Netflix has released its new film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, confirming that the movie is interactive.
Bandersnatch incorporates elements of sci-fi and horror, and is set in 1984. It follows a young programmer who adapts a sprawling fantasy novel by a controversial author into a video game, and begins to face a “mind-mangling challenge” that causes him to start questioning reality.
The film was directed by Black Mirror alumnus David Slade and stars Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), Will Poulter (The Revenant), and Asim Chaudry (People Just Do Nothing).
Because of the interactive element, the film can run at 50 minutes, or two hours. You can choose which song Whitehead’s character Stefan listens to, or whether he accepts an offer to work with a games company or create the Bandersnatch game on his own. Early on, we learn that the author of the book descended into madness as he wrote the book, and ultimately murdered his own wife.
We also see Stefan struggling with his own inner demons, as he turns a madman’s incredibly complex work into an even more complex multiple choice computer game.
To tackle what sounds like a frustratingly difficult task, Netflix created a new script-writing tool for branched narratives, called Branch Manager. It allowed the team to build complex narratives including loops that guide viewers back to the main story in case they stray too far, giving them the chance of a do-over.
There are five possible endings. Viewers who choose the quickest path and decide against do-overs can finish watching the film in 40 minutes. However, the average viewing time is around 90 minutes.
