Black Mirror has been around for 14 years. The brainchild of writer, satirist and presenter Charlie Brooker, the show premiered on Channel 4 in the UK in 2011, before moving to Netflix in 2016, where it has remained since.
The wildly popular series has delivered six seasons and 27 episodes, plus the interactive choose-your-own-adventure film Bandersnatch.
Season seven of Black Mirror
The seventh season of Black Mirror has six episodes, including a sequel to cult-favourite USS Callister, with USS Callister: Into Infinity. The star-packed cast of the series includes Peter Capaldi, Chris O'Dowd, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Will Poulter and Paul Giamatti.
For those looking to rewatch the series before its season seven premiere on April 10, here’s a look at how all the episodes rank on IMDb – and what we think of them.
28. Mazey Day (2023)
Episode: Season 6, episode 4
IMDb rating: 5.3/10
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Clara Rugaard, Danny Ramirez
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Bo (Beetz) is a member of the paparazzi who is looking for her next big payday. However, unlike her fellow photographers, she feels remorse for the type of work she does. She’s told that if she can get the first photo of a troubled actress named Mazey Day (Rugaard), she’ll get $30,000 for the shot. Unbeknownst to Bo, Mazey is dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run.
The National's take: Fame, obsession and a little bit of scandal can lead to some messy consequences, even when you’re trying to escape it all.
27. Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (2019)
Episode: Season 5, episode 3
IMDb rating: 6.1/10
Starring: Miley Cyrus, Angourie Rice, Madison Davenport
Writer: Charlie Brooker
A shy teenager named Rachel (Rice) finds comfort in Ashley Too, a doll powered by the personality of her favourite pop star, Ashley O (Cyrus). But when the doll malfunctions and reveals a disturbing truth, Rachel and her sister Jack (Davenport) set out to save the real Ashley and uncovering the dark side of fame, control and exploitation in the music industry.
The National’s take: Even if you’re Miley Cyrus, you can’t escape the pressures of pop star fame, especially when technology gets involved.
=25. Metalhead (2017)
Episode: Season 4, episode 5
IMDb rating: 6.6/10
Starring: Maxine Peake, Jake Davies, Clint Dyer
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Shot entirely in black and white, a group of humans in a post-apocalyptic world break into a warehouse to try to find medication for their sick companion. They are then relentlessly pursued by hi-tech, heavily armed robotic guard dogs who kill them off one at a time as they flee across the bleak countryside.
The National’s take: The episode shows the relentless and dehumanising consequences of unchecked technological advancement.
=25. The Waldo Moment (2013)
Episode: Season 2, episode 3
IMDb rating: 6.6/10
Starring: Daniel Rigby, Chloe Pirrie, Jason Flemyng
Writers: Charlie Brooker, Christopher Morris
Struggling comedian Jamie (Rigby) voices Waldo, a vulgar animated bear who unexpectedly becomes a political sensation during a local election. As Waldo’s popularity grows, Jamie loses control of the character and is pulled into a cynical world of media manipulation and public apathy – raising uncomfortable questions about democracy and entertainment.
The National’s take: Although the episode came out more than a decade ago, it feels more relevant than ever today.
24. Demon 79 (2023)
Episode: Season 6, episode 5
IMDb rating: 6.7/10
Starring: Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Rose Morley
Writers: Charlie Brooker, Bisha K Ali
Nida (Vasan), a meek sales assistant in northern England, faces racism and xenophobia amid the rise of the National Front movement in 1979. One day, while being banished to eat in the basement of her workplace after complaints that her biryani lunch smells too strongly, she awakens a mysterious demon. She is then told she has to commit unspeakable acts to prevent disaster.
The National's take: It's interesting to see how a little demonic influence can go a long way.
23. Striking Vipers (2019)
Episode: Season 5, episode 1
IMDb rating: 6.8/10
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Beharie
Writer: Charlie Brooker
A bizarre love triangle featuring a married couple, their erstwhile college roommate and the characters in an online VR fighting game. It’s a weird, but fascinating premise, and one that takes on real relevance in a world in which the notion of identifying as different genres, species or even inanimate objects is becoming more and more accepted. The developing VR romance between two friends raises questions of identity, emotional repression, infidelity, ageing, parenthood, friendship and reality.
The National’s take: Mixing virtual reality with your personal life can lead to some seriously complicated feelings, although that isn't to say those feelings aren't valid.
