Black Mirror: I rank every episode from worst to best - see the full ranking of Netflix show

• Black Mirror has haunted our nightmares since 2011.
• It has offered up visions of terrifying technology and skin-crawling futures.
• But which episodes are the best - and which is the worst?

Black Mirror has been bringing its unique brand of dark, satirical nightmares to our TV screens for almost 15 years. It has terrified and delighted viewers around the globe - however not all episodes are created equally.

The Netflix series, which began life on Channel 4, has just returned with six new episodes on Thursday (April 10). With the arrival of the new season, I decided to take a look back through every single episode released so far and rank them - from best to worst.

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Let me know if you agree with my rankings - and share which are your favourite episodes of Black Mirror. Email me: [email protected].

34 - Mazey Day (s6 ep 4)

Synopsis: A troubled Hollywood starlet goes to great lengths to escape packs of invasive paparazzi as she deals with the aftermath of a hit-and-run.

Mazey Day is Black Mirror at its very worst. It has a twist that isn’t well established beforehand and doesn’t have anything interesting to say.

It has some effective horror moments, but it feels like an episode from a different show. And the paparazzi stuff feels dated and doesn’t offer anything new on the subject. Just a whiff all around.

33 - Crocodile - (s4 ep 3)

Synopsis: Architect Mia scrambles to keep a dark secret under wraps, while insurance investigator Shazia harvests people's memories of a nearby accident scene.

Unlike a real crocodile this episode lacks a bite. It’s underbaked and feels rushed - it doesn’t really have time to develop before it’s over.

The recall tech - similar to devices that have appeared in previous episodes - is a clever idea and the insurance investigation into the crash works well. However it feels rushed and the ramping up of the murders goes from 0 to 100.

I left this episode feeling thoroughly underwhelmed and like they had wasted its potential.

32 - Arkangel - (s4 ep 2)

Synopsis: Worried about her daughter's safety, single mom Marie signs up for a cutting-edge device that monitors the girl's whereabouts -- and much more.

There is nothing wrong per-say about Arkangel, it’s competent enough, well made and well acted. But the episode doesn’t really grapple with the knotty ethical questions the Arkangel tech poses - instead going for the melodramatic option.

It ends up feeling like it wastes its potential and as such feels disappointing when the credits finally roll.

31 - Playtest (s3 ep 2)

Synopsis: An American traveler short on cash signs up to test a revolutionary new gaming system, only to discover the thrills are a little too real.

A Black Mirror episode can often be make or break depending on its twist - and Playtest arguably is the perfect example of this. Before the final moments there are some parts that work but it doesn’t fully hang together.

Wyatt Russell gives a thoroughly excellent turn as an American thrill-seeker in the UK. And the opening works pretty well, it also, I noticed on this rewatch, cleverly lays the seeds for the twist very early on.

However before the twist, Playtest is fairly bog standard horror and even then its not particularly outstanding or memorable. The reveal at the end truly levels up the episode - but it is still a mid-tier one.

30 - Men Against Fire (s3 ep 5)

Synopsis: After his first battle with an elusive enemy, a soldier begins experiencing unfamiliar sensations and strange technical glitches.

Men Against Fire is not a particularly bad episode of Black Mirror, but it is decidedly middle of the road. It has things to say about war and xenophobia but it all feels like a re-tread of films like Starship Troopers and doesn’t really have anything extra to say to make it stand out.

The twist is one that you can see coming from a mile off, but it is one that feels ever relevant and it is interesting to have an American military outfit so firmly painted as the bad guys. There is no attempt to both sides this or justify the actions - which is bold.

Malachi Kirby gives a thoroughly excellent lead performance. But when we look back at Black Mirror in 50 years time, Men Against Fire will not be one that leads out of the episode list.

29 - Striking Vipers - (s5 ep 1)

Synopsis: When old college friends Danny and Karl reconnect in a VR version of their favorite video game, the late-night sessions yield an unexpected discovery.

Striking Vipers is a weird episode to talk about. It does a handful of things very well - the acting is top notch and truly carries it - and yet it doesn’t fully work, at least for me.

The episode has some interesting ideas about sexuality and online identities and male friendship - it is especially funny how quickly the in-game relationship escalates. But it doesn’t fully pull them off - and pales in comparison to the similarly themed San Junipero.

But it is a valiant effort and tries to explore something rarely depicted in popular media. Even if it doesn’t 100% work.

28 - Bandersnatch (special 2018)

Synopsis: In 1984, a young programmer begins to question reality as he adapts a dark fantasy novel into a video game. A mind-bending tale with multiple endings.

Black Mirror at its most inventive and surprising, I remember watching this as it came out and was caught off guard by the ‘choose your own adventure’ conceit. But despite all its clever production, it perhaps doesn’t fully work and it is a struggle to force yourself through it multiple times.

