MovieChat Forums > Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) Discussion > banter-trash (spoilers)

banter-trash (spoilers)

posted 6 years ago by fzane (1105)
11 replies | jump to latest

The LSD scene was cool, but it should probably just be a standalone youtube video or something. There was no substance to the rest of the movie. It was chock full of dead air, repetitive scenes, and boring non-content. At the very best, you could call it a very long pharmaceutical commercial. I had to fast forward through many repeat scenes, so the movie is really only 60 minutes long. The repeat scenes (shown on silly tiny TVs with static) are very annoying, and seem like cheap filler. Oh, and for any newbees, remember that it's seriously bad news to mix SSRIs with psychedelics. Big Pharma is poison, stick with herbs and mushrooms...okay kids?

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I agree. I really didn’t enjoy it and found it boring and all over the place. For me it was among the worst Black Miror “episodes”. It is an interesting concept I give it that, although the story had left me disappointed. Maybe I had too much expectations.

But I hear so much praise about it that I might give it another chance, maybe next time it will be better if I click different answers. And probably I should concentrate more on it, as I was on my phone for the most part due to boredom. So I admit that I was probably part of the problem.

Also what is the point of the choice if my choice is wrong and it send me back to choose again between same two things?!

This happens when dad comes to the room worried about the son. There were two options: yell at dad or pour tea over the computer.

I chose to pour the tea, he did pour it but then that scence went to the begging and made me choose again so the next time I chose to yell at the dad.

[–] ChipDouglas (1607) 6 years ago

One of the very first choices I got when in the office scene where Stephan can agree to or decline the deal made me frustrated when they forced me to pick again. At first I thought wow they are giving you no choices. As the episode later went on they talk about how it is possible to not have choice in a game. References of this include Stephan talking to the psychiatrist and telling her he took away the users control while almost directly breaking the 4th wall, other times where Stephan is visibly attempting to resist controls by the viewer. The theme of control is just one of many throughout the episode and personally I liked it. It was done intentionally so that you could feel like you were struggling with controlling the character.

Think of all the times control had been referenced in this episode. Pac-man vs Player, Stephan vs father, Stephan vs medication, Stephan vs rec drugs, Stephan vs destiny (JFD), Stephan vs viewer, Brooker vs viewer, Bandersnatch vs JFD. I am sure there are more that I am missing.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Hmm... yeah, I vaguely remember something about him saying he feels he has no control to the psychiatrist.

That reminds me of the Joy Division song She’s Lost Control, it could be very fitting if they included it. It is of around that era, circa early 80’s -late 70’s.

I will have to definitely watch it again, and this time completely immerse myself in it. No phone distractions.

And about choosing wrong or right answer, I read somewhere but also noticed because it happened to me once or twice, that you can choose not to click on anything and the story just continues, it chooses the answer for you.

[–] xfool (964) 6 years ago

Theres a limit of how much they can film , with more choices they need to have more scenes and those different choices would lead to more choices and more scenes... thus if they were include more possible outcomes that would be hundred of hours of scene footage they need to shoot.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Yeah I understand that. And I heard the footage in total was like 4 hours long. My friend watched it for the total of 4 hours, I guess they tried all the possible outcomes. Myself, I’ve only seen around an hour and a half of it.

But why would they include the choice if it was a problem becuse then they would need to film the extra footage?!

I think ChipDouglas answered that question, that it was about not really being in control and possibility of not having a choice in the game.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (1050) 6 years ago

There is no ending technically as after each ending you are given the option to go back and change stuff if you want. There's then the fact going back sometimes has changes with the lead remembering stuff and some endings actually require you to go back to unlock other stuff.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Yeah, I still have to re-watch it. It didn’t come up yet, but definitely I plan to watch it again. I might enjoy and understand it more the second time.

[–] Tyalt (304) 6 years ago

I don't think that's true. My girlfriend and I reached an end that went straight to the credits, no option.

[–] cyberbob (3488) 6 years ago

Needed more Will Poulter. He was the only interesting character and interesting actor in this thing

The rest was just recycled Butterfly Effect plot threads and the same kind of stuff you'll find in any of the other choose-your-own-adventure movies out there

[–] LemmyLugosi (411) 6 years ago

I agree, this was a gimmick with a story that suffered for it. After the first couple of choices, I lost interest in the gimmick. And the story was weak; far too weak for me to go back through it again to watch alternate routes/endings. Once to the finish line was more than enough for me.

[–] howgamer (3929) 6 years ago

Yup. Heard this was great, but the story was lame and delivery was boring. I almost didn't finish it lol. It would have been bad without the gimmick, but the gimmick made it much worse.