Shut Up and Dance

Look, this episode really IS that good. There is nothing I could possibly say that another reviewer probably hasn't said more eloquently about this episode---be it acting, directing, story, hell even music.

If ANYTHING, what I can do is SERIOUSLY recommend watching this show in the order that it is listed. It is done so ft or a reason, and I only wish that I had watched "San Junipero" after this episode like I was (obviously) supposed to. If you are the type of viewer that tends to get emotionally wrapped up in what you are watching, you'll want to take my advice. You may have an easier go at enjoying the rest of your day.

But yes, EXCELLENT episode. No pulled punches---One of the most vital reasons why we love Black Mirror so much.

Black Mirror has always managed to shock, horrify and get you to think, it's at its best when you say to yourself 'wow that could really happen,' and this is certainly one of those episodes. One minor action turns one young lads life upside down.

After a few minutes in I thought the episode was pretty good, and after the initial incident I figured I was in for an interesting watch, but wow that was a twist and a half. It became darker, deeper and just downright more sinister with every scene. Tension was caused by minor things like Hector's friend asking for a lift. The fact that nobody knew why they were there or who was behind it made it all the more enjoyable.

Ambiguity can be lazy in some shoes, things happening for no apparent reason, but the whole point of the anonymity of the miscreant here is that in this digital age, you have no idea who's behind things that go on.

Awesome performances from everyone, I must take the opportunity to commend Jerome Flynn on his performance, he's become such a wonderful actor.

Unlike most, the episode "Shut Up and Dance" is not futuristic, but is based on existing technologies and their current abuses.

An unknown person or group hacks computer cameras and catches people in compromising situations. Then uses these recordings to blackmail them. Several of these seemingly random victims have received obscure instructions on what, when, and where to do if they do not want their footage to leak to the public.

The blackmailers' demands to the victims seem quite harmless in relation to the consequences if they do not fulfill them, but we see that only based on their reactions, while we do not really know what exactly they were blackmailed with. They depart each to his task, driven by panic fear of the publication of the images, which may seem irrationally excessive to us.

The characters are ordinary people, totally inconspicuous and uninteresting, and the tasks themselves are quite banal and did not arouse my particular interest in the outcome, so I wondered why "Shut Up and Dance" has such a high rating on IMDb. A good idea of a perfect crime, where the actors are unknown and unrelated people, who don't even know what they're doing, so it's almost impossible to track them down, is spoiled by unimpressive characters and a pace that doesn't hold attention, but then these pieces of the puzzle begin to assemble into a broader picture and the tension begins to rise.

When I finally figured out what it was about and my disappointment with the episode subsided, there was a final plot twist, which showed me that I hadn't figured anything out and that the real picture of this puzzle was much darker than I could have imagined. When the ending credits started, my wife and I sat for a while, silently glancing at each other with wtf expressions on our faces. The episode left us completely speechless. In the end, nothing was as it seemed and a day later I still don't know what to think.

In technical terms, and even in acting, "Shut Up and Dance" is nothing spectacular, although Jerome Flynn, in one of the main roles, was a pleasant surprise to me. For the most part, the episode is not particularly atmospheric, and the tension is at a fairly low level for a thriller. But the impression that the final outcome left on me makes it perhaps the strongest episode so far. I can't recall the last time something has caused me this level of discomfort, which crawled into my bones and did not wane even later when the impressions settled.

8,5/10.

When the show begins, a teenage boy foolishly believes a pop-up on his computer when it tells him he has malware on his computer. He then installs something to supposedly fix it...but it actually implants a program on his computer activating his built-in camera. Now, unknown others are watching him as he goes through the internet.

Soon, he begins receiving threatening messages on his computer. Apparently they could see him masturbating to photos on the web. They blackmail him to give them his phone number...and then the demands start coming. Soon, the boy is doing all sorts of things...that become more and more and more insane and dangerous as the show progresses. How bad is it and why he continues to comply are things you'll have to see for yourself.

Unlike most of the other episodes I've seen on "Black Mirror", the technology to do what they did to the teen DOES exist today and the story is not sci-fi...they could easily do everything you see. Well written and obviously by a person who actually understands technology.

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.