern Twilight Zone (you know before the new Twilight Zone) and constantly brings new and genuinely unnerving concepts to the table, showing the dark side of technology. And now they're changing the game again with this new choose your own adventure style movie. While only considered an episode of the series, I see it as a movie, as you could spend hours trying all the different combinations of paths to take. Bandersnatch takes full opportunity with its concept and instead of using it as a cheap gimmick and instead goes all the way and plays it into the story perfectly. The only problem I have is mostly a nitpick, I do feel that there were a few times that some of the paths had the same ending too many times, while it would've been complicated by I could have used a few more different endings. Nevertheless Bandersnatch is impressive and goes all the way with the idea, and is incredibly entertaining and one that everyone should experience at some point or another.… Expand
  7. likegame-movies
    Jan 28, 2019
    10
    must watch! only look up endings if you don't get the possibility to relive again (if credits roll then you can't relive)
  8. BrownCowboy28
    Jan 26, 2019
    1
    This movie was the worst piece of garbage I have ever seen in my entire life, and I work at a landfill. You're constantly brought back to the same scene over and over again and everything seems to be replayed until you can finally just end it. Accidently type in the wrong number? Too bad. There is no way to fix it. The movie started out decent but quickly changed directions to the pointThis movie was the worst piece of garbage I have ever seen in my entire life, and I work at a landfill. You're constantly brought back to the same scene over and over again and everything seems to be replayed until you can finally just end it. Accidently type in the wrong number? Too bad. There is no way to fix it. The movie started out decent but quickly changed directions to the point where you felt like you were being sucked into a black hole of boredom. If you want to use your mouse/controller for something interactive, use it to click on a different movie.… Expand
  9. Sankarri
    Jan 21, 2019
    8
    Story re-frames itself over and over, keeps it interesting and surprising.
    Might trigger some anxiety.
  10. SrPepe
    Jan 12, 2019
    8
    Lo de los caminos es una idea increíble que siempre soñe con verlo en una película de verdad. Los temas que toca son muy oscuros y a veces hasta profundos, con unos grandes personajes y varios plot-twist inesperados, con originalidad y gracia al mismo tiempo.
  11. Vitor007
    Jan 11, 2019
    5
    Complicated and without much sense. In this episode of Black Mirror, the setting of how choices are made and the options to go back to try other ways, make the movie totally lost. The difficulty many find in fully understanding the transmitted message is not trivial. The film was self-taught with this model that was presented to us. His script has potential, so the "fault" would be theComplicated and without much sense. In this episode of Black Mirror, the setting of how choices are made and the options to go back to try other ways, make the movie totally lost. The difficulty many find in fully understanding the transmitted message is not trivial. The film was self-taught with this model that was presented to us. His script has potential, so the "fault" would be the junction that Netflix tried to emulate. Maybe Black Mirror does not have adequate stories for these patterns of interaction. Both Black Mirror and interactive productions are good, but not as a "couple". For new interactive productions to be made, it is best that everything be rethought, without junctions with lack of cohesion. 5.8/10… Expand
  12. Zukku
    Jan 9, 2019
    6
    It was fine. I like the innovative feel of being in control. But it felt as if there was no way. Whenever i wanted to to something, i never had the choice. I only had the choice of bad and worse. I guess others had good endings, and i really tried, but at first i think i got the worst ending. It felt too random and too fragmented. I never quite understood what the story was about.. TheIt was fine. I like the innovative feel of being in control. But it felt as if there was no way. Whenever i wanted to to something, i never had the choice. I only had the choice of bad and worse. I guess others had good endings, and i really tried, but at first i think i got the worst ending. It felt too random and too fragmented. I never quite understood what the story was about.. The guy? Insanity? Alternate universes? Us vs him? What is going on.… Expand
  13. PKfayah
    Jan 8, 2019
    9
    The best thing that Black Mirror mades after USS Callister and is very innovating, the finals are very insane but awesome my congratulations to all the team that make this possible
  14. Daymo007
    Jan 8, 2019
    6
    interesting concept but I felt this movie lacked a decent storyline. Whatever ending you get you will feel a little underwhelmed when the credits roll. I still hope to see more movies like this
  15. NathanH
    Jan 7, 2019
    10
    I really enjoyed this creative piece enough to give it a ten, open a Metacritic account, and write a brief review. It was both comedic, chilling at times, suspenseful, mysterious and defiantly retro! Going forward, imagine if viewers not only chose between a set of options, but could (request outcomes, share ideas via some sort of real-time chat) across seasons collectively guiding aI really enjoyed this creative piece enough to give it a ten, open a Metacritic account, and write a brief review. It was both comedic, chilling at times, suspenseful, mysterious and defiantly retro! Going forward, imagine if viewers not only chose between a set of options, but could (request outcomes, share ideas via some sort of real-time chat) across seasons collectively guiding a series. Netflix staff could navigate through the input to build the series episode by episode with various outcomes like Bandersnatch, except with community subscriber-ship participation and trending recommendations incorporated into the next episode....… Expand
  16. buddhalou
    Jan 7, 2019
    6
    Kudos for taking a chance on the concept, which I'm sure we'll see more of, but I hope that in the future there's a bit more effort put into the other elements of the production aside from the gimmick.
  17. BioTofu
    Jan 6, 2019
    7
    Well, that was an interesting experience that reminded me of John Scalzi’s Redshirts. It was more a video game than a movie so the movie succeeded there (given thats what the movie tried to do), but as a movie, it was pretty lacking. The story was unfocused in telling its story and I felt like I did not see a complete movie by the time when the credits rolled.

