Shut Up and Dance 

When withdrawn Kenny stumbles headlong into an online trap, he is quickly forced into an uneasy alliance with shifty Hector, both at the mercy of persons unknown.

Director:

James Watkins

Writers:

William Bridges (as Will Bridges), Charlie Brooker

Stars:

Alex Lawther, Jerome Flynn, Susannah Doyle

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Alex Lawther	...	Kenny
Jerome Flynn	...	Hector
Susannah Doyle	...	Blackmailed Woman
Frankie Wilson	...	Tom
Jimmy Roye-Dunne	...	Red
Hannah Steele	...	Melissa
Sarah Beck Mather	...	Restaurant Mother
Beatrice Robertson-Jones	...	Restaurant Daughter
Maya Gerber	...	Lindsay
Camilla Power	...	Sandra
Ivanno Jeremiah	...	Moped Man
Mariam Haque	...	Petrol Station Attendant
Natasha Little	...	Karen
Nicola Sloane	...	Bank Clerk
Paul Bazely	...	The Man in the Woods

Storyline

When withdrawn Kenny stumbles headlong into an online trap, he is quickly forced into an uneasy alliance with shifty Hector, both at the mercy of persons unknown.

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Plot Keywords:

toy | hacked computer camera | speeding | bicycle riding | rendezvous | 

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The drone seen in the episode is a DJi Inspire.

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Goofs

In the opening scene, when the woman parks her Volvo wagon and leaves it, the car is neatly within the lines. When the two guys take it, the car is now parked over the line.

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Quotes

The Man in the Woods: What they get you for?
Kenny: I just looked at some photos. That's all. I just looked at one or two photos.
The Man in the Woods: Yeah, Yeah. I just looked at pictures too. How young were they? In the pictures? How young ?
[Kenny does not respond]
The Man in the Woods: Yeah. Well, me too.

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Connections

References Black Mirror: White Bear (2013)

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Soundtracks

Exit Music (for a Film)
Written by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Phil Selway
Performed by Radiohead

User Reviews

The most uncomfortable hour of television I've sat through recently

And this is not the first time Black Mirror has done that. There are a lot of shows out there that can create good tension, but Black Mirror is the only show that can evoke pure discomfort in me, probably due to its realism, amazingly convincing acting and because they're all stand-alone episodes. Knowing that the story that is unfolding right in front of your eyes has the conclusion waiting just a couple of minutes away is what makes it even more gripping, because it creates very little time for the viewer to speculate about how things might escalate.

About two thirds into the episode is when I hit the point where I uncontrollably started smiling like a madman. The execution of the absolutely horrifying situation and decision making that the two main characters had to experience was just perfect. I had to resort to grinning just to make sure I was still me and not them, I suppose.

Unfortunately, I got lost on the big reveal the first time around. Actually, I didn't think it was a reveal at all, but more of a misunderstanding. But with Black Mirror, there's always something enjoyable about not fully grasping the twist and the story's subtle hints right away. When you re-watch moments of episodes like this one, you'll notice a lot of details in dialogues and actions that really makes you feel dumb for not picking them up instantly.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shut Up and Dance

Filming Locations:

Wittenham Clumps, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

House Of Tomorrow

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (5.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD