Although it shares the name of the critically acclaimed Twilight-zone-esque TV series 'Black Mirror', ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ is a standalone story that it is separate from the series.
The TV series for which 'Bandersnatch' is based on is known for its crisp writing and piercing critique of modern technology. This film is no different in that regard. What made 'Bandersnatch' one-of-a-kind upon its initial release is it is a "choose your own film".
I personally have spent quite some time watching it never really progressing in the story, which makes me both intrigued about how much content they filmed and concerned why I have such poor decision making skills.
Since ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’s initial release dozens of other interactive films have been released including ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend’ and ‘Camp Cretaceous Hidden Adventure.’
Choice based cinematic adventures have become increasingly popular in video games over the last decade as well as they are effectively interactive films. Telltale Games, for example, has developed several choice based video games based on popular film and TV franchises including: ‘Jurassic Park: The Game’ and ‘The Walking Dead Telltale Series’.
Acclaimed actors and actresses have also lent their talents as well as likeness to video games. 2015's 'Until Dawn', a brilliant thriller video game that was tantamount to an interactive horror film, had an all-star cast that included Hayden Panittierre, Peter Stormare, and Rami Malek, all who performed in motion capture for the game developers. Cinema has always borrowed from other medians- whether it was in the early days of adapting stage plays, then novels, and now comic book adaptations. The line between film and video games has blurred exponentially in recent years. Video games themselves have progressively become more cinematic in their approach even beyond their use of cut scenes. Film has always strived for an immersive experience and interactive films are another step in that evolution.
‘Bandersnatch’ is an enjoyable escapade and that extra level of interaction also makes it a unique experience.
If you're interested in immersive sci-fi series or something more interactive like video games, The Brown Deer Public Library has ample amounts of both available to check out.
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