    The story telling was very    Well, that was an interesting experience that reminded me of John Scalzi’s Redshirts. It was more a video game than a movie so the movie succeeded there (given thats what the movie tried to do), but as a movie, it was pretty lacking. The story was unfocused in telling its story and I felt like I did not see a complete movie by the time when the credits rolled.

    The story telling was very innovative and that was enabled because of technological advancement. But when you think about it, many choose your own adventure video games like Telltale’s The Walking Dead series and Life Is Stranger have done it much much better. I look forward to making decisions in the game but when ever the situation occurs, the movie basically just stops for 10sec for the audience to “play” the movie. I get it, its for the audience who arent used to this kinda thing. But for me who plays video game, it really breaks the story’s momentum. In The Walking Dead, things are still happening on screen while you have to rush to a decision, which felt a lot more organic. The first 10mins of the movie was so removed from the rest of the movie because it was kind of a tutorial.

    It was an interesting experiment and the use of the this choose your own adventure tech was fun.    … Expand
  18. TicTacTaco
    Jan 6, 2019
    4
    Has some interesting ideas, but ultimately, due to its very nature, it doesn't commit enough to any of them. It does have some cool moments, but they're few and far between. Too many of the themes are incredibly on the nose as well. The characters are fine, but nothing special.
  19. eagleeyeviking
    Jan 6, 2019
    7
    While the interactive elements work better as a gimmick than a storytelling device, "Bandersnatch" is nevertheless a relatively plotted "Black Mirror" episode with a message to tell.
  20. Capanegra1
    Jan 5, 2019
    8
    Good startpoint in this new way to interact with picture. As a movie, their argument is kind of predictable, though, interesting.

    Decision trees seems a little forced to show different arguments and takes you out of the movie immersion. i think with time this concept will improve. in conclusion. A good movie, interesting decision tree innovation considering its the first of the kind    Good startpoint in this new way to interact with picture. As a movie, their argument is kind of predictable, though, interesting.

    Decision trees seems a little forced to show different arguments and takes you out of the movie immersion. i think with time this concept will improve.

    in conclusion. A good movie, interesting decision tree innovation considering its the first of the kind i have seen.    … Expand
  21. B_Bronco
    Jan 4, 2019
    10
    The point of Bandersnatch isn't the story itself, but how the story unfolds and how the viewer interacts with it. This show brings together some basic theories of free will, parallel realities, philosophy, and psychology. These elements are easily noticed within the film itself, but what isn't as apparent is how the show forces the viewer to play into the same principles. In most scenesThe point of Bandersnatch isn't the story itself, but how the story unfolds and how the viewer interacts with it. This show brings together some basic theories of free will, parallel realities, philosophy, and psychology. These elements are easily noticed within the film itself, but what isn't as apparent is how the show forces the viewer to play into the same principles. In most scenes you are presented with 2 choices to pick from in order to chose your path. This presents one of the largest areas of complaints from many people "well I'd chose something else!" The thing that isn't noticed by these people is that, like a character in the movie, you don't get to chose from anything that you want, you don't have total free will. It is through these choices that the show makes you feel like you are controlling the characters, but in reality, the show is controlling you, giving you an artificial false dichotomy which provides the illusion of free will, and puts you into the role of the characters that you are watching. If you want to just watch something creepy or thrilling, go watch the normal black mirror episodes. If you want to interact with something that provides an interesting thought experiment and a novel experience, watch Bandersnatch.

