MovieChat Forums > Black Mirror (2011) Discussion > Nosedive was so off putting

Nosedive was so off putting

posted 8 years ago by jdiz115
29 replies | jump to latest

I can forgive the shove down your throat social message aspect of it but the lead actress was just unforgivably annoying. She was more annoying than the other fake annoying people. And what was that wedding scene... I'm thinking she's gonna give this profound speech but it just turns into some silly running around and screaming. Then the ending?? What a wasted opportunity.

Also I have to say that the "honesty" = real person is also false. Yes there is an abundance of fake news but nowadays we have this counter culture of "just being honest" people who use "honesty" as a means to justify their rudeness. I hate that when these issues people seem to think it's either honesty or fake.... um whatever to happened to having tact? 95% of "honesty" is people being rude and putting themselves first... and if that were the case I'd much prefer a fake people society.

[–] exatera 8 years ago

I think Bryce Dallas Howard played that character perfectly. All the insecurities, the fake niceness out of fear, the helpless feeling of being unjustly wronged. It was an exquisite performance.

[–] Musashi_MijaBloto 8 years ago

Yep. That was a very good episode, and actors acted decently. The only really bad acting was by the main protagonist in Playtest:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085059/board/thread/262582492

[–] sometimesyoujustknow 8 years ago

Everything, everything you just said.

[–] FourViolets 8 years ago

I think many Black Mirror episodes can be hard for someone to take, especially when it addresses something that is currently happening and that I you or we may be involved in. You are peering into the black mirror and you see your reflection. The way you went off on the honest person was kinda telling to be honest. She was not rude, actually she was extremely kind and helpful. But like you said many people want to live in a fake people society where social status and social media are of the most importance when people pretend to appear to be happy and perfect on the outside, to be liked... but are actually breaking and have no sense of self worth on the inside.

[–] simpsonment 8 years ago

Come on, man, don't give us this nonsense. Just think for a while.
He went off on the 'honest' person? How did you even know she was honest? Was there even the slightest depth to her character, aside from preachingly helping the lame protagonist? All the swearing and name-calling suddenly makes her honest, and then someone who comments precisely on the explicitly poor writing of the episode, means that they are the ones "missing the point" and should be looking deeper inside themselves?
No, we don't miss the point. We get the point. Even a 10-year-old can understand the point. It's painfully obvious, it's already happening and we know it, so we don't need to be subjected to an hour of an extreme, poorly written hyperbole of a situation we are already aware of, with a protagonist so pathetic and annoying that makes you want to kill yourself. It's just totally useless.

I Sympathize with Lars Von Trier.

[–] FourViolets 8 years ago

Way to put words in my mouth. Just because you thought it was horrible doesn't mean others need to. I was only stating my view of this specific episode. And in my opinion the woman was trying to be helpful. She gave her a ride when no one else did. She gave her food. She also gave her honesty and a glimmer of hope that if she decided to let her hair down and just be a real person not trying to keep up with the Joneses, that she would survive just fine. No one is perfect. But she wasn't trying to lie to get points on an app or whatever. So I saw her as honest. You don't need to be spoon fed that the character was a breath of fresh air in a world of people in empty meaningless lives behind masks.

BTW this was definitely one of my least favorite of the show. But I was able to enjoy it for what it was without being hyper critical or pissed off about it. Also did I say someone missed the point? Also I did read the original OP as her criticizing the one character in the episode who has the balls enough to be honest. Her cursing and whatever else (I barely remember) was a sharp contrast to her "friends" who shunned her when her points went down.

[–] FourViolets 8 years ago

I was only criticizing her comment that she'd rather live in a fake people world. It kind of reminds me of all the characters in the film enabling this point system.

[–] simpsonment 8 years ago

Okay, I see your point, sorry. The episode did piss me off a bit too much...

I Sympathize with Lars Von Trier.

[–] thebricks 8 years ago

That's the point???

[–] leefoo-1 8 years ago

OP....I mentioned on a similar thread that I felt the same way. I just quit watching it and read the ep summary on Wiki.

It looks like I didn't miss much except more annoying performances from Bryce H.

[–] ZoneFighter 8 years ago

Really? If I hadn't accidentally watched Nosedive before National Anthem I would not have continued watch the show. National Anthem is disgusting and absurd. For some reason Netflix took me right into season 3 instead of 1. Only after I finsiehd Nosedive did I go back to National Anthem, which is a horrible episode.

[–] gato_negro_9 8 years ago

Netflix took me to season 3 directly too. I was very impressed with Nosedive. I watched the next episode too, and although very good it was Nosedive the one that impressed me thoroughly.
I have a hard time understanding the people who were disappointed by it.
Are the other seasons so fantastic? Or did they just didn't get it? Or are they part of a generation were having a cellphone glued to your hand is just the nature of things?

[–] simpsonment 8 years ago

Well, I can't forgive anything. This was utter crap. I still can't believe this was a Black Mirror episode. I mean, which audience were they aiming for? Paris Hilton fans?
I honestly think that people defending this either forgot about or never even realized the sheer brilliance of the two seasons of this show.
I hope this was the exception and that the rest of season 3 compensates for this.
1 star.

I Sympathize with Lars Von Trier.

[–] TheMetalCat 8 years ago

I just watched the first 2 seasons and thought they were fantastic. But upon watching the third season I was distinctly disappointed with the fact that they seemed to have "Americanised" it - why don't Americans seem willing to watch British actors unless they're putting on American accents? I thought if any series would be able to break this stereotype it would be Black Mirror.

The episode itself I felt was weaker than anything I had seen in the previous 2 seasons, that's not to necessarily say it was awful but I don't think it was up to the standard of the episodes that came before it. I understand that all of the episodes commonly comment on societies relationship to technology in some way, but this seemed to be rather watered-down and shallow. The conceit of the episode was fine - a society that rates people out of 5 and causes a clear class divide, but other than that there were no real depths to it and it certainly didn't need to be an hour long. Did we really need to see/hear the main character drunkenly ramble about her childhood for several minutes? Was it supposed to be funny?

I'm hoping that the other episodes in season 2 get better or at least closer to the feeling of the previous seasons.

[–] Sluggr-3 8 years ago

I watched to the end hoping that somehow there would be a moment where a scandal was revealed, ie, she knew a secret about the bride which the bride hoped would remain hidden if she were the maid of honor, and there would be a flip-flop in the ratings. But no, it was just a continuation of the downward spiral. The message of the episode has been known for a long time. The only difference is that technology has made it more efficient and impersonal. There will always be a pecking order in place. But one can always choose to not be a part of the system. I have managed to do quite well without being on facebook for probably the last 7-8 years, having gotten off back in the days when they made it damn near impossible to delete an account.

Anyone familiar with Bill Hicks would avoid facebook like the plague, as it is exactly what he predicted before his untimely death. All marketing is based upon introducing a discomfort, for which a product is developed that can fix the discomfort. If you want to feel ugly, pick up a beauty magazine, which fortunately contains solution to all of ones inadequacies. I really feel sorry for the kids who have gotten sucked into social media. Are there facebook anonymous meetings yet? From what I have seen it certainly has all the essential characteristics. This season of South Park has been working through it, comparing leaving Twitter to actually committing suicide.

My Chimp DNA seems to have lost its password temporarily. Sluggr-2