All 13 ‘Black Mirror’ Episodes Ranked From Least to Most Terrifying (Photos)

Every episode of Netflix’s brilliant “Black Mirror,” about how technology reflects and distorts our real lives, is a little scary. But some will just nag your conscience, and others will make you throw your cell phone and laptop in the trash. A few may trouble you for the rest of your life. Here they are, from least to most horrifying.

1. Season 3, Episode 4: “San Junipero”

This is a complete anomaly among “Black Mirror” episodes — it’s actually pretty uplifting.

Season 1, Episode 2: Fifteen Million Merits

This twist on “American Idol,” in which people are coerced into doing things they don’t want to do, is too much like real life to be scary. Depressing, yes. But not really scary.

Season 2, Episode 3: “The Waldo Moment”

An insult-spewing cartoon character inserts himself into politics? Many people find this scenario all too familiar.

Season 3, Episode 6: “Hated in the Nation”

This story about a killer hashtag and Terminator bees is good, but a little too “Sharknado”-like to be scary. Unless you’re very, very afraid of bee stings.

Season 2, Episode 1: “Be Right Back”

It’s not horrific, just heartbreaking. This episode, starring Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson, looks at what makes us human, and what qualities our loved ones can’t replace when we’re gone.

 

4. Season 3, Episode 1 — “Nosedive”

This is only scary if you’ve ever had to give a wedding speech — which is, of course, pretty scary.

3. Season 1, Episode 1: “National Anthem”

The starkness of the choice before the prime minister in this, the first episode of “Black Mirror,” is awful. What’s scariest about it is that he simply has no way out.

Season 2, Episode 4: “White Christmas”

The sheer coldness of this episode is tough, and it will especially get to people who have issues with isolation and claustrophobia. Seasons greetings!

Season 2, Episode 2: “White Bear”

A woman is hunted for reasons she doesn’t understand. This one has lots of frightening moments, and the uncertainty throughout is jittery and upsetting. It’s not fun to watch. The fact that it’s so over-the-top might give you some comfort. since nothing like this could ever happen in real life… right?

Season 3, Episode 2: “Playtest”

It starts light and stays fun, until a man is asked to spend a night in a creepy house. There are some scares, then horrible shocks. Worst, the episode asks questions about memory and identity that linger long after the episode.

2. Season 3, Episode 3: “The Entire History of You”

If you’ve ever been in love, this one is very, very scary. Paranoia can’t save you from pain.

6. Season 3, Episode 3: “Shut Up and Dance”

How upsetting you find this episode will depend a lot on what kinds of things you do online, and how scared you are of other people finding out. There’s a pervasive sense of menace and uncertainty throughout this episode that may make you think less of humanity long after the episode ends. The most frightening thing? It’s completely realistic.

5. Episode 3, Season 5: “Men Against Fire”

This starts out as a war story with lots of grotesque images, but the most frightening thing is the truth it tells. This is one of the most painful stories ever told about why we fight.

 

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