The dystopian series Black Mirror has released a new film called “Bandersnatch.” The interactive film allows viewers to decide how the story unfolds. Our Leya has completed the film and believes that all gamers should check out Bandersnatch.
What is Black Mirror? The British science fiction series plays with our fears and holds up a dark mirror to our faces. Each episode is a standalone short film that confronts us with the effects of technology and media on us as a society. Black Mirror is available on Netflix.
What makes Bandersnatch different: The Christmas special “Bandersnatch,” which is detached from the usual seasons, is something truly special. The interactive film features various scenarios and endings, through which I guide the protagonist like a puppet.
At the bottom of the screen, two options appear at certain points in the film, from which I choose and determine the fate of the protagonist.
Bandersnatch is a film that I play through like a game
During the film, it is not difficult to figure out what the main plot point is leading towards. But that’s not a bad thing. What is much more impressive is the “how” in Bandersnatch. How I experience this film cannot be compared to any other film. I am actively involved.
An emotional experience: In my decisions, I always torment the protagonist through the worst possible options. Every time I feel bad for making life so difficult for him. But I just want to know what the torment does to him and the story. It fits with Black Mirror.
These emotions could previously only be triggered in me by games. In games, I often question my actions and feel much more personally impacted. Because I control the characters. That is one reason why I love playing so much.
Common issues: If you have ever played a game by Telltale (The Walking Dead) or Quantic Dream (Detroit Become Human), you will feel right at home with the “gameplay” of Bandersnatch. These games are structured like interactive films in which you also make decisions for the characters. However, there are “quick-time events” here where you have to press buttons quickly in action-packed scenes. That is absent in Bandersnatch.
These games give me the illusion that I completely determine the course of the story. In reality, it leads to a global ending that can vary slightly in different scenarios. This very illusion is also what Bandersnatch gives me. There are some paths that are simply predetermined, which I cannot change.
A direction for films that could appeal to gamers
Bandersnatch as an experiment: The direction taken by the short film is incredibly exciting to me. I love this interactive film experience where I can empathize so strongly and leave a piece of myself in the film.
The concept of an interactive film is certainly still developable, but Bandersnatch is already quite groundbreaking as an experiment.
I recommend every gamer to check out Bandersnatch. Or play through it, depending on how you want to view it. It’s simply the kind of entertainment that appeals to us as gamers.
If you would rather passively watch a good series, we have a few tips from 2018:
