The Emmy-winning science-fiction anthology series Black Mirror explores how the dark side of human nature intersects with the extremes of modern life. Each episode tells a stand-alone story, meaning you can watch all seven seasons in whatever order you choose.
That’s a good thing, since the episodes can be everything from funny and sweet to action-packed thrillers to deeply philosophical tearjerkers and straight-up horror shows. With Season 7 now streaming, we’ve put together a list of 15 essential Black Mirror episodes — divided by tone or genre — so you can be emotionally prepared to immerse yourself in the star-studded exploration of our possible futures and alternate pasts.
Season 1, Episode 2: “Fifteen Million Merits”
All Black Mirror episodes are dark, but some are truly dystopian. A scathing critique of capitalism, “Fifteen Million Merits” is set in a world where young adults spend their days pedaling exercise bikes to earn merits, which they can spend dressing up their virtual avatars or skipping through the commercials they’re constantly bombarded with. The biggest prize is competing on a reality TV talent show and earning the chance of a better life. Daniel Kaluuya’s performance in this episode helped persuade Jordan Peele to cast him in Get Out, and it’s easy to see why.
Season 3, Episode 1: “Nosedive”
One of the most anxiety-inducing episodes of Black Mirror, “Nosedive” imagines a future where every human interaction is rated on a mobile app, and your overall score determines where you can work and live. Lacie (Bryce Dallas Howard) sees an opportunity to take her status to the next level when her popular childhood friend chooses her as her maid of honor. The episode, brilliantly written by Michael Schur and Rashida Jones, might make you rethink influencer culture and your use of social media.
Season 7, Episode 1: “Common People”
Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker teams up with Bisha K. Ali for a tragic tale that tackles the American healthcare system, crowdfunding, and our reliance on subscription services. In this case the service is Rivermind, which allows Amanda (Rashida Jones) to recover from a brain tumor by backing up part of her consciousness in cloud storage. But as the contract that keeps her alive becomes more expensive, she starts spouting ads that endanger her job and relationships, and can’t even go out of town to celebrate her anniversary because it would mean leaving Rivermind’s coverage area. Desperate to get her on a better plan, her husband, Mike (Chris O’Dowd), begins hurting and humiliating himself on a livestream in exchange for donations from sadistic viewers. Black Mirror isn’t always bleak, but this is the show at its absolute darkest.
Season 1, Episode 3: “The Entire History of You”
When a job interview or a date goes poorly, it’s easy to dwell on the memory and analyze how things could’ve been different. “The Entire History of You” takes that impulse to the next level, imagining a near future where implants record everything a person sees and allow them to play any moment back for themselves or an audience. Toby Kebbel plays a lawyer who becomes obsessed with scanning his memories for evidence of his wife’s infidelity. It’s a chilling tale of how knowing more seldom makes people happier, and it features a great performance from Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who, Toxic Town).
Season 2, Episode 1: “Be Right Back”
In this beautifully sad episode, Ash (Domhnall Gleeson) dies in a distracted driving accident shortly after moving in with his girlfriend, Martha (Hayley Atwell). The devastated Martha uses a new technology to keep talking to Ash in the form of an AI created through his prodigious social media activity. “Be Right Back” is a melancholy portrait of grief that explores the gap between the person we appear to be online and our true self.
Season 7, Episode 5: “Eulogy”
Golden Globe and Emmy winner Paul Giamatti stars as Phillip, a bitter and isolated man who grapples with memories of the love of his life in this moving episode. Decades after their devastating breakup, Phillip is contacted by a company seeking to produce a memorial for his ex through a technology that allows him to step into old pictures under the guidance of an AI guide (Patsy Ferran). The episode is beautifully directed by Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor, with static scenes coming alive when Phillip relives the moments with the help of music. Giamatti brings his trademark cantankerous charm to the role as Phillip is forced to acknowledge his own failings and what he’s lost.
Season 2, Episode 2: “White Bear”
Black Mirror is often compared to The Twilight Zone, but White Bear is the episode that most resembles the structure of that twisty and often suspenseful anthology series. It follows a woman who wakes up with amnesia and starts looking for help, only to find most people are just interested in silently following her around and recording her on their phones. Seeking out the source of a mysterious mind-controlling broadcast, she discovers the truth about what’s going on is even darker than it seems. Make sure to watch through the credits, which will make you view the whole episode in a new light.
