The Darker Mirror

Black Mirror – the aptly named mirror to our conscience as we stumble along the path of an increasingly uncertain digital future – is in Season 7 – and this season does not disappoint. While Eulogy and The Reverie both have romantic resurrection overtones, with Reverie being particularly a standout on account of meshing what we would colloquially call deepfake with deep emotional quotient, Bete Noire lifts workplace rivalry to a whole new multidimensional level. Common People I found merely depressing – yet another story of the consequences of unaffordability. Plaything is about empathy – perhaps a bit too much of – with digital creatures, and the USS Callister sequel lifts gameplay to a mindbending, creative-destructive saga. A far better season than the somewhat forgettable Season 6. I love how the series evolves with contemporary scientific progress and keeps our deepest fears, well, contemporary

17.5/20

Finding Character

Finding oneself is a journey, and even Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) hides low self-esteem and ADHD behind layers and layers of trash talk. A used car salesman with all of nine people in his life – Deadpool gets transported to a different timeline to find the Anchor Being (Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)) – however the instance of the multiverse where this rather tenuous association between Deadpool and Wolverine is to be is called the Void – a Mad Max-esque (with credits) world where one Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) turns out to be the arch-villain. With many other characters such as X23 (Dafne Keen), Elektra (Jennifer Garner), The Human Torch (Chris Evans) and Gambit (Channing Tatum) in tow. Adequately entertaining, with a reasonable storyline and engaging renditions of 70’s and 80’s music (think Like a Prayer to Time of Your Life), this is saving the hackneyed Marvel franchise – for now. As with the multiverse and our timeline in the story. High marks for energy

15.5/20