BLACK MIRROR

Dystopian sci-fi thrillers are clearly a thing with android-populated theme parks ( Westworld) and neurotic cyber hackers ( Mr Robot) all making an appearance. But Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror is a little bit different. With stand-alone episodes instead of recurring plotlines or characters, each hour-long instalment provides a jarring and twisted take on the human relationship with science and technology. From the toxic and all-too familiar social media habits in ‘Nosedive’, to the vigilante blackmailing and trolling in ‘Shut Up and Dance’, Black Mirror reflects an exaggerated truth that resonates deeply in our tech-obsessed society.

On a similarly depressing note, 13 Reasons Why deserves a mention for not only being New Zealand’s most popular digital show last month according to Parrot Analytics, but stirring up a much-needed debate on the topic of teen suicide. It seems local audiences got swept up in the hype surrounding the controversial teen drama, tuning into all 13 episodes to find out what drove protagonist Hannah Baker to kill herself.