22. Bandersnatch (2018)
Episode: Special (between seasons 4 and 5)
IMDb rating: 7.1/10
Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Craig Parkinson, Alice Lowe
Writer: Charlie Brooker
An interactive choose-your-own adventure film about Stefan Butler (Whitehead), a young programmer who is creating the video game adaptation of book, Bandersnatch, in 1984. Viewers' paths vary, which leads to a variety of storylines, endings and runtimes. According to Netflix, there are 150 minutes of footage divided into 250 segments, which could yield more than one trillion unique possible viewer paths – so it's extremely unlikely that any two viewing experiences have been the same.
The National’s take: The main theme of the film is control, both from a character and audience perspective, resulting in an interesting way to shift power.
=19. Crocodile (2017)
Episode: Season 4, episode 3
IMDb rating: 7.3/10
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Andrew Gower
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Mia (Riseborough) has just witnessed a traffic accident from her hotel room window. As the only reliable witness, an insurance company wants to use a “recaller” on her – a device which can read recent memories – and present them as evidence in court. The problem for Mia is that immediately before the accident, she had killed a former friend with whom she was engaged in an argument about wanting to come clean over a hit and run they had committed 15 years ago. As her secrets are at risk of exposure, she spirals into a series of increasingly dark choices.
The National’s take: Perhaps one of the bleakest episodes of Black Mirror – if you start covering up one bad decision, the show's lesson prepares viewers for an avalanche of awful choices to follow.
=19. Arkangel (2017)
Episode: Season 4, episode 2
IMDb rating: 7.3/10
Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Brenna Harding, Owen Teague
Writer: Charlie Brooker
After her daughter goes briefly missing after chasing a cat, Marie (DeWitt) signs up for a free trial of a new high-tech surrogate parenting app, Arkangel. Young Sara (Aniya Hodge) is fitted with an implant that allows her mother to use an iPad to monitor her location and medical status, see through her eyes in real time and pixelate or mute disturbing sights or sounds to shield Sara from reality. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go well.
The National’s take: If you try to control every aspect of your child's life with tech, it isn't parenting – it's straight-up setting them up for disaster.
=19. Loch Henry (2023)
Episode: Season 6, episode 2
IMDb rating: 7.3/10
Starring: Samuel Blenkin, Myha'la, Daniel Portman
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Davis (Blenkin) and Pia (Myha'la) are a filmmaking couple who travel to Davis’s small, remote hometown in Scotland to film a nature documentary. However, they become intrigued by a local crime story involving a series of gruesome murders tied to the town and its disturbing history.
The National’s take: This episode shows that digging too much into the past can quickly turn into a messy game of being careful of what you uncover.
=17. Beyond the Sea (2023)
Episode: Season 6, episode 3
IMDb rating: 7.4/10
Starring: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Cliff (Paul) and David (Hartnett) are two men in an alternate 1969, where they are on a high-tech space mission set to last for six years. In this universe, they are up in space but have replicas of their physical selves down on Earth. This is so that when they are done with their tasks on the space shuttle, they can “link” to replicas below, allowing them to spend downtime with family and friends. When tragedy strikes one of them back home, the psychological toll of isolation, grief and longing begins to unravel their mission.
The National's take: A truly harrowing episode, that serves as a cautionary tale when the use of technology can (literally) take over lives, and the reaction that can provoke.
=17. Joan is Awful (2023)
Episode: Season 6, episode 1
IMDb rating: 7.4/10
Starring: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, Michael Cera
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Joan (Murphy) is an average woman who lives a mundane life. She is a team leader at her company and begins her day by firing an employee before going to a therapy session. One night, she and her fiance decide to watch something on Streamberry – a global streaming service and a parody of Netflix, even has the ta-dum sound – and stumble upon a mysterious show called Joan is Awful. As they watch, they realise the show appears to be a dramatic adaptation of Joan’s life from the same day.
The National's take: Imagine if the worst things you've done get played out for the entertainment of millions. A reality for some reality TV stars, sure, but what if it's not entirely consensual (albeit technically legal)? The way the episode escalates is a true roller-coaster of emotions.
=15. Smithereens (2019)
Episode: Season 5, episode 2
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Starring: Andrew Scott, Damson Idris, Topher Grace
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Rideshare driver Chris (Scott) is a nervous wreck and has a major problem with social media giant Smithereen, though it isn’t initially revealed why. He takes Smithereen employee Jaden (Idris) hostage and threatens to kill him unless he is allowed to get through and speak directly to the Smithereen chief executive, Billy Bauer (Grace).
The National’s take: The episode explores the ways that social media has just made things worse for people.
