MovieChat Forums > Black Mirror (2011) Discussion > ''Nose Dive'' - main character, life ove...

''Nose Dive'' - main character, life over?

posted 4 years ago by holly61 (957)
6 replies | jump to latest

She was a single woman earning a modest income living with her brother who's lease was almost up on their condo. Most of her motivation for going to the wedding was actually financially oriented. She needed those ''scores'' to be able to qualify for that loan/discount on the house she wanted to buy. She was actually in a fairly tight spot when the episode began and at risk for eviction. I think we tend to view her as an insecure social climber but she's actually quite a resourceful woman trying to make ends meet willing to take an opportunity to better her life.

Given the world she lives in and the disaster that unfolded sadly I don't see anything good for her. There doesn't seem anyway back. Either she is jailed for life or sent to live on the fringe of society jobless and homeless. Truly one of the most tragic episodes.

[–] ace2 (571) 3 years ago

It took multiple viewings and I really struggled to finish this episode, not because it was bad, but because of how much I was cringing watching her go through all this. I thought it was a great concept and Howard's acting along with the script was really turning my insides out.

I still don't understand why I was able to more easily get through other episodes depicting apocalyptic, horrific events with lives at stake, yet this seemingly mild string of events (when you think about it) affected me so much.

[–] aavfreak (3322) 3 years ago

It may be the relatability of the events. You point out that they are not horrific like other episodes, but seemingly mild. These are things that could happen (and likely have happened) to any of us. The difference is that instead of laying awake in the wee hours of the morning remembering the cringe things you've done or mistakes you've made, there are actual consequences for these things in this episode.

Who hasn't had a time where a series of events has spiraled out of control? Imagine if that then affects your credit score, ability to take a flight, ability to rent a car, ability to buy fuel.

The additional layer to this is that we see this happening in real time in the world we live in now. "Authorities" shutting off financial access for those with whom they disagree or want to punish.

[–] naDaht (1087) 2 years ago

It's because Nosedive is happening right now, all around us.

[–] cupcakekid (37) a year ago

For the same reason Martin Scorsese said The Age of Innocence was his most violent movie. Seemingly mild social moves which go against the mores of society or simply being can have catastrophic consequences. You need to calculate your every move to make sure you haven't broken some unwritten rule. It reminds me of Japanese society where social ostracization is feared more than the law for some minor infractions. The pain is emotional and psychological. It is real slow burn torture.

Even the glimmer of hope at the end is snatched away. A quick end from a bullet might be less tortuous.

The events in Nosedive are similar. Working hard alone isn't enough to get by. It's also stuff we have seen, one wrong move can wreck your life.

It's happening in China with people unable to pay their mortgages. Their bank accounts are frozen. There is no bankruptcy, you are on the hook for life and yet your life is also highly restricted. People are afraid to buy homes now.

[–] CalvinJarrett (451) a year ago

I don't think her fate is really as desolate as you think. She met that truck driver, played brilliantly by Cherry Jones. Though she didn't believe her at the time, the truck driver showed her that there is life off-the-grid. Even with a 1.4 rating (or whatever the truck driver had) she appeared happier than these phony bologna 4.8's. It took the truck driver's late husband losing his hospital bed to a patient with a decimal-point-higher popularity rating and succumbing to cancer for her to realize the rating system was a waste of effort. Possibly, Lacy's wake-up call will be the cathartic wedding speech she gave and her subsequent incarceration. An incarceration for what?! Being drunk and obnoxious at a wedding? My hunch is she may track down the truck driver, learn how to live off-the-grid like her, and be much happier.

Also, I think when she and the male prisoner with whom she exchanges barbs (and then laughter) are released, they may become an item and brave the off-social-media/rating system together. It seemed as though the male prisoner may have been incarcerated for the exact same offense judging from how he was dressed. He probably got drunk at a wedding and made an inappropriate best man's speech. They were made for each other.

[–] bobbydallas (8522) 10 months ago

maybe she can drive a truck