10 Horror Television Episodes That Are Practically Flawless
5. Loch Henry - Black Mirror
"For your film. Mum."
Black Mirror has always skirted the boundaries of horror, but Season 6's second episode plunges the viewer head-first into full-on nightmare territory.
Loch Henry tells the tale of Davis, a young filmmaker, and his girlfriend Pia returning home to his mother's house in the Scottish wilderness to shoot a documentary on a local conservationist. Pia jumps at the opportunity to change the film's focus to that of local serial killer Iain Adair - even more so when she discovers that Davis' late father was the attending police officer when the killer was discovered.
The subliminal genius of Loch Henry is the manner in which it lulls viewers into a false sense of security. The comic relief levied by the excellent Daniel Portman's foul-mouthed Stuart, alongside what seems like a relatively low stakes plot, expertly subverts audiences' expectations before dealing out the most harrowing sucker punch imaginable.
In an overwhelming twist, Davis' reserved and elderly mother Janet is unmasked by a snuff film as the true villain behind proceedings; a depraved, sadistic killer who operated in tandem with her equally abhorrent husband, passing Adair off as a patsy. The breath-taking conclusion sees Pia accidentally perish attempting to escape, before Janet commits suicide - but not before leaving a box of video evidence and a note for Davis.
Monica Dolan's transition from sweet old lady to psychopathic murderer will make your blood run cold. Truly one of the most flawless episodes in Black Mirror's illustrious history.