01 Virtual Object and Experience

Black Mirror: “Bandersnatch”

Chose-Your-Own-Adventure starts with your breakfast...

Making choices in real life always seems to be difficult for me because of the fear of missing out the would-have-better choices. However, back in 2018 when Netflix launched their first-ever interactive movie: the new series of Black Mirror, “Bandersnatch”, where audience can make choices during the show and lead on different paths. It was such an exciting thing for me, since I can fearlessly make decisions to see all the possible ending and not being afraid of “dying” (like how we play Mario where we have an infinite amount of life for us to keep trying). Similar narrative practices have been on screen in the 1998 German cyberpunk movie “Run Lola Run”, where three storyline were presented depends on the first decisions Lola made in the movie. (like “Butterfly Effect”)

Different from “Run Lola Run”, “Bandersnatch” is interactive and give audience the agency to control and manipulate the content/reality as preferred. When I am making decisions for the protagonist, I actually have a stronger personal feeling and sympathy like he was a sum of all of my decision. Therefore, when the protagonist “died early” because of my “wrong” choice, I became much more careful during the second try. Even though I know everything is faked on the TV, my emotions are so real. This leads to the discussion of agency and reality. Is reality something we want to see so we believe as our reality? Is it something sensationally smooth enough that can “cheat” our physical perception? How will agency enhanced realistic experience?

sep 10, 2019