=15. Men Against Fire (2016)
Episode: Season 3, episode 5
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Starring: Malachi Kirby, Madeline Brewer, Ariane Labed
Writer: Charlie Brooker
In a future where soldiers are implanted with technology that enhances their senses and suppresses fear, a soldier is tasked with hunting down mutant-like beings called “Roaches". But after a mission goes wrong, he begins to question what he’s seeing – and what the military is hiding. The truth forces him to confront the cost of manufactured reality.
The National’s take: The episode not only showcases just how truly devastating war can be, but also just how evil some people are.
14. The National Anthem (2011)
Episode: Season 1, episode 1
IMDb rating: 7.6/10
Starring: Rory Kinnear, Lindsay Duncan, Donald Sumpter
Writer: Charlie Brooker
When a member of the British royal family is kidnapped, the UK Prime Minister, Michael Callow (Kinnear), faces a shocking ransom demand – to perform an unspeakable act live on television. As the nation watches, the boundaries between politics, media, and morality are tested.
The National’s take: Reflection on current (and near recent) political landscapes, this is not the most far-fetched episode of Black Mirror.
=10. Playtest (2016)
Episode: Season 3, episode 2
IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Starring: Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Wunmi Mosaku
Writer: Charlie Brooker
An American traveller named Cooper (Russell) agrees to test an experimental VR implant for a gaming company, designed to tap into his deepest fears. What starts as a night in a simulated haunted house quickly unravels as the line between real and virtual blurs, trapping him in a mind-bending loop where even his own memories can’t be trusted.
The National’s take: This feels most like a horror film and is one of the scariest Black Mirror episodes, with strong psychological horror themes.
=10. White Bear (2013)
Episode: Season 2, episode 2
IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Starring: Lenora Crichlow, Michael Smiley, Tuppence Middleton
Writer: Charlie Brooker
When Victoria (Crichlow) wakes up in a mysterious house, she discovers that a strange symbol has appeared on TVs and phone screens, turning most humans into passive voyeurs who do nothing but film everything on their phones. She’s unaffected, but unfortunately, that makes her a target for also-unaffected “hunters", and she finds herself chased through the countryside by murderous gangs as onlookers film proceedings.
The National’s take: The episode is unsettling in many ways, but it also accurately reflects how many people have become passive bystanders nowadays.
=10. Be Right Back (2013)
Episode: Season 2, episode 1
IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Starring: Hayley Atwell, Domhnall Gleeson, Claire Keelan
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Martha (Atwell), pregnant and grieving her husband Ash (Gleeson), who died in a car crash, is persuaded to try a new technology that uses his digital footprint to create an AI version of him for companionship. Initially hesitant, she grows comfortable with "Phone Ash", but when she decides to take it further and order a physical, android replica of her husband, the relationship takes a darker turn. Despite its life-like appearance, the android lacks the depth of the real Ash, and as Martha becomes more reliant on it, the flaws in the simulation become increasingly unsettling, forcing her to confront the painful reality of her loss.
The National’s take: Anyone who has ever lost someone close to them will understand the roller coaster of emotions from the episode.
=10. Fifteen Million Merits (2011)
Episode: Season 1, episode 2
IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Jessica Brown Findlay, Rupert Everett
Writers: Charlie Brooker, Konnie Huq
In a dystopian future world where almost every surface is a touch screen of some sort, ordinary people are forced to spend long hours riding on stationary exercise bikes to generate energy for their world. For doing so, they earn credits, which allow them to watch TV shows, play games, skip adverts and other such things that seemed far-fetched in 2011, and now don’t. The only way out of this is to win an X-Factor-style reality show, or appear in some of the even less salubrious shows available, so our hero sets himself to the task at hand.
The National’s take: It's an interesting look at society’s obsession with instant gratification and fame.
=8. USS Callister (2017)
Episode: Season 4, episode 1
IMDb rating: 8.3/10
Starring: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson
Writers: Charlie Brooker, William Bridges
Programming wiz and tech company owner Robert Daly (Plemons) feels undervalued by his staff. In a bid to retaliate, he’s been taking DNA from their coffee cups, creating clones of them and imprisoning them in a Star Trek-like VR game where he is the captain and can abuse and insult his crew to his heart’s content. When a new programmer joins the company, and hence the game, things take a sudden turn.
The National’s take: This will make you think twice about not being nice to your work colleagues.
=8. Nosedive (2016)
Episode: Season 3, episode 1
IMDb rating: 8.3/10
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, Cherry Jones
Writers: Rashida Jones, Michael Schur, Charlie Brooker
In a world dominated by smartphones, people can rate each other out of five stars and every interaction also impacts socio-economic status. The episode follows Lacie (Howard), a young woman who is obsessed with her ratings and hopes to elevate her status after being chosen to be the maid of honour for the wedding of her popular childhood friend. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned.