27 - Smithereens - (s5 ep 2)

Synopsis: A London rideshare driver ignites an international crisis when he kidnaps a worker from a social media company.

Smithereens is another Black Mirror episode that is hard to place. It is tense and procedural in a way that works in harmony with some brilliant performances - particularly from Andrew Scott and Damson Idris.

However it doesn’t have much novel to say about social media - and is a criticism seen before and done better. It is among the least Black Mirror-ish episodes of Black Mirror. It is nice to see the show back in the UK though.

26 - Plaything (s7 ep 4)

Plaything is not the worst episode of Black Mirror ever, but it does feel distinctly middling. It is fine, but never manages to offer more than that despite Capaldi’s over-the-top performance.

Read my full review here.

25 - Fifteen Million Merits (s1 ep 2)

Synopsis: After failing to impress the judges on a singing competition show, a woman must either perform degrading acts or return to a slave-like existence.

This episode truly hangs on a brilliant leading role from a young Daniel Kaluuya - although its sinister premise does feel eerily prescient. It feels like an early draft of an idea Black Mirror would continue to play with around oppressive forms of currency - Nosedive for example.

To watch now in 2025 when reality competitions are not the massive cultural presence they were back in the day - and X Factor is gone - makes for a strangely nostalgic experience, in a way. It is bleak and its critiques of the sleazy side of the entertainment world still have plenty of bite.

But I feel like the episode runs a tad too long and outstays its welcome ever so slightly.

24- Metalhead - (s4 ep 5)

Synopsis: At an abandoned warehouse, scavengers searching for supplies encounter a ruthless foe and flee for their lives through a bleak wasteland.

Metalhead is a very unusual episode of Black Mirror. It’s taut and tense and keeps its cards extremely close to its chest.

Maxine Peake is incredible in what is basically a one man show, as she attempts to escape from a robot that hunts her down. It is like an even more ominous terminator, with the robo-dog being clearly non-human.

It is a terrifying cat and mouse chase- with no room for exposition or explanation. For better and worse.

23 - Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too - (s5 ep 3)

Synopsis: A lonely teen becomes obsessed with a robot doll based on her pop star idol, Ashley O -- just as the real Ashley's life begins to unravel.

In the words of Forest Gump “black mirror is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are going to get”. Sometimes the episodes have too little story for a long runtime, others probably could use an extra half an hour.

Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too definitely feels like it falls in the latter category. It’s like a fun 90 minute movie but is missing a huge chunk.

There is plenty of good - especially Miley Cyrus and the dynamic between the sisters - but it ends up feeling rushed in the back half. Perhaps it makes the case for Black Mirror returning with feature length stand-alone specials on occasion instead of a full series…

22 - White Bear (s2 ep 2)

Synopsis: Victoria wakes up and cannot remember anything about her life. Everyone she encounters refuses to communicate with her.

Even all these years later, the opening for White Bear remains brilliantly effective. Like Victoria (Lenora Crichlow) we have no idea what is happening and what has gone wrong - it is truly immersive.

The sinister tension as she spots people silently filming her before a masked man arrives with a gun - all while a small child watches on - is utterly chilling. It is a ‘high concept’ episode that manages to avoid feeling silly, even when we reach the twist - whether it lands for you or not.

21 - Demon 79 - (s6 ep 5)

Synopsis: Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant discovers she must commit terrible acts to prevent an imminent disaster.

Unlike Mazey Day, Demon 79 is a far more successful turn into the realms of horror and the more fantastic for Black Mirror. Despite its historical setting it still has interesting things to say about race and hateful political rhetoric in the modern world.

It also manages to play with viewers expectations and manages to remain wonderfully ambiguous. Is any of this happening? The show kindly doesn’t bother to answer that.

An enjoyable extra sized episode - although if you aren’t into the fantastical horror vibes, it may rank lower for you.

While it is a clever take on the ideas of vigilantism and justice, I feel like there is something slightly lacking in the execution.

20 - Black Museum - (s4 ep 6)

Synopsis: On a dusty stretch of highway, a traveller stumbles across a museum that boasts rare criminal artifacts -- and a disturbing main attraction.

Growing up I was a Scout and so I remember many nights spent around campfires with people telling ghost stories. This episode feels like Black Mirror’s attempt at that - for better and worse.

It is also an incredibly meta episode - featuring nods and winks and call backs to previous instalments. Which I think actually harms the episode and the show - the idea of these being standalone short stories makes Black Mirror sing - instead of being all part of a connected “shared universe”.

The tales inside this episode are hit and miss - like any anthology - but the twist is well hinted at and executed. Letitia Wright gives a brilliant performance.

