Hands down, Black Mirror is one of the best series of the past decade. It is so well produced you feel angst with every episode. This sense of despair that is felt at the end of every episode reflects a scary aspect of our lives and where we’re heading, propelled by the powers of technology. Each episode is devoted to a particular technological moral conundrum, forcing us to meditate on our erratic and thoughtless use of technology.
Naturally, the series has been such a success that many have been inspired either by the themes or narrative structures to create their own versions and visual products, but is there one that has been able to topple this masterpiece?
While many of us were biting our nails waiting for the new season to come out, Netflix announced a new Polish series called Czarne Lusterko, which translates to Little Black Mirror. The series is definitely tied to the original since it even shares the same intro song. So what makes it scarier and more disturbing than the original?
We could start by saying that this one is actually way shorter than the original, with episodes ranging from eight to twenty minutes. The narrative is more compact and devote to exploiting to the fullest extent the disturbing qualities of the stories. The episodes aren’t remakes, they’re actually original stories created by diverse vloggers and social media creatives in Poland. They do follow the same formula of how technology will overpower our lives in the future.
Another factor that might be the reason why this one’s become so popular over in Poland and other Eastern European countries is that each episode works like a short film that pays homage to the original series but instills a new creative quality that differs from the boundaries and limits put in place in Black Mirror. Project leader Jacek Ambrosiewicz, set out to discover internet creatives with unique styles and concepts that meshed well with his premise. Then, he allowed them free reign to create their own disturbing alternate realities. What’s interesting is that the creatives behind these small episodes instilled parts of their own lives to make it even more realistic.
For me, that last part is crucial since if you wish to create a sci-fi story you have to incorporate real life elements in order to make it convincing for the audience. The series alludes to Poland’s turbulent history during WWII and Soviet rule that lasted for more than three decades. All this historical baggage creates a unique perspective that weaves perfectly with the gloomy image of the future that is painted.
It doesn’t matter if you’re for Black Mirror or Little Black Mirror, what’s important is that these projects are pushing us to think about our own reality and what future we are shaping for ourselves and those that surround us. We are beginning to see the results of our own laziness and insouciance with cases like Cambridge Analytica taking the world by storm. This is just the tip of the iceberg, so why not put under the microscope all those amazing digital tools we have in our hands and how are we using them?
Below is one of the episodes. You can watch the rest on their official Youtube Channel:
***
Here are other frightening shows and movies you should watch:
10 Disturbing Documentaries That Explore The Darkest Corners Of Humanity
8 Twisty Thrillers You Must Watch When You Feel You’ve Seen It All
The Filmmaker Who Creates Creepy Modern Day Fables Of Our Darkest Desires
***