Season 3, Episode 2: “Playtest”
Prey director Dan Trachtenberg and Black Mirror creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker present a deeply creepy spin on horror video games in “Playtest.” Cooper (Wyatt Russell) has been traveling the world since his father died of Alzheimer’s, and he agrees to test an experimental video game system to avoid going home and dealing with his mother. But reality and the game begin to blur as an artificial neural network forces Cooper to confront what he fears the most. The haunted house filled with giant spiders isn’t nearly as scary as this episode’s psychological horror.
Season 2, Episode 4: “White Christmas”
While all Black Mirror episodes stand alone, many contain Easter eggs that tie them together in a shared world. That’s especially true of the show’s Christmas special, “White Christmas,” which contains a nod to every episode in Seasons 1 and 2, from the technology used in “The Entire History of You” to the song performed in “Fifteen Million Merits.” The references are spread throughout three interweaving stories that tackle pickup artistry, personal assistants, and cyberstalking. Even if you don’t catch everything, you’ll be sure to enjoy a charming performance from Jon Hamm.
Season 6, Episode 1: “Joan Is Awful”
Charlie Brooker presents a darkly funny view of must-see TV in “Joan Is Awful,” where Joan (Annie Murphy) discovers the latest hit show on the streaming service Streamberry is all about her. Desperate to try to stop her darkest moments from turning into watercooler television, Joan seeks the help of Salma Hayek, who plays Joan on the show. Things get even more meta when the series catches up to Joan’s attempts to shut it down, adding more layers of actors and revealing the strange secret behind Streamberry’s content. Streamberry reappears in the Season 7 episode “Hotel Reverie,” as the home of an AI remake of a classic film.
Season 4, Episode 1: “USS Callister”
A dark send-up of classic Star Trek, “USS Callister” stars Academy Award nominee Jesse Plemons as Robert Daly, a brilliant programmer who co-founded a popular online video game. Unhappy with how he’s treated at the office, Robert retreats into a simulation, hosted on a private server, in which he takes on the role of a Captain Kirk–like figure, leading an adoring crew — based on his co-workers — on campy adventures. But when a new hire (played by Cristin Milioti) catches Robert’s attention, we find there’s much more going on in his power fantasy. Season 7’s “USS Callister: Into Infinity” is Black Mirror’s first sequel episode, following the virtual crew as they navigate an increasingly hostile game world.
Season 5, Episode 3: “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too”
Miley Cyrus, who left her teen idol days behind to experiment with new musical genres, plays Ashley O, a pop star who wants to start playing rock music — much to the chagrin of her controlling aunt and manager. It’s up to a teen superfan, her rock-loving sister and a toy robot with Ashley’s personality to save the day in this hilarious episode, which includes excellent pop adaptations of Nine Inch Nails songs.
Season 4, Episode 5: “Metalhead”
If you think those high-tech robot dogs are more creepy than cool, you’ll want to check out “Metalhead,” which imagines the same technology relentlessly pursuing and killing people. Human civilization has collapsed in this black-and-white action thriller, which offers some particularly unsettling shots from the robot’s perspective. At 41 minutes, it’s one of the shortest Black Mirror episodes, meaning that the tension never fades.
Season 3, Episode 4: “San Junipero”
The beloved “San Junipero” was the first Black Mirror to actually have a happy ending. The episode follows Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis), a shy and sincere young woman who falls for the more adventurous Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) at a nightclub in the resort town of San Junipero. Yorkie seeks to turn the fling into something more, which leads her on a twisty journey to find Kelly again. It’s a beautifully sweet story packed with great ’80s music.
Season 4, Episode 4: “Hang the DJ”
Dating is hard, but in “Hang the DJ,” a new app called Coach promises to make it easier. It matches people together and gives every couple an expiration date –– until it finally finds and connects lifelong partners. Amy (Georgina Campbell) and Frank (Joe Cole) are paired together for just 12 hours, but come to question if they should trust their feelings for each other more than Coach as they endure a series of unsatisfying and terrible relationships with others. If “San Junipero” has you feeling the love, put this on next.