19 - Hated in the Nation (s3 ep 5)

Synopsis: The death of a journalist at the centre of a social media firestorm leads a veteran detective and her tech-savvy apprentice to a chilling discovery.

This may be a bit of a surprise, but I feel like my ranking of Hated in the Nation may be a lot higher than most others. It does run exceedingly long and lacks a bombastic twist that Black Mirror often goes for - however it does capture the specific vibe of British crime TV very well.

You can imagine this airing on a Sunday night on ITV or BBC alongside the likes of Grace or Vera. It has that same languid energy. The exploration of toxic online discourse is nothing particularly ground-breaking or insightful, but it does help to weave a compelling yarn.

It is miserable and bleak in the same way a persistent misty rain is, sneaking up on you and soaking you through before you’ve even really noticed. Faye Marsey and Kelly MacDonald make for a great detective duo, while it is always great to see Benedict Wong. In fact I’d probably watch a whole series of feature length techno-crime dramas with this trio.

18 - The Waldo Moment (s2 ep 3)

Synopsis: A failed comedian who voices a popular cartoon bear named Waldo finds himself mixing in politics when TV executives want Waldo to run for office.

Perhaps the Black Mirror episode that has aged the best - which you probably wouldn’t have bet on back in 2013. It captures and bottles a specific sardonic essence of Britishness - the bantz, as you might say.

Our country has always had joke candidates and it isn’t too big of a stretch to get to Waldo. After all this episode predates Boaty McBoatface, if you can believe it.

In fact the only part that has really aged is the idea of an MP resigning over a sex scandal, that feels oddly quaint in 2025. Unfortunately the final moments really tank the episode, it slips into the utterly absurd out of nowhere - it would have been much stronger without the last minute dystopia.

17 - Be Right Back (s2 ep 1)

Synopsis: After learning about a new service that lets people stay in touch with the deceased, a lonely, grieving Martha reconnects with her late lover.

Grief in the digital age is a different proposition. With social media you can still find lost loved ones profiles and old posts/ pictures - and so the idea of being able to speak with them after they are gone does not feel out of the realm of possibility.

Hayley Atwell gives a powerhouse performance as the grieving pregnant Martha. It cleverly lets you spend enough time with Martha and Ash (Domhnall Gleeson) before the initial tragedy - which makes the relationship feel more believable.

While Martha’s ultimate turn on the android version of Ash is heart-breaking - it perhaps could have used slightly more time to breathe, but that is nit-picking.

16 - Joan is Awful - (s6 ep 1)

Synopsis: An average woman discovers a global streaming service has adapted her daily life — and her secrets — into a drama starring A-list actress Salma Hayek.

This is bound to be a divisive episode and your enjoyment of it will come with how much patience you have for meta humour. Personally, it is right up my street, and so Joan is Awful is a hit with me.

It is funny and clever and a knowing wink at Netflix itself. It also offers an interesting critique of AI and algorithms and how they dehumanise art.

But if you aren’t down for the meta humour and storyline - it may be lower on your rankings.

15 - Nosedive (s3 ep 1)

Synopsis: A woman desperate to boost her social media score hits the jackpot when she's invited to a swanky wedding. But the trip doesn't go as planned.

Rewatching the series from the start, it was a bit of a jumpscare getting to the first Netflix era episode of Black Mirror and suddenly hearing all-American accents. Lacie’s (Bryce Dallas Howard) unravelling as her social ranking begins to plummet is so brilliantly paced - starting slow and then snowballing.

The way the music starts to incorporate the downvoting sound after she is uninvited to the wedding is a brilliant touch that adds to the atmosphere. It's a shame that an actor as good as James Norton is so underutilised.

But it is an effective satire of our social media obsessed age - although perhaps in 2025 the getting angry and shouting would see her score rise up instead of nosedive…

14 - Hang the DJ - (s4 ep 4)

Synopsis: Paired up by a dating program that puts an expiration date on all relationships, Frank and Amy soon begin to question the system's logic.

As you will see later in this list, I am a deeply sentimental person and stories that tap into these emotions will always have a place in my heart. After the mixed start to season 4 - USS Callister aside - I was a bit jaded before starting Hang the DJ and even took a day’s break in my rewatch marathon.

However I quickly found myself all in on this episode, it cleverly does one of my favourite story telling methods of just throwing viewers in at the deep end. The story of Frank and Amy really works and the actors really sell their love story.

I feel like the episode didn’t need that final moment twist, which dings the score a little. But it is a really strong instalment.

13- The Entire History of You (s1 ep 3)

Synopsis: In the near future, everyone has access to a memory implant that records everything humans do, see and hear.

