It’s been nearly four years since we last checked in on the dystopian storytellers over at Black Mirror, and things sure have changed since season five. While the anthology series is known for its dark and twisty takes on modern technology and social media, the upcoming season is shaping up to be the boldest yet…if you can believe it. Creator Charlie Brooker says that viewers should expect the unexpected, which we were already expecting, so this should be even more unsuspecting. Do you follow?
Booker recently told Tudum, “Partly as a challenge, and partly to keep things fresh for both me and the viewer, I began this season by deliberately upending some of my own core assumptions about what to expect,” Brooker explained. “Consequently, this time, alongside some of the more familiar Black Mirror tropes we’ve also got a few new elements, including some I’ve previously sworn blind the show would never do, to stretch the parameters of what ‘a Black Mirror episode’ even is. The stories are all still tonally Black Mirror through-and-through — but with some crazy swings and more variety than ever before.” That’s a lot coming from the man who made us afraid to have thoughtful memories.
So queue up “On A Roll” by Ashley O and get ready for a new season of realizing that your phone is probably trying to kill you. Here’s what you need to know.
Plot
Netflix promises that this season will be the wackiest yet, and considering the stories from last season, it seems like the show will enter full chaos mode. The streamer says season six is the most “unpredictable, unclassifiable, and unexpected season” of the award-winning series, which is a lot coming from the show that showed a man having sex with a pig way back in season one. They have released a brief synopsis for every episode:
“Joan Is Awful” An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life — in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek.
Directed by: Ally Pankiw
Written by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek Pinault, Michael Cera, Himesh Patel, Rob Delaney, Ben Barnes“Lock Henry” A young couple travel to a sleepy Scottish town to start work on a genteel nature documentary – but find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events of the past.
Directed by: Sam Miller
Written by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Samuel Blenkin, Myha’la Herrold, Daniel Portman, John Hannah, Monica Dolan“Beyond The Sea” In an alternative 1969, two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy.
Directed by: John Crowley
Written by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Auden Thornton, Rory Culkin“Mazey Day” A troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident.
Directed by: Uta Briesewitz
Written by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Clara Rugaard, Danny Ramirez“Demon 79” Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent disaster.
Directed by: Toby Haynes
Written by: Charlie Brooker and Bisha K. Ali
Starring: Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Rose Morley, David Shields
Cast
As with every other season, each episode is standalone, which means a new set of actors for every installment. Season six features the likes of Salma Hayek Pinault, Annie Murphy, Zazie Beetz, Michael Cera, Paapa Essiedu, Josh Hartnett, Aaron Paul, Rory Culkin, and more throughout the five-episode season.
Release Date
All five episodes (or “films” as they are calling them) will drop on Netflix on June 15th.
Trailer
The full trailer was just released this week: