Metalhead ★ ★ ½
If one episode sticks out like a sore thumb, it’s ‘Metalhead’. In addition to being shot in black and white, the episode is also the shortest across all four seasons, a brief 41 minutes. A post-apocalyptic UK serves as the backdrop for this chapter, where a robotic, cockroach-looking dog stalks a woman relentlessly. Unlike previous episodes this season, there’s absolutely no exposition. It simply begins with the woman (Maxine Peake) in a car with two other men. Scavenging a warehouse, they encounter the dog, which quickly kills the two men and runs after the woman.
The entire episode is a hunt, with the Terminator-esque dog chasing the woman through the hilly wilderness of Scotland. It’s a tense nightmare, a horror short film of sorts, and the black and white cinematography helps create an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair. The music is equally unnerving and often horrifying, entirely comprised of selections from Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, known best for The Shining. The episode is minimalist and straightforward, a strange look for Black Mirror that can’t help but seem out of place.
If nothing else, ‘Metalhead’ can be seen as a warning for the future of drone warfare. It doesn’t ever explicitly state this, but the thought of these indestructible cockroach robots gunning people down is certainly a frightening prospect. You can easily see the devastating military potential for such unstoppable killing machines and the way their abilities could be abused. The episode may not feel at home in Black Mirror, but it’s nice to see the show experiment with new genres and styles. I just wish it was more substantial.
Teleccentric 