Black Mirror: Ranking Every Episode From Worst To Best
10. Playtest
It's rare for a Black Mirror to be "fun", but while Season 3's Playtest isn't exactly a rollicking good time, it certainly enjoys revelling in its virtual reality set up. Browsing positions for oddjobs online, protagonist Cooper finds himself as the test subject for a new video game product, an augmented reality experience that's realised through a microchip implanted under the player's skin.
Obviously, the "game" malfunctions pretty much straight away, and the character's worst nightmares are brought to life before his very eyes. Through some genius horror-inspired sequences, Cooper is haunted by general human fears like spiders and serial killers, constantly unaware where the game ends and real life begins. Later though, these nightmares become much more personal, with Cooper questioning whether or not he's suffering from the same symptoms his father developed from dementia in his final years.
Trapping a character in their memories and dreams isn't exactly a new concept, but Black Mirror executed it so confidently, and with such energy (partly thanks to director Dan Trachtenberg), that in the end, the familiarity doesn't really matter.
[JB]