Probably the greatest sci-fi collection to emerge from Netflix’s authentic content material plethora is Black Mirror. The British anthology collection is understood for its shock-factor episodes centered round ethics and expertise of the current and future. From the author’s room to the acquainted and unfamiliar actors onscreen, Black Mirror has earned much-deserving essential acclaim.
All of us love the well-executed sci-fi film from Annihilation to Ex Machina and every part in between, however there are some tales that sound so good that end up so dangerous. These movies lead with an intriguing premise or futuristic imaginative and prescient and fall brief within the execution. With a bit assist from the magic-makers behind the Netflix hit, we imagine these movies would have succeeded as a singular episode within the Black Mirror universe.
Up to date on April 28, 2023, by Hannah Saab:
Black Mirror season 6 premieres this June, in response to a teaser trailer that has revitalized curiosity within the anthology collection. It is the proper time to discover extra poorly executed sci-fi films with nice premises that might encourage future Black Mirror episodes.
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10 ‘In Time’ (2011)
A film that when once more proves a star-studded forged is not all the time sufficient to save lots of a poor script, In Time offered movie-goers with a singular premise that in the end slowed down in execution. Set in a dystopian future the place individuals cease growing older at 25, time has change into an exchangeable forex that like all issues cash causes a little bit of hassle for the movie’s protagonist Will (Justin Timberlake). Co-starring Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, and Matt Bomer, In Time did not show its price with critics and viewers regardless of premiering the identical yr as Black Mirror.
Utilizing time as a bodily exchangeable good could be an fascinating moral dilemma concerning the energy of expertise and greed. These themes have been current in In Time, however did not yield an authentic tackle or visceral response to the idea like many Black Mirror premises do. As expertise continues to advance, revisiting this film as inspiration for a structured episode could be intriguing for sci-fi followers alike.
9 ‘Transcendence’ (2014)
A sci-fi thriller with an A-list forged, Transcendence revolves round Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp), an skilled on synthetic intelligence who’s recognized for scandalous experiments. A risk to his life solely pushes his targets ahead, and shortly the protagonist’s thirst for data and management takes his AI experiments to an entire new stage.
With nice cinematography and a forged of proficient actors (together with Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, and Cillian Murphy), viewers and critics alike had excessive hopes for Transcendence. It in the end grew to become a essential disappointment, as its muddled plot made it appear as if the story itself was written with an unclear imaginative and prescient. The hazards of obsession and AI would match proper into Black Mirror’s world, although, and maybe would give Transcendence’s premise one other shot at correct execution.
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8 ‘Do not Fear Darling’ (2022)
Picture Through Warner Bros.
A psychological thriller directed by Olivia Wilde, Do not Fear Darling generated quite a lot of buzz with its intriguing setting and spectacular forged. Going down in a picture-perfect Nineteen Fifties suburban firm, the movie revolves round Alice and Jack Chambers (Florence Pugh and Harry Kinds), a younger couple attempting to slot in with the neighborhood. Because the husbands of the city depart every single day for work, the wives ensure that their houses are spotless and luxuriate in numerous luxuries. Quickly, cracks start to look that trace at a darkness beneath suburbia.
Regardless of a strong efficiency from Florence Pugh, it is exhausting to disregard the movie’s underwhelming and ludicrous plot twist, and the best way it ruins an already mediocre story. Whereas it is inconceivable to debate this twist with out spoiling the film, its shocking give attention to dystopian expertise and commentary on societal points qualify the movie’s premise as a possible entry within the Black Mirror universe.
Watch on HBO Max
7 ‘Lockout’ (2012)
A film about humanitarian efforts gone unsuitable in a futuristic area jail, Lockout was no sci-fi treasure. The Man Pearce and Maggie Grace-led thriller left viewers feeling their very own kind of imprisonment in movies of sci-fi previous as Lockout integrated parts from the movies that got here earlier than it.
The place Black Mirror surpasses different science fiction collection is in its skill to mess with our minds over the course of a singular episode. Think about this Netflix-driven machine outputting an episode concerning the psychological results of an area jail. The author’s room is greater than able to posing an moral dilemma to viewers about banishing (maybe wrongly accused) criminals to area.
