Is it a game? or is it a movie? It’s actually a “Netflix Interactive Flim for Adults”, according to the popular streaming service provider. And yes, we have seen this countless times before, be it with Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead. But what makes this particular one special is the production value, the fact that its actual camera work and very less CGI or animations.
If you are optimistic enough the graphics quality can be defined as excellent, unlike any other video game in the market right now. Plus the storyline is pretty great, or not that great, depends on your choices. Netflix has done the concept justice, and if you have played it, I’m sure you would agree on that.
How does it work?
Every now and then, the movie gives you choices (you get 10 seconds to choose), basically getting to control the main character. And the same define how the film begins, how it plays out and how it ends. It starts off with something simple like the brand of serial the main character starts the day with, Frosties or Sugar Puffs. Giving you a feel for the game, giving you the control, what you can expect from it before it gets violent, or not, it’s still up to you.
Storyline
[A disclaimer, this is a spoiler-free review]
So the storyline, you can end up with one of five different endings. Each with their own different storyline, their own different adventures, and their own different concepts. If you opt not to choose either of the options, the movie will play out with default choices and you basically end up with the least exciting scripting and the plainest ending possible.
If you opt to control the character, you are in for an exciting movie. It does a great job of engaging the viewer, keeping them interested, frustrated, sad and best of all have a bit of fun throughout the movie. It was quite a unique experience, to say the least. To be fair, it’s still a Black Mirror Episode and they kinda have their own way of seizing the attention of its audience.
Conclusion
Bandersnatch was definitely something unique, but sadly if you want the full experience you will have to subscribe to Netflix. You can download the pirated version but the interaction part is missing. It does take most of the fun out of the movie and it feels pretty boring. Other bad news is Netflix raising it’s pricing, thanks to the popularity of shows like Birdbox and Sex Education. They also posted a huge 35% YoY growth with almost 29 million new subscribers.
Don’t do it. pic.twitter.com/dZUeyxW50x
— Black Mirror (@blackmirror) 27 December 2018
Either way, Bandersnatch definitely offers a great experience and is definitely worth a shot. Bringing the vague difference between movies and games even closer, the transition between choices was, well, as seamless as it could have been. Given that the movie just took 35 days in the shooting, and almost 2 years in the making, it was definitely not rushed, unlike the movie itself. So, if you want to watch it, you can click here to subscribe to Netflix, or just download the pirated version, which we fully discourage.