    Also, main character is a really good example of how someone progresses from the early stages of schizophrenia to full blown psychosis.    … Expand
  22. kevin1327
    Jan 3, 2019
    9
    This is a really cool piece: it's very innovative and I hope more like it are made. Many of the "problems" with it are a result of considering it as a standard tv show: it's not, and should not be considered that way. It's not supposed to be completely obvious and explained, the point is through by viewing the various path one begins to understand the overall narrative. The mysteriousThis is a really cool piece: it's very innovative and I hope more like it are made. Many of the "problems" with it are a result of considering it as a standard tv show: it's not, and should not be considered that way. It's not supposed to be completely obvious and explained, the point is through by viewing the various path one begins to understand the overall narrative. The mysterious aspect works well for this medium, even if it would not do the same for a standard tv show, because this is a different medium.… Expand
  23. johnfernow
    Jan 3, 2019
    1
    I should start off by saying I really like interactive movies: I greatly enjoyed the interactive movie "Late Shift" and would highly recommend it to other people. Bandersnatch was in no way an enjoyable interactive film for me though. I have not seen all Black Mirror episodes, but I've seen a handful and think they often have great themes. My biggest complaint with this episode has to beI should start off by saying I really like interactive movies: I greatly enjoyed the interactive movie "Late Shift" and would highly recommend it to other people. Bandersnatch was in no way an enjoyable interactive film for me though. I have not seen all Black Mirror episodes, but I've seen a handful and think they often have great themes. My biggest complaint with this episode has to be the theme though, which I won't spoil. Aside from the theme, being given the option to change your decisions makes the decision making pointless: it means there are no consequences for your decisions, as well as no feelings associated with those choices, since you can just change them. In "Late Shift" (at least the PC version), you cannot change your decisions without restarting from the beginning. That can leave you with a bad ending, but it leaves you thinking about your decisions and where you went wrong. I give 1 star for them choosing to experiment, particularly in a manner that has been shown to create enjoyable content, but the implementation was not enjoyable for me.… Expand
  24. yozh
    Jan 3, 2019
    10
    This movie is about 3 things:

    1. Interaction. You don’t watch The Bandersnatch - you play it. You are invited to actively invest your mind into the process. If you won’t - be prepared to experience boredom and annoyance. 2. Self-awareness. “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature” - the movie’s flaws (choice without real choice or seemingly useless repeats of already played footage) are    This movie is about 3 things:

    1. Interaction. You don’t watch The Bandersnatch - you play it. You are invited to actively invest your mind into the process. If you won’t - be prepared to experience boredom and annoyance.

    2. Self-awareness. “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature” - the movie’s flaws (choice without real choice or seemingly useless repeats of already played footage) are intended because they tell a story. It’s rewarding to recognize irritation when you feel it because as soon as you analyze why you feel it - you’ll be instantly provided with a deeper perception of the situation you are in.

    3. Ultimately, imagination. The Bandersnatch provokes thought process and in the end it’s the picture you build inside your head is what is so fascinating.

    It’s not really that good of a movie if you judge it by the standards of conventional movies. However, I give it 10 simply because I rated it 0 in the previous run and I want to see the consequences this choice has.    … Expand
  25. radi0star
    Jan 3, 2019
    8
    Choose Your Own Adventure goes mainstream with Charlie Brooker's BANDERSNATCH. The interactive "gameplay" is simple, yet involving and manages to deliver both on desired options and the Black Mirror type of techno-horror. Even the most definitive endings are very open and leave a lot to the interpretation, but it comes off as a strength, not a weakness.

    The only two downsides of the    Choose Your Own Adventure goes mainstream with Charlie Brooker's BANDERSNATCH. The interactive "gameplay" is simple, yet involving and manages to deliver both on desired options and the Black Mirror type of techno-horror. Even the most definitive endings are very open and leave a lot to the interpretation, but it comes off as a strength, not a weakness.

