Everyone loves a Christmas special, but some are better than others. When you think of a Christmas special, you think about a cheesy sitcom-esque TV show or a dramatic soap opera where one of the main characters has been murdered. But, rarely do we put the words Christmas and thriller together. However, this British thriller, which is one of the best TV shows to come out of the UK, has its own Christmas special, and Stylist has described it as the “best Christmas TV episode ever”.
The series I’m referring to here is Black Mirror, particularly its 2014 episode “White Christmas”.
The Christmas special’s synopsis reads: “In a mysterious and remote snowy outpost, Matt and Potter share an interesting Christmas meal together, swapping creepy tales of their earlier lives in the outside world.”
The episode was written by series creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker and directed by Carl Tibbetts, first airing on Channel 4 on 16 December 2014. It was agreed as a one-off special after Channel 4 rejected potential series three scripts, and the episode was the last to air before the programme moved from Channel 4 to Netflix.
Black Mirror is a British anthology television series in which most episodes are set in near-future dystopias containing sci-fi technology; it is a type of speculative fiction. The series is said to be inspired by The Twilight Zone and uses the themes of technology and media to comment on contemporary social issues.
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has received a 90% rating, with the critics’ consensus stating: “This yuletide nightmare gifts Black Mirror fans with a bleak mind-twister of an episode and a stocking stuffer of existential dread.”
One fan left a glowing review and said: “This is a masterpiece, one of the best science fiction films I’ve ever seen. The plotting and interwoven storyline were brilliantly done, and the acting, especially by Jon Hamm, was off the charts. The extrapolation of today’s technology into the future was amazing. The story was about people, though, not technology, and there’s a lot the creators are trying to say that comes through loud and clear, but without ever coming out and saying it. On top of that, there are some killer plot twists. I cannot recommend this movie enough! I have not seen that many of the regular Black Mirror episodes, but this was a cut way above the ones I have seen.”
Another said: “White Christmas is one of the best and most unique Christmas specials I’ve ever seen with a smart and thought-provoking story, great performances from Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall, unexpected twists, and a haunting ending.”
“Perfection. The best Black Mirror episode, in my opinion,” added a third.
The Black Mirror episode, along with the rest of the series, is now streaming on Netflix.
