In the 13 years since Black Mirror first aired, Charlie Brooker’s dystopian vision has started to seem less and less implausible. The acclaimed British anthology series, which explores society’s relationship with technology, predicted the likes of Animoji, robotic bees – even, somehow, David Cameron’s “piggate”. In 2016, in a move that eerily recalled series one episode “The Entire History of You”, Samsung patented contact lenses with a built-in camera.
But as the show has evolved from a cult favourite, only really known in the UK, into something globally famous – largely thanks to its transition from Channel 4 to Netflix – it has risked not only toppling under the weight of its own success, but becoming something of a self-parody. When journalist Daniel Mallory Ortberg famously tweeted, “Next on Black Mirror: what if phones, but too much?” there was the faint whiff of an impending backlash.
Because of the show's unique combination of cynicism and imagination, however, Charlie Brooker has managed to keep Black Mirror on track. There have been a few missteps, of course, but like its inspiration The Twilight Zone, the possibilities for Black Mirror’s future are infinite.
These are all the episodes so far up to season six, ranked from worst to best, including season five.
You can read our review of season six here.
This article was originally published in 2022.
Every Black Mirror episode ranked – from worst to best
Show all 23Black Mirror is available to watch on Netflix.
