Choose your own review: Bandersnatch

Zach Lewis

If you’re looking for more interaction in your life but prefer the isolation of your own room, then “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” is the perfect film for you. It was written by the creator of the “Black Mirror” series, Charlie Brooker, and directed by David Slade. The movie’s concept is based off the popular choose-your-own-adventure style of novel and storytelling. Viewers decide with the click of their remote how the story will unfold for Stefan Butler. Stefan is a computer programmer working in England on an interactive video game. This is a first of its kind during the prehistoric age of the 1980s. This review will function in the same vein as the movie. You get to choose your own review. Each paragraph will be a different color and you’ll be directed where to go based on your decision. If you want to keep reading the review, go to the blue paragraph. If you want to put down the paper and head to Libby’s, go to the orange paragraph.  

Orange- You arrive to the popular bar and dance spot, Libby’s, and find that the line extends all the way back to campus. Your cellphone has four percent battery life and you see your crush walk by with someone you hate. A car drives by and splashes you with what you hope is mud. You lay down on the sidewalk and literally die. Go back to the original paragraph. 

Blue – Butler is pitching his interactive video game to Mohan Thakur (Asim Chaudhry) and Colin Ritman (Will Poulter). Ritman is the Tony Stark of video game programming and Thakur rules the company with an iron fist but is secretly compassionate toward his employees. To find out more about the origin of Bandersnatch, fictional and historical, go to the green paragraph. To check out that interesting beehive buzzing behind you go to the red paragraph. 

Red- You open the top of the beehive to discover copious amounts of honey. You waft the amazing smell into your nose as you remember that you forgot about the bees. You feel a pinch. You’ve been stung. Bee after bee sting you all over your body. You start to flee as a large grizzly bear blocks your path. The bear scares the bees away. You think you’re safe, but the bear thinks you’re after his honey, so he mauls you with his fuzzy sharp claws. You literally die. Return to the original or blue paragraph. 

Green – Bandersnatch originally appeared in a Lewis Carroll novel, “Through the Looking Glass,” first published in 1872. The character also appears in Carroll’s 1874 poem “The Hunting of the Snark.” The Bandersnatch in the film is the title of a science fiction book whose author devolved into madness from writing the story. Although a Bandersnatch doesn’t necessarily appear in the film, the choices the viewer makes acts as a substitute of that malicious character. To learn about other characters in the film head to the yellow paragraph. To investigate the mysterious tomb on campus in front of DeMeritt Hall go to the purple paragraph. 

Purple – You use a crowbar to ply open the top of the cement tomb. You hear moans coming from inside the depths of a deep and cavernous underground dwelling. You notice a ladder and decide to climb down into the hole. As your feet reach the dirt the ladder disintegrates. The moans you heard turn into laughter as you see a mummy with a sword lumber toward you. The tomb’s lid mysteriously slides back into place. That small amount of light from the tomb’s opening is now gone. You try to find safety in the dark grave, but the mummy stabs you repeatedly. It’s a big bummer. You literally die. Go back to the green paragraph. 

Yellow – The only other substantial characters in this film are Stefan’s father, Peter (Craig Parkinson), and Stefan’s therapist, Dr. Haynes (Alice Lowe). Stefan has a multitude of emotional and mental health issues. Most of these involve delusions of killing people or voices talking to him or controlling his actions. Maybe they aren’t delusions at all though. Go to NETFLIX and discover for yourself or go to the pink paragraph that’s all about butterflies. 

Pink – Butterflies are so magical! They grant you wishes and are normally someone’s deceased grandmother. You see a monarch butterfly and approach with glee but also with caution. This butterfly is on a cliff’s edge in the White Mountains. The butterfly seems to smile and lands on your hand. At first you feel lucky, and even special, but a quiet scream emanating from the butterfly becomes loud and harsh. It judges you on that thing you either did or didn’t do that really hurt that person’s feelings. The butterfly criticizes your shoes and calls you insensitive. Afterwards, it flies away. You yell at the butterfly. In your rage you misplace your foot and tumble off the cliff into a large patch of rocks. You literally die. Go back to the original or yellow paragraph.