The future is still looking unnervingly bright and scary thanks to the new trailer for Black Mirror season five. Ever since the release of Bandersnatch, an interesting take on the choose-your-own-adventure format which was released in December 2018, we’ve been chomping at the bit for more Black Mirror stories. If the trailer is anything to go by, this new season will deliver some deceptively creepy stories focused on our evolving relationship to technology and the ways in which it permeates our lives.
“You have to brace yourself,” one of the new Black Mirror characters tells us during the trailer and boy, oh boy, it’s evident from the first seconds of this trailer we need to brace, prepare and/or batten down every damn hatch before we press play on these new episodes. Season five looks to be a star-studded affair, with Miley Cyrus, Avengers: Infinity War star Anthony Mackie and That ’70s Show alum Topher Grace on board. Additional cast members for season five include The Beguiled star Angourie Rice, Sherlock villain Andrew Scott and Aquaman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. If the promise of techo-terror isn’t enough to pull you in, then this acting lineup surely will.
Season five promises three new stories in its ongoing anthology, which first aired in 2011 in the UK before transferring over to Netflix in 2016. It’s unclear why there are only three new episodes since past seasons have ranged from four to six episodes (season one is the only other season with three episodes). Per season five’s IMDb, the Mackie/Abdul-Mateen II-fronted episode, titled “Striking Vipers,” will be first and appears to follow two brothers or friends, one of who encourage the other to get mixed up in some extramarital activities that could have serious consequences. Scott’s episode, titled “Smithereens,” comes second in the season and seems to follow a man completely undone by society’s fixation with screens. Rice’s still-untitled episode will finish off the season and shows a teen girl who finds friendship with a tiny android who may not be as friendly as it appears. It’s still unclear how Cyrus or Grace will figure into these stories.
Genre-specific anthology series have managed to reel in A-listers in recent years, creating a creatively challenging opportunity for actors to stretch their legs in the television medium without having to commit to multiple seasons of a show. Black Mirror is a prime example, but other notable examples include CBS All Access’ Twilight Zone reboot, which stars Jordan Peele, Adam Scott, Kumail Nanjiani and Steven Yeun (among many, many, many other big celebs) and American Horror Story, which has featured the talents of Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Lady Gaga and Evan Peters during its run.
Make sure to tune in to Black Mirror season five when it lands on Netflix on Wednesday, June 5.
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