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Black Mirror

Fifteen Million Merits

  • Episode aired Dec 11, 2011
  • 1h 2m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
53K
YOUR RATING
S1.E2
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Black Mirror (2011)
  • Drama
  • Mystery
  • Sci-Fi
In a world where people's lives consist of riding exercise bikes to gain credits, Bing tries to help a woman get on to a singing competition show.In a world where people's lives consist of riding exercise bikes to gain credits, Bing tries to help a woman get on to a singing competition show.In a world where people's lives consist of riding exercise bikes to gain credits, Bing tries to help a woman get on to a singing competition show.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
53K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Euros Lyn
  • Writers
    • Charlie Brooker
    • Konnie Huq
  • Stars
    • Daniel Kaluuya
    • Jessica Brown Findlay
    • Rupert Everett
Top credits
  • Director
    • Euros Lyn
  • Writers
    • Charlie Brooker
    • Konnie Huq
  • Stars
    • Daniel Kaluuya
    • Jessica Brown Findlay
    • Rupert Everett
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 98User reviews
    • 43Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos34

    Daniel Kaluuya in Black Mirror (2011)
    Daniel Kaluuya in Black Mirror (2011)
    Black Mirror (2011)
    Daniel Kaluuya in Black Mirror (2011)
    Paul Popplewell in Black Mirror (2011)
    Daniel Kaluuya in Black Mirror (2011)
    Daniel Kaluuya in Black Mirror (2011)
    Daniel Kaluuya and Jessica Brown Findlay in Black Mirror (2011)
    Colin Michael Carmichael in Black Mirror (2011)
    Daniel Kaluuya and Jessica Brown Findlay in Black Mirror (2011)
    Jessica Brown Findlay in Black Mirror (2011)
    Ashley Thomas in Black Mirror (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Daniel Kaluuya
    Daniel Kaluuya
    • Bingas Bing
    Jessica Brown Findlay
    Jessica Brown Findlay
    • Abias Abi
    Rupert Everett
    Rupert Everett
    • Judge Hopeas Judge Hope
    Julia Davis
    Julia Davis
    • Judge Charityas Judge Charity
    Ashley Thomas
    Ashley Thomas
    • Judge Wraithas Judge Wraith
    Paul Popplewell
    Paul Popplewell
    • Dustinas Dustin
    Isabella Laughland
    Isabella Laughland
    • Swiftas Swift
    David Fynn
    David Fynn
    • Oliveras Oliver
    Colin Michael Carmichael
    Colin Michael Carmichael
    • Kaias Kai
    • (as Colin Carmichael)
    Hannah John-Kamen
    Hannah John-Kamen
    • Selma Telseas Selma Telse
    Kerrie Hayes
    Kerrie Hayes
    • Gleeas Glee
    Eugene O'Hare
    Eugene O'Hare
    • Hammondas Hammond
    Jaimi Barbakoff
    • Annaas Anna
    Merce Ribot
    Merce Ribot
    • Big Shot Registration Ladyas Big Shot Registration Lady
    Matthew Burgess
    • Botherguts Hostas Botherguts Host
    Laura Power
    • Intervieweras Interviewer
    Matt Stokoe
    Matt Stokoe
    • Guardas Guard
    Chloe Driver
    Chloe Driver
    • Cleaneras Cleaner
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Euros Lyn
    • Writers
      • Charlie Brooker
      • Konnie Huq
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    Storyline

    Edit
    In this alternate, future reality, Bing and thousands of others must ride exercise bikes for hours a day to earn "merits", credits that can be used to purchase basic necessities as well as novelty items. They are surrounded by televisions playing mindless entertainment all day long, including TV shows that mock the odd overweight citizen who cannot workout, a lot of pornography...and a talent show similar to the real-world Got Talent franchise. When Bing meets, Abi, a woman with a talent for singing, he believes she can win the competition and earn a better life. However, after he makes sacrifice upon sacrifice to get her to the show, she is degraded and harassed by the judges and audience, who offer her a choice: start a career in pornography...or go back to being a slave. Her choice inspires a revelation in Bing, who begins to see the cruel injustice of the world in which he lives, and he is determined to change it...no matter what the cost. —alexandriahicks-10795
    • human powered electrical generator
    • exercise bicycle
    • apple
    • playing violin
    • watching pornography
    • 83 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Mystery
      • Sci-Fi
      • Thriller
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The song Abi Khan (Jessica Brown Findlay) sings during "Fifteen Million Merits" is "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)," recorded by Irma Thomas in 1964.
    • Goofs
      At 46:59, Abi's name is still visible on the leaderboard despite the fact that it's been several months since she had to pedal a bike.
    • Quotes

      Bing: I haven't got a speech. I didn't plan words. I didn't even try to I just knew I had to get here, to stand here, and I wanted you to listen. To really listen, not just pull a face like you're listening, like you do the rest of the time. A face that you're feeling instead of processing. You pull a face, and poke it towards the stage, and we lah-di-dah, we sing and dance and tumble around. And all you see up here, it's not people, you don't see people up here, it's all fodder. And the faker the fodder, the more you love it, because fake fodder's the only thing that works any more. It's all that we can stomach. Actually, not quite all. Real pain, real viciousness, that, we can take. Yeah, stick a fat man up a pole. We laugh ourselves feral, because we've earned the right, we've done cell time and he's slacking, the scum, so ha-ha-ha at him! Because we're so out of our minds with desperation, we don't know any better. All we know is fake fodder and buying shit. That's how we speak to each other, how we express ourselves, is buying shit. What, I have a dream? The peak of our dreams is a new app for our Dopple, it doesn't exist! It's not even there! We buy shit that's not even there. Show us something real and free and beautiful. You couldn't. Yeah? It'd break us. We're too numb for it. I might as well choke. It's only so much wonder we can bear. When you find any wonder whatsoever, you dole it out in meagre portions. Only then until it's augmented, packaged, and pumped through 10,000 preassigned filters till it's nothing more than a meaningless series of lights, while we ride day in day out, going where? Powering what? All tiny cells and tiny screens and bigger cells and bigger screens and fuck you! Fuck you, that's what it boils down to. Fuck you for sitting there and slowly making things worse. Fuck you and your spotlight and your sanctimonious faces. Fuck you all for thinking the one thing I came close to never meant anything. For oozing around it and crushing it into a bone, into a joke. One more ugly joke in a kingdom of millions. Fuck you for happening. Fuck you for me, for us, for everyone. Fuck you!

    • Crazy credits
      Merce Ribot was wrongly credited as "'Big Shot' Registration Lady" (it should say 'Hot Shot').
    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojoUK: Top 10 Actors Who Have Appeared in Black Mirror (2018)
    • Soundtracks
      Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)
      Written by Irma Thomas

      Performed by Irma Thomas

      Also performed by Jessica Brown Findlay

    User reviews98

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    What was that?
    Whatever it was, it nearly made me suffocate with holding my breath.

    You know that feeling you get, that almost nausea, that exhilarating terror when you take the plunge over a roller-coaster loop, that feeling of stretching out a finger to barely touch something transcendental, that white blank feeling you get when you've hit ground zero and the truth is there, almost there...

    No?

    I've had that feeling before. I almost can't quite remember when, just that the enormity of feeling something like that couldn't possibly be contained in a memory.

    This makes no sense, does it?

    I don't know - but tell me you didn't feel something rare when you watched Bing nearly commit cultural, political and physical suicide on that stage. I've never seen anything that's managed to depress and stimulate me at once. I've never seen anything that raw and human. Not for a long time.

    Watch it?

    And transcribe the end speech. I would have that tattOOED.
    helpful•135
    49
    • TheInbetweener
    • Dec 11, 2011

    FAQ4

    • What is Fifteen Million Merits about?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 11, 2011 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Production companies
      • Zeppotron
      • Channel 4 Television Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 2 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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