With Black Mirror Season 7 arriving April 10 on Netflix, there’s never been a better time to revisit the sci-fi anthology’s most unforgettable episodes. Across six seasons and one interactive film, Black Mirror has explored everything from tech dystopias to tragic love stories—each episode a standalone, genre-defying tale.
Whether you’re looking for emotional catharsis, spine-chilling horror, or a rare feel-good ride, here are 14 essential Black Mirror episodes, ranked by mood.
😵💫 If You Want a Bleak Black Mirror Episode…
“Fifteen Million Merits” (Season 1, Episode 2)
A haunting commentary on consumer culture and manufactured fame. Daniel Kaluuya’s emotional monologue launched a now Oscar-nominated career.
“Nosedive” (Season 3, Episode 1)
Bryce Dallas Howard stars in this pastel nightmare where social ratings dictate your entire life. Unsettling, timely, and terrifyingly plausible.
One of the most anxiety-inducing episodes of Black Mirror, “Nosedive” imagines a future where every human interaction is rated on a mobile app, and your overall score determines where you can work and live. Lacie (Bryce Dallas Howard) sees an opportunity to take her status to the next level when her popular childhood friend chooses her as her maid of honor.
“Beyond the Sea” (Season 6, Episode 3)
Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett anchor this slow-burn space tragedy about isolation, grief, and borrowed bodies.
😢 If You Want to Cry…
“The Entire History of You” (Season 1, Episode 3)
Memory implants allow people to replay their worst heartbreaks. Jealousy and digital surveillance create one of the series’ most emotionally brutal stories.
When a job interview or a date goes poorly, it’s easy to dwell on the memory and analyze how things could’ve been different. “The Entire History of You” takes that impulse to the next level, imagining a near future where implants record everything a person sees and allows them to play any moment back for themselves or an audience. Toby Kebbel plays a lawyer who becomes obsessed with scanning his memories for evidence of his wife’s infidelity. It’s a chilling tale of how knowing more seldom makes people happier, and it features a great performance from Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who, Toxic Town).
“Be Right Back” (Season 2, Episode 1)
Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson explore the ethical fallout of AI resurrecting loved ones. Devastating and deeply human.
😱 If You Want to Be Terrified…
“White Bear” (Season 2, Episode 2)
A horror-thriller that ends with a gut-punch twist about justice, voyeurism, and punishment-as-entertainment.
“Playtest” (Season 3, Episode 2)
A video game turns real—and deadly. A terrifying journey into neural hacking and psychological breakdown.
🎮 If You Want Something Interactive…
“Bandersnatch” (Standalone Film)
Choose your own nightmare in this interactive episode about a game developer losing his grip on reality. Dozens of paths. Infinite regret.
If You Want Meta Commentary…
“White Christmas” (Season 2, Episode 4)
Jon Hamm stars in this loaded Christmas special full of twists, world-building, and ethical horror. It connects multiple Black Mirror concepts.
“Joan Is Awful” (Season 6, Episode 1)
A darkly comedic look at streaming culture, consent, and digital identity, starring Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek.
“Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too” (Season 5, Episode 3)
Miley Cyrus plays a pop star whose consciousness is copied into a toy robot. Weird, campy—and oddly endearing.
🧨 If You Want Postapocalyptic Dread…
“Metalhead” (Season 4, Episode 5)
Shot in black and white, this minimalist thriller features a woman on the run from robot dogs in a ruined world. Tense and terrifying.
💞 If You Want to Feel the Love…
“San Junipero” (Season 3, Episode 4)
A synthwave dream of queer love, nostalgia, and second chances in a digital afterlife. Possibly Black Mirror’s most beloved episode.
The beloved “San Junipero” was the first Black Mirror to actually have a happy ending. The episode follows Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis), a shy and sincere young woman who falls for the more adventurous Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) at a nightclub in the resort town of San Junipero. Yorkie seeks to turn the fling into something more, which leads her on a twisty journey to find Kelly again. It’s a beautifully sweet story packed with great ’80s music.
“Hang the DJ” (Season 4, Episode 4)
Two lovers rebel against a dating algorithm system, questioning fate, freedom, and connection. A spiritual sibling to San Junipero.
Dating is hard, but in “Hang the DJ,” a new app called Coach promises to make it easier. It matches people together and gives every couple an expiration date –– until it finally finds and connects lifelong partners. Amy (Georgina Campbell) and Frank (Joe Cole) are paired together for just 12 hours, but come to question if they should trust their feelings for each other more than Coach as they endure a series of unsatisfying and terrible relationships with others. If “San Junipero” has you feeling the love, put this on next.
Black Mirror Has a Story for Every Feeling
From dystopian doomscrolls to quiet love stories and mind-bending commentary, Black Mirror remains a defining anthology of our tech-obsessed age.
Whether you’re prepping for Season 7 or introducing a new viewer to the madness, this essential Black Mirror episode guide offers the perfect roadmap for exploring the show’s emotional spectrum.
Which one will you revisit first?
