Tuesday, January 8, 2019

“Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” Movie Review


    For the most part, I don’t tend to rush and watch Netflix’s original films.  They typically feel like movies that are either not good enough to make money at the box office or bizarre concept films.  I guess “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” falls into the bizarre concept category.  Still, as a fan of “Black Mirror” and someone intrigued by the premise of an interactive film, I had to check this film out as soon as possible.
    The amount of options you have is amazing and leads to fascinating paths.  The premise of the film is also delightfully meta as it focuses on a game designer in the 80s developing his own make your own adventure game.  Seeing how the filmmakers play around with this concept is genius.
    The acting was great in the film.  I thought Fionn Whitehead and Will Poulter really pulled you in.  Through different choices, Whitehead and Poulter manage to display varying states of emotions and mental statuses.
    “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” has at least five different endings.  There are countless numbers of possibilities the story can take with reports that not all scenes have been unlocked by viewers.  I watched some different paths with some different endings and they vary quite a bit.
    The film is one of the most ambitious projects ever to be filmed.  That same ambition I admire might also be the only complaint I might have because it would be almost impossible to see all the different paths that can be taken.  Some critics said the film was too gimmicky but I disagree.  I think it could be the future of streaming films.
    With so many possible story outcomes, it’s hard to dismiss the fun you have controlling the direction the story takes.  Also, with seamless editing, the film never “feels” like an interactive experience.  "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" manages to pull off the rare win for original Netflix films, I just hope it becomes the first of many.

Grade: B+

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