Black Mirror's White Christmas is a 2014 special Christmas episode, which was written and created by Charlie Brooker. The episode is certainly an absolute punch to the face as it holds the same mind-boggling essence that the rest of the series resides on.
Black Mirror Christmas special is a tale of three interconnected stories that revolve around technology. The episode starts with two characters, Matthew and Joe, trapped in a severe snowstorm inside a remote cabin.
However, when they start opening up about their lives while waiting for the storm to pass, they find that they are somehow related and even entangled in an intricate web of consequences.
Themes of Black Mirror, White Christmas episode
Although Christmas is a time of celebration and togetherness, Black Mirror’s Christmas special episode, however, stays true to its agenda. The two main characters in this story stay isolated, ensnared by the adverse impacts of technology.
While Christmas is a festivity when memories are made, the "White Christmas" episode examines deeply the ethical implications of technology that has the power to control human consciousness and even memories.
It is even surprising to think that these ethical implications could raise questions about human identity and autonomy, another take on the episode. The episode reflects upon the viewers to contemplate how increasingly digital lives create more loneliness, presenting justifications for moral and ethical dilemmas related to consent and privacy.
What makes Black Mirror’s White Christmas special?
While people cherish Christmas to the core and want to make every Christmas of their lives unforgettable, Black Mirror keeps its legacy alive. Black Mirror, just like the rest of its seasons, never disappoints its viewers with surprise elements and the ‘tough to predict’ turns in the story.
Where White Christmas signifies snow’s glory in winter that adorns the green grass, giving a more winter wonderland appearance, Black Mirror wants to make the story unforgettable with its dark revelations.
The holiday episode reveals an exaggerated look at how technology can change one’s life with a three-part story of two characters. With its intense and gripping non-linear narrative structure of its story-telling, Black Mirror ensures a big-bang moment is created on Christmas, proving to be one of the best TV episodes on Netflix.
Black Mirror validated yet again that it would never remain easy for the viewers to predict what is going to happen next, that is why "White Christmas" stays a wild and compelling ride.
Internet ratings
The two biggest rating platforms of the entertainment world, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, have given ratings to this Christmas special episode as:
- IMDb: 9.1
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90 percent
Users on IMDb have mentioned it as “extremely cruel”, “creepy as hell” and “darker than the toast” while acclaimed critics from The New York Times have stated it as “a welcome shock” on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Rotten Tomatoes’ critic from Independent (UK) even verified the song “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” to be chilly enough that it has altered the whole meaning of holiday cheer, making it unforgettable.
The spotlight is on whether to watch or give it a miss
This Christmas, you must watch a downright masterpiece of Black Mirror, the special holiday episode, to make it more like a festive cheer with your close ones.
While Black Mirror testifies its own ability to stun viewers, it offers various degrees of abstraction about technology and the extreme possible ways that can go wrong.