6 ‘Downsizing’ (2017)
Within the not-too-distant future, scientists have discovered a option to drastically scale back people’ carbon footprint utilizing a course of referred to as “downsizing.” They actually shrink individuals to small sizes to reside in small communities, with the promise of unbelievable riches and new methods of getting enjoyable. When Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) and his spouse Audrey (Kristen Wiig) lastly resolve to take the (tiny) leap, issues do not go precisely as deliberate.
Downsizing had an entertaining first chapter, which launched the participating premise in a promising manner. It quickly fell aside and have become disjointed after an pointless doomsday clock and a half-baked message concerning the atmosphere are thrown in. That stated, the film’s fictional invention is ideal for Black Mirror, which may discover all kinds of twisted methods companies may exploit expertise like that.
Watch on Paramount+
5 ‘Spiderhead’ (2022)
Picture by way of Netflix
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Spiderhead is a sci-fi thriller centered on experiments performed in a seemingly luxurious jail. In control of these experiments is Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth), a captivating but manipulative scientist who dictates which and the way a lot of the mind-altering medicine might be administered to members. One of many inmates who’s a part of the mission, Jeff (Miles Teller), begins to suspect that every part is not fairly because it appears.
Spiderhead’s promising premise was wasted by its lackluster execution, which by no means reached the potential of how twisted and disturbing the movie may have been. A scarcity of focus and pointless subplots left critics and audiences feeling underwhelmed. Its jail setting, mind-warping medicine, and sinister company exploitation would create a unbelievable Black Mirror episode, although.
Watch on Netflix
4 ‘Rubikon’ (2022)
Picture by way of IFC Midnight
A singular tackle the stuck-on-a-ship trope in sci-fi films, Rubikon depicts a crew in an area station who witness an apocalyptic disaster on earth within the type of a poisonous fog. After they discover out that there are survivors, they argue about whether or not they need to rescue them or keep and survive whereas bettering the ship’s algae tech.
Its gorgeous visuals and distinctive premise could not save the movie from its poor execution, as the shortage of pressure is clear all through the film. The stakes are excessive, but it surely would not appear that manner. Perhaps Black Mirror may have accomplished one thing higher with its “algae symbiosis system,” an invention that may save humanity from environmental collapse, however is shrouded in bureaucratic secrecy and company greed.
Watch on Prime Video
3 ‘The Occurring’ (2008)
Not M. Night time Shyamalan’s worst work, however definitely not his greatest, The Occurring is a mind-bender that fell simply wanting its potential. Following a collection of unexplainable deaths and extra spreading quick throughout the nation, a college trainer and his spouse attempt to evade the unseen killer. Regardless of big-name leads like Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo, critics and followers weren’t impressed.
The place followers love Black Mirror’s ferocity is in its skill to throw twist and wait till the very previous couple of minutes of display time to take action, The Occurring falls brief. With a guest-directing cue from Shyamalan and a concise runtime, ecological warfare seems like a dystopian episode proper up the Black Mirror alley.
2 ‘Countdown’ (2019)
Extra so horror than conventional science-fiction, Countdown revolves round a protagonist who downloads a seemingly innocent app that “predicts” when the consumer will die. A divisive movie the place audiences noticed extra pleasure within the story than critics, this tech-horror is a match made in Black Mirror heaven.
The fundamental premise of all the collection explores the fragility of human life and the way expertise hinders humanity. The place the horror factor was too supernatural in Countdown, Black Mirror would flip the “villain” right into a authorities or company conspiracy about inhabitants management or information privateness.
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1 ‘Demonic’ (2021)
Picture by way of IFC Midnight
Oscar-nominated District 9 director Neill Blomkamp failed to provide one other sci-fi masterpiece. Demonic follows a younger girl who seeks out her deceased mom’s consciousness in a synthetic actuality program referred to as The Simulation solely to lose her maintain on actuality as hallucinations start, slowly changing into actual. A supernatural horror and science-fiction piece, Demonic’s muddy storytelling turned away viewers.
Many Black Mirror episodes toy with the idea of consciousness and synthetic intelligence, demonstrating what goes terribly unsuitable when the 2 merge. Following the rollercoaster of success with District 9, middle-of-the-road with Elysium, and downward spiral with Chappie, Blomkamp’s sci-fi thoughts would higher have served as a visitor on Black Mirror with a hair-raising episode centered across the premise of Demonic.
Watch on Showtime
NEXT:The Greatest ‘Black Mirror’ Episodes, Ranked Based on IMDb