10 TV series and films for Black Mirror lovers

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Films and TV series about the future and the impact of technology, which are similar to "Black Mirror" in atmosphere and plot.

Serials

Mr robot

• Thriller, drama.
• USA, 2015–2019.
• Duration: 4 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 6.

Sociophobe Elliot Alderson works as a cybersecurity officer. In his spare time, he is one of the best hackers out there seeking to destroy a society completely dominated by giant corporations. But everything changes when the mysterious Mr. Robot appears in his life, taking on a significant part of the work.

This series more realistically shows the impact of advanced technology on the life of almost everyone. There are huge financial corporations that secretly run states, and ordinary people, who will be primarily affected by the collapse of any banking or economic system. Plus unexpected plot twists in the spirit of "Black Mirror".

Brainless

• Comedy, drama.
• USA, 2016.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The main character works in the team of the Senator from the Democratic Party. But suddenly she learns about one terrible secret: alien insects climb into the heads of some senators and eat out half of their brains. As a result, politicians become ardent supporters of their party and sincerely dream of saving the country. The heroine has to save the planet from insects and their carriers.

There are a lot of TV series about political intrigue now, remember at least "House of Cards" or "Scandal". But only in "Brainless" the theme of feigned patriotism was able to beat in such a hooligan way, connecting it with aliens eating the brain. Greetings to the series of "Black Mirror" about the virtual bear Valdo, who became president.

World of the wild west

• Science fiction, drama, thriller, western.
• USA, 2016 - present.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 7.

The Wild West World amusement park has been organized for wealthy clients, where they can participate in various adventures without risking their health, as well as do whatever they want with robots that completely copy human appearance. But what do the robots themselves feel and what happens behind the scenes of this park?

According to the author of the series, Jonathan Nolan, the behavior of the minor characters of computer games in those moments when they do not participate in the events of the game prompted him to a similar topic. It feels like they can have a life of their own.

Films

Time

• Science fiction, dystopia, cyberpunk.
• USA, 2011.
• Duration: 109 minutes
• IMDb: 6, 7.

After 25 years, all people automatically stop aging and can live almost forever. But you have to pay for every minute of your life. Time becomes the only real currency - you can save it, win it or waste it thoughtlessly on purchases. The main character of the film is unjustly accused of murder. Now he must hide, seek justice, and most importantly - not waste his time.

Fantastic idea, very reminiscent of the stories from "Black Mirror". It would seem quite crazy, but very close to us, that time is the main value.

God bless America

• Tragicomedy.
• USA, 2011.
• Duration: 104 minutes
• IMDb: 7, 2.

In Frank's life, everything goes wrong: neighbors get it, he was fired from his job, and even the doctor makes a terrible diagnosis. As a result, Frank decides that he has nothing more to lose and it's time to fulfill his old dream - to kill the creators of the American Superstarz show (analogue of American Idol). Together with a young fellow traveler, he sets off on a journey across America, destroying those who have lied too much to people from the screens.

This film is difficult to compare with the TV series. Here we are practically not talking about technology, except for television and programs. But this particular picture directed by Bob Goldthwaite (he can be remembered for his role as drug addict Zed in Police Academy) is almost the only thing that can be compared in emotional intensity and philosophy with the second episode of Black Mirror, which showed all the falsity of the reality show.

Away

• Horror, detective.
• USA, 2017.
• Duration: 103 minutes
• IMDb: 7, 7.

A black photographer is on his way to meet his girlfriend's parents, who are very conservative. Fortunately, he is very welcome. But excessive attention from the owners of the house and their guests not only leads to suspicion, but causes real fear. What is the real reason for their interest in the hero?

The film is associated with "Black Mirror" not only with the leading role, who played in one of the episodes of the series, but also with an acute satire on modern society. Excessive tolerance may not become a manifestation of humanity, but a fashion trend.

Out of the car

• Science fiction, thriller.
• UK, 2014.
• Duration: 108 minutes
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Programmer Caleb is hired by a billionaire to conduct an experiment. He must live for a while at the residence of his employer and find out whether the androids created by the scientist can really think and feel, or whether they only imitate these sensations with the help of programs. But such an extended Turing test turns out to be biased - the robot is too sympathetic to the hero.

The film raises another philosophical question related to advanced technologies: can there be something inside artificial intelligence other than information processing? After all, if a machine can give a human answer to any question, then what is the difference between life and a program, and is there any at all?

Surrogates

• Science fiction, action, thriller.
• USA, 2009.
• Duration: 88 minutes
• IMDb: 6, 3.

In the not too distant future, people practically stop leaving their homes. They are completely replaced by surrogate machines. Everyone can create a surrogate for themselves, based on personal preferences, making it more beautiful or even changing the gender. But at some point, police officer Tom Greer encounters killers who destroy not only cars, but also their owners. To catch the criminals, he may have to leave the house himself.

The actual topic of the transition of people to virtual reality: remote work, remote communication. More and more often it is not people themselves that collide with each other, but their network images, the same surrogates. In the third season of Black Mirror, people learned to move into virtual reality after death. But there are those who are doing it right now, being alive.

She

• Science fiction, melodrama.
• USA, 2013.
• Duration: 125 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 0.

To avoid loneliness, the main character orders himself a new development - a program that will communicate with him, adjusting to the mood and desires of the owner. But soon the hero falls in love with an artificial voice.

In one episode of "Black Mirror", the main character restores the voice of her beloved on the phone and can communicate with him as if he were alive, almost not noticing the difference. In the painting "She", such a story develops into a real affection, if we can say that about communication between a person and artificial intelligence that does not exist in reality.

Superiority

• Science fiction, thriller.
• USA, PRC, UK, 2014.
• Duration: 119 minutes
• IMDb: 6, 3.

Before his death, the talented scientist Will Caster manages to create his digital copy. And now it is already becoming a program uploaded to the Web and collecting all the world's knowledge. It would seem that now he can help all of humanity. But such superiority gives him access to absolute power.

Another story that technologies devoid of an emotional component are unlikely to be able to completely replace human relations.