Netflix’s ‘Black Mirror’ Movie Is Interactive: Here’s How That Works

Netflix’s latest installment in Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, puts the viewer in control as they navigate the streaming platform’s first ever “choose your own adventure” style movie for adults.

Released Friday morning after months of speculation, the film is not only the first in the anthology, but also the first described as an “interactive film,” allowing viewers to make their own decisions throughout the special that affect the direction of the narrative.

In the new installment, viewers are introduced to Stefan, a young programmer who begins to question reality as he adapts a multiple-choice fantasy book titled Bandersnatch into a pioneering video game that also presents the player with a series of choices.

Supported across most newer devices, including TVs, game consoles, web browsers, as well as Android and iOS devices with the latest Netflix app, viewers are offered simple “Yes” or “No” choices throughout the film. Those who run out of time making their decision will have one made for them.

Altogether, Bandersnatch has more than 1 trillion variations of its story with “five main endings” that viewers can eventually end up with, according to Netflix. Although the movie is listed as 90-minutes-long, depending on the decisions made throughout the film, viewers can make it to the end in about half that time.

Speaking to Variety, Booker revealed that he was initially against the idea of adding an interactive installment to Black Mirror, though after talks began getting underway, co-creator Annabel Jones said that it became a no brainer.

“To me, they always felt a bit gimmicky,” she said, adding that after they began discussing ideas for future episodes of the show a few weeks later, they came up with a plot that only worked as an interactive film.

With a trailer for the film having only been released on Thursday, anticipation surrounding Bandersnatch‘s release has been building for months. Earlier this month, an official Twitter account linked to the streaming giant posted a tweet that revealed Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi fare, which showed a premiere date for Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.

Although that tweet was soon deleted with no confirmation that Bandersnatch would be the newest installment in the series, speculation continued when Black Mirror: Bandersnatch received an official listing on Netflix that was labeled “A Netflix Film” and boasted the synopsis “Be right back.”

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is now streaming on Netflix along with Seasons 1-4 of Black Mirror.