Playtest

Let me start by saying that I rarely find the need to write physical reviews for many things, but then again that doesn't even matter. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to inform others about the sheer audacity of this amazing episode.

As a fan of Black Mirror, I was excited to start this season. The first episode was very well-executed and I'm not quite sure what I was going to expect for the second episode.

But let me tell you.

This is one of the most well-made, well-directed, well-acted, truly terrifying, most intense pieces of television/film that I have ever seen. And I've seen some pretty disturbing s***. Nothing compares to what I just witnessed with this episode. Everything was so expertly crafted, that it made the climax that much more satisfying. I don't even know how to begin to process this episode.

I am truly in awe of how much time, effort and dedication the creators put into this show, let alone this singular episode. It is clear that both the writers and directors of this show truly care about phenomenal filmmaking.

Also, shout out to Dan Trachtenberg for directing this episode. As a debut director with 10 Cloverfield Ln, he was a force to be reckoned with. With this entry of Black Mirror, he proves that he won't hold back. Excited to see more from him! Second shout out to Netflix, as the distributor for this season. You guys really know what people want to see!

I watched this episode with my 19year old son. At the end I asked, what's the moral of this story? Always answer when your mom calls!!

"Playtest" shows a terrifying vision which could actually be a reality in the future. At its core, it's just a man walking around a house screaming a lot. But despite its deceptive simplicity, it becomes a lot more than that due to some disturbing twists.

The episode clearly appeals to gamers, apart from the video game theme there are some blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments (I saw Dark Souls 3 in Sonja's game collection). Although non-gamers will understand the terrifying concept, it would resonate more with gamers, especially those who have tried horror games with VR headsets. It touches on why people play horror games at all when they are, as the name hints, horrible, but the main point of the episode is to show how far VR could go. The twist in this episode is that Cooper has technology inserted into his brain to make him see things are aren't really there. This allows the technology to play with his mind and his senses.

Much of this episode is made up of Cooper walking around the house and while it is tense, and while the sole protagonist's acting is very good and while there is a tone of dark humour, the plot at first is simplistic and predictable.

The real twists come one-by-one near the end of the episode and the final twist changes everything, completely turning what you thought you understood was happening upside down. Brilliant, intense and a shocking ending.

I won't repeat what other top-rated reviewers wrote.

As a gamer, I took a pause at the shot when Cooper went through Sonja's video game collection. I was impressed that most games there are classic horror games like Dead Space, ranging from last-gen to current-gen consoles. I've seen many films where games were just meaningless items in the living room. But clearly the crew here did their homework or are gamers themselves. The scene was around the initial buildup and is a clue to whomever pays attention, and therefore convinced me to watch on.

The other convincing aspect: In many other horror films, the characters are plain stupid and don't know when to quit. They touch things that look obviously dangerous, stay in danger when it's time to bail, and finally die with zero sympathy from the audience because they are just way too stupid to be real. The protagonist here knows the technology, has basic logic, and reacts to events the way that an average person would do. The most impressive part is that the reactions develop from event to event; the acting in lots of other horror films fails to deliver this and so easily falls flat by cloning the same level of excitement throughout.

Compared to the X-Files Season 7 episode "First Person Shooter" almost 20 years ago, this episode shows what the similar concept could be delivered if a more serious angle is taken, the research done right, and the production details attended to.

The only reason why I didn't give it a 10 star is Sonja. I feel that this character didn't receive a full closure.

This episode packed in so much, talk about a thrill ride. After a slightly casual, meandering start it develops into what has to be described as classic Black Mirror. When these episodes hit on a theme or a concept that makes you say to yourself 'that could possibly happen,' they work better, and boy this one is along those lines. With the advancements in gaming tech over the years, why on Earth couldn't something like this happen. Outrageous production values, a terrifying concept, fabulous performances, notably from Wyatt Russell and Wunmi Mosaku (the latter being one of the best British talents we have!) all elements add up to make Playtest a rip roaring ride of terror, 57 minutes you'll not want to miss.

Would you kindly open the door?