Black Mirror is a show that features some of the worst possible things that you could ever imagine happening, and often fills its episodes with extremely memorable cast members. An honorable mention that didn’t make this list is Miley Cyrus and her episode “Rachel, Jack and Ashley O”, and E! News states that the episode was somewhat a parallel to her real life. Throughout each season, the episodes become more deranged and full of plot twists, taking the viewer on a journey that they weren’t expecting in the slightest. With several great episodes, here’s a list of the best acting performances from the series.
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8 Wyatt Russell
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This iconic show has been known to get pretty meta, and in this episode, Wyatt Russell takes us on a journey of the thin balance between reality and illusion. Something special about Russell and this episode is how casual he seems to be; how ordinary a person his character is, and how he seemingly agrees to this version of gaming because he’s curious. The slow climb to Russell’s character losing his mind and falling into the hands of a mental break, as well as how he appears to be once he gets out of the game, is genius.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Alex Lawther
Alex Lawther’s episode, titled “Shut Up and Dance”, will have you feeling sick by the end. Lawther’s acting in this episode is so flawlessly chaotic and believable, that viewers can’t help but root for him throughout the journey he goes through, until the plot twist hits at the end and everything changes. The plot follows a young guy named Kenny, who receives a link to footage from his own webcam on his laptop, and in order to prevent it from going public, he must do a number of tasks. Lawther is able to get sympathy from the audience and have them feel absolutely disgusted by the end.
6 Hayley Atwell
Similar to Scott’s episode, Hayley Atwell shows a massive range of emotions in “Be Right Back”, and proves that this is one of her best acting credits. Atwell’s character Martha is experiencing the most awful pain of losing a loved one; her boyfriend Ash. Instead of doing the proper steps of grieving and accepting the loss, she’s offered a chance of re-writing his ending. Ash is brought to her as a robot, and at first, Martha loves it and appreciates the idea, but then quickly realizes that this isn’t what she needs. Robot Ash is nothing like the real thing, and Atwell delivers stellar range as she goes through the stages of grief.
5 Andrew Scott
You might know Andrew Scott as the hot priest from Fleabag, but Scott is racking up more acting credibility with his work in this episode of Black Mirror. Titled “Smithereens”, the plot follows Chris, who is feeling massive guilt after his fiancée died, and needs to do something drastic to feel a shift. So, he decides to kidnap someone, which is an extreme choice by all means, but Scott is so good in this episode, you’re almost understanding why he did what he did. There’s anguish, grief, and heavy emotions felt in this episode, and it’s one you can’t miss.
4 Jon Hamm
ScreenRant states that this episode has a connection to Fifteen Million Merits, both based in a futuristic world that has power struggles on each side. Jon Hamm gives a great performance in “White Christmas” and besides his role in Mad Men, this is one of his best roles. He goes through a range of acting throughout the episode that’s longer than normal, and proves that he deserves more roles that are outside what he usually dabbles in.
3 Jesse Plemons
While this episode features a great ensemble of cast members, Jesse Plemons deserves the spotlight on this list. Plemons’ character has a strong relationship with technology and transports himself to a world very much like Star Trek, where he’s captain of the U.S.S Callister Starship. Plemons guides the episode with such precision and agility, transforming himself into a terrible person, while also maintaining the reality of it all.
2 Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya is known for his groundbreaking role in Jordan Peele’s Get Out, but before the horror-thriller was released, the actor starred in the second episode of Black Mirror. His character Bing lives in a futuristic world, and he’s forced to ride an exercise bike every single day and watch terrible television to earn merits. When he meets Abi, a woman who’s just as hardworking, his world and outlook on life starts to change, and by the end of the episode, Kaluuya delivers an intense monologue that’ll give you chills.
1 Bryce Dallas Howard
The top spot on this list goes to Bryce Dallas Howard and her portrayal as Lacie in “Nosedive”. In this episode, the plot follows Lacie and the futuristic place she lives in, where it’s a need to be liked by your peers and even strangers. Howard’s ability to slowly lose her cool in a matter of a day is astounding, and has been praised by several people, often commenting about how she handled the end of the episode, and how much of a win it was.
