Black Mirror – Season 1: National Anthem

During the last couple of years I haven’t watched too many television show and therefore I missed many great shows. This was also the case for Black Mirror. Many people I know told me I should be checking it out, especially because I’ve always had a lot of interest in technology. It made me curious and decided to give it a watch, especially since a season only consists of three episodes. Now I normally don’t like including spoilers in my reviews, but as this is a series I’m going to break that rule. I’m also going to review each episode separately. If the first episode is any indication of the quality of the rest of the season, I’m in for something amazing. If you have not seen this show yet you can stop reading now and check out the first episode, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. It simply is phenomenal.

National Anthem is a blood pumping, thrilling experience, all thanks to its surreal but extremely strong story. The prime minister of the UK is woken by his staff because a video has appeared online which has direct impact on him. One of the royal princesses has been kidnapped and in the video she is reading a statement, crying. There is only one demand made and if the prime minister does not comply the princess will be killed. The demand is a shocking one: The prime minister has to get on TV at four o’clock (on all channels) that afternoon and make love to a pig. It’s a bizarre demand and there is no way to negotiate with those responsible.

What follows is a stressful day in which the government is trying to find out who is responsible for putting the video online, how to get out of the demand. The government tries to demand TV stations not to show it, but under the pressure of keeping up with other foreign station, the local ones decide to run the story as well. It shows the impact the video has on society and the public opinion as it has gone viral. That public opinion constantly plays a role in what the prime minister decides to do. If they don’t manage to catch the people responsible he will have to do something horrific which will save the life of the princess, but will mean a lot of personal issues for him. If he doesn’t do it, it means the end of his political career.

National Anthem succeeds in a terrific way to show both the personal side of the story as that of the public as it is formed by the media. It is shot and edited in an exciting way and will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through. When I’m usually watching something at home I will, from time to time pause to get something to drink or check my mail. That didn’t happen during any moment here. It is something that hooks you and once it is done it makes you think.

This opening episode shows that it is possible for one individual to put an amazing amount of pressure on a government with just one video on the internet and control a whole society. Even with such a bizarre story it is shown in a convincing and realistic way that you never question it. When at the end the whole thing turns out to be the work of a well-respected artist there is a reviewer who calls it the first big masterpiece of the century. Can it be considered art? There are a lot of documentaries that question when something is art (Exit Through the Giftshop comes to mind). In this case 1.3 billion people saw what unfolded and if it is the work of the artist does the title masterpiece fit? If it wasn’t done by an artist that discussion would not have been started.

This first episode stunned and surprised me and that is something not many movies or TV shows are able to do. Only one conclusion is possible: This is a must see!