The National’s take: In the years since this episode came out, it feels like it's become more of an observation of social media use than a cautionary tale.
=6. Hated in the Nation (2016)
Episode: Season 3, episode 6
IMDb rating: 8.4/10
Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Faye Marsay, Benedict Wong
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Set in a near-future London, detectives Karin Parke (Macdonald) and Blue Colson (Marsay) investigate a series of mysterious deaths linked to an online hate campaign. The victims of the campaign are chosen through a social media hashtag #DeathTo, where the person who gets the highest mentions gets killed. The killings are carried out by Autonomous Drone Insects, originally designed to replace declining bee populations.
The National’s take: You’ll want to watch out what you say, especially on social media.
=6. Shut Up and Dance (2016)
Episode: Season 3, episode 3
IMDb rating: 8.4/10
Starring: Alex Lawther, Jerome Flynn, Susannah Doyle
Writers: William Bridges, Charlie Brooker
Teenager Kenny (Lawther) falls victim to hackers who record him through his webcam. Threatened with exposure of his embarrassing footage, he is forced to comply with a series of increasingly dangerous and morally compromising tasks, revealing the depths to which people can be manipulated.
The National’s take: This will make you rethink your relationship with technology (and perhaps, buy a cover for your laptop camera).
=4. San Junipero (2016)
Episode: Season 3, episode 4
IMDb rating: 8.5/10
Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mackenzie Davis, Denise Burse
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Two women named Yorkie (Davis) and Kelly (Mbatha-Raw) meet in a vibrant, nostalgic beach town where time feels fluid. As their connection deepens, it’s revealed that San Junipero isn’t just a place – it’s a virtual afterlife where people can live beyond death. While Yorkie is eager to stay forever, Kelly struggles with the weight of her past and moving on.
The National’s take: An emotional journey, there's good reason this episode is often cited as one of the best. Oh and good luck getting Heaven is a Place on Earth out of your head after watching.
=4. The Entire History of You (2011)
Episode: Season 1, episode 3
IMDb rating: 8.5/10
Starring: Toby Kebbell, Jodie Whittaker, Tom Cullen
Writers: Jesse Armstrong, Charlie Brooker
Taking place in a world where people can replay every memory through an implanted device called the "grain”, Liam (Kebbell) grows suspicious of his wife’s past interactions with another man. He obsessively replays their moments together, searching for proof of betrayal. His paranoia spirals, leading to a confrontation and a truth he might have been better off not knowing.
The National’s take: Have tissues on hand as the bittersweet episode might leave you in tears.
3. Black Museum (2017)
Episode: Season 4, episode 6
IMDb rating: 8.6/10
Starring: Douglas Hodge, Letitia Wright, Daniel Lapaine
Writer: Charlie Brooker, Penn Jillette
The episode is divided into three stories. The overarching story follows Nish (Wright), a traveller who stumbles upon the Black Museum, a roadside attraction filled with eerie artefacts from experimental technology. The museum’s owner, Rolo Haynes (Hodge), eagerly shares the stories behind each exhibit, leading to a chilling conclusion that hits much closer to home than expected.
The National’s take: If you like justice, this is the episode for you. It also has many Easter eggs from past episodes, so keep an eye out for those too.
2. Hang the DJ (2017)
Episode: Season 4, episode 4
IMDb rating: 8.7/10
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Joe Cole, Gina Bramhill
Writer: Charlie Brooker
Frank (Cole) and Amy (Campbell) are two people navigating a mysterious dating system that pairs people up and then gives an expiration date on the relationship. As the two go through fleeting romances and find a deeper connection with each other, they begin to question the system’s true purpose.
The National’s take: A brilliant episode with an ending that most people won’t see coming.
1. White Christmas (2014)
Episode: Season 2, episode 4
IMDb rating: 9.1/10
Starring: John Hamm, Rafe Spall, Oona Chaplin
Writer: Charlie Brooker
The 2014 Christmas special was the final Black Mirror episode to air on the UK’s Channel 4 before moving to Netflix. In a remote, snowy outpost, two men share stories to pass the time. Their tales reveal dark technological advancements, including a device that blocks people in real life and digital consciousnesses used as personal assistants. As their narratives intertwine, a darker connection between them emerges.
The National’s take: The episode reminds you that sometimes the worst prison is the one inside your own mind.