    The only two downsides of the movie for me had been the abundance of easter eggs referencing other episodes (I'm still not sure whenever to embrace it as a feature tying the series together or just fanservice) and the limited rewind functionality. Interactive story video games such as Life is Strange or Detroit: Become Human allow rewinding multiple decisions and in the case of the latter even provide an interactive branch allowing to rewind to specific choices, while BANDERSNATCH rewind points are hard-coded by the creators. The points are well placed, but multiple times I've had to restart the movie and forward to change a single decision because the rewind points were not optimal. This is indeed annoying because a save system exists on the back end, it's just not fleshed out to fully functional one like the one in Detroit.

    Either way, a solid episode made impressive by staying true to the series while branching into a new genre.    … Expand
  26. gabrieI
    Jan 2, 2019
    4
    Choices aren't totally gimmick, in fact they change how the story continues. I just feel that sometimes there are alternatives you think that don't need to be taken. Didn't like that if you choose the "wrong option", movie just tell you to go back and take the other alternative. Unfortunately my final was ridiculous.
  27. Jonny2nice
    Jan 2, 2019
    9
    A TV Series that takes a chance to innovate with the interactive movie approach! Great first effort Netflix! Keep them coming.
  28. NuMystic
    Jan 2, 2019
    9
    An absolutely superb offering from Black Mirror even judged completely outside of the interactive aspect. Anyone complaining that they didn't have a freer hand in making certain choices ENTIRELY missed the powerful, poignant, and chilling subtext of the entire dramatic piece.
  29. longjetty7
    Jan 2, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First off I think the idea of an interactive movie is really cool. I'm really impressed with how well-done Bandersnatch was and can only imagine how much effort went into it. I enjoyed the fact that the story was very meta, so the interactivity didn't seem too gimmicky and felt more like a necessary part of the story.

    That being said, the actual plot wasn't overly interesting and it also got kind of confusing. I didn't like the fact that some choices you make change things earlier on in the movie. I feel like that was a bit too complicated, and it makes it hard to go back and watch all the parts you missed the first time.

    Anyway, overall a very cool idea. I'm glad I checked it out but can't say I would watch it again.    … Expand
  30. spacecog
    Jan 1, 2019
    9
    Blown away by the amount of negativity from other reviews. Is it the greatest thing ever? No. But it is a new thing - a new format that should be embraced for it's sprawling possibilities. This is not the end state of this medium, nor the first of it's kind, this is a significant evolution.

    Some of the reviewers speak about being railroaded... I suspect they didn't dig too deeply. In    Blown away by the amount of negativity from other reviews. Is it the greatest thing ever? No. But it is a new thing - a new format that should be embraced for it's sprawling possibilities. This is not the end state of this medium, nor the first of it's kind, this is a significant evolution.

    Some of the reviewers speak about being railroaded... I suspect they didn't dig too deeply. In fact, an article on wired.com the creators said that they wanted to be sure choices were being made and have an early ending in there for people who only do the default choices. I can confirm the choices do make a difference and there is a deeper message.

    It's well made, well acted, unpredictable, and undeniably Black Mirror. It's not the best episode (there have been masterpieces!) But it is a very cool one, and a game changer! I'm hoping it'll get enough positive response to see this become a regular thing at Netflix, for people like me, who enjoy well-crafted malleable stories!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
89
#89 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Simon Parkin
    Jan 4, 2019
    70
    Bandersnatch’s do-overs lighten the weight of our decisions, which in turn lightens the gravity of the whole. It’s an exhilarating experiment, not least because it’s played out on such a major stage, and on one of Netflix’s prestige properties. Much of the episode’s success, however, relies on the clever marriage of theme and mechanism. Without this, the flimsiness of the supporting framework, more gimmick than revolution, would be exposed.
    Read full review
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    Jan 4, 2019
    60
    Bandersnatch can be fun, if you’re entranced by its puzzle structure, or if you’ve always believed TV episodes would be better if only you could spend hours grinding through them again in order to watch 45 seconds of new footage. But it doesn’t make for much of a story. This is partly because the core plot is uninspired. ... It’s occasionally genuinely moving. But it’s not haunting in the way that comes from reaching the end of a story and realizing that the only “What now?” answer you get will have to come from you.
    Read full review
  3. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Pat Brown
    Jan 2, 2019
    63
    Black Mirror‘s stories are often effective without being subtle. At their worst, they merely recapitulate omnipresent popular anxieties, but at their best they compel critical reflection on the technologies that structure our lives. Whatever assemblage of parts make up an individual viewer’s experience of Bandersnatch, it will likely be a mixture of both.
    Read full review
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