A deeply unsettling, anxiety dream of an episode it is one that still hits like a tonne of bricks all these years later. Liam’s spiral into paranoia and the collapse of his family feels less like sci-fi and more like

And in truth, with whole generations having grown up with their lives online - since the episode debuted back in 2011 - it can’t help but feel deeply familiar to our world. The final montage is still emotionally devastating and a compelling warning about obsession.

12 - Beyond the Sea - (s6 ep 3)

Synopsis: In an alternative 1969, two astronauts on a perilous high-tech space mission grapple with the fallout of an unfathomable tragedy back on Earth.

A deeply tragic and profoundly sad episode, Beyond the Sea is Black Mirror as a stage play. It takes a high concept idea of astronauts sending their consciousness back to robot bodies and makes it about love and grief and tragedy.

The pacing might not work for everyone, but I appreciate that it has room to breathe and stew in the character work. Aaron Paul gives a brilliant double-handed performance and is magnetic.

It all builds to a deeply horrifying conclusion that punches viewers in the gut.

11 - Bete Noire (s7 ep 2)

The seventh season of Black Mirror continues with an unnerving psychological thriller of an episode in Bete Noire - as the past comes to haunt a young woman. Sienna Kelly is tasked with carrying the episode on her back and she gamely does a fantastic job - never leaning into cliches in her performance. Rosy McEwen is utterly unnerving as the mysterious Verity.

Read my full review here.

10 - Eulogy (s7 ep 5)

Black Mirror takes a trip down memory lane to powerful effect in the penultimate episode of season 7. Paul Giamatti is brilliantly cast as Phillip, a lonely man travelling into photos from his past in search of a memory of a long-ago love that can be used as part of her funeral.

Eulogy explores the fragility of memory and the way we self-censor memories, to protect our internal versions of ourselves. It is deeply poignant and well executed.

Read the full review here.

9 - USS Callister: Into Infinity (s7 ep 6)

Black Mirror goes for bigger and louder in its highly anticipated USS Callister sequel episode - as it boldly embraces blockbuster sci-fi. It is a valiant return to the world of USS Callister, looser and bigger in the way sequels tend to be. But still compelling and a worthy companion piece to the original.

Read my full review here.

8- Loch Henry - (s6 ep 2)

Synopsis: While filming a nature documentary in a sleepy Scottish town, a young couple catches wind of a juicy local story with ties to shocking past events.

True crime has ballooned into a full blown industry during the 21st century. From podcasts to books and TV shows and documentaries.

It is a genre that comes with a lot of baggage and Loch Henry cleverly mines that. Starting as a standard story of documentarians investigating an old crime it becomes much sharper and biting by the end.

In its final moments - after the in episode documentary wins a BAFTA - it becomes transcendent with its critique of the whole genre and the way it dehumanises victims.

7 - Shut Up and Dance (s3 ep 3)

Synopsis: After a virus infects his laptop, a teen faces a daunting choice: carry out orders delivered by text message, or risk having intimate secrets exposed.

Perhaps the most nihilistic Black Mirror has ever been, this is a bleak hour of TV with one of the show’s best executed twists. I worried that on re-watch the impact of this episode would be lessened, knowing how it would end, but instead it just added to the oppressive atmosphere.

Like all of the best instalments of the anthology series, Shut Up and Dance snowballs across the hour until it's ready to punch you in the gut. But it may not be for everyone - and the reveal of what Kenny had been caught doing is revolting.

However this is an occasion where the nihilistic outlook matches the subject of the episode and it works perfectly in harmony.

6- Hotel Reverie (s7 ep 3)

Black Mirror conjures up the spirit of classic Hollywood for a tender and beguiling third episode of its seventh season. Hotel Reverie easily establishes itself among the pantheon of the show’s great love stories. Like San Junipero and Hang the DJ.

Read my full review here.

5 - The National Anthem (s1 ep1)

Synopsis: Prime Minister Michael Callow faces a shocking dilemma when Princess Susannah, a much-loved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped.

It cannot be understated the cultural impact of this episode in the UK. Rory Kinnear is dazzling as Michael Callow and the episode fizzes with a bubbling tension as it builds to its inevitably grim climax.

The National Anthem captures a specific British energy that Black Mirror has sanded away over the years - as it has become an international hit. But this episode still feels chillingly plausible and endlessly timely in the age of social media.

4 - White Christmas (s2 ep 4)

Synopsis: Three interconnected tales of technology run amok during the Christmas season are told by two men at a remote outpost in a frozen wilderness.

This was actually the first ever episode of Black Mirror that I actually watched, back in December of 2014. Returning to it I wondered how it would hold up against my memories of it but those fears faded almost instantly.

Jon Hamm gives one of the best performances in the show and it offers up a macabre twist on the classic British TV Christmas special. Like a festive tree it layers on its story, piece by piece and becomes something akin to a fable, until it reaches the skin crawlingly haunting ending.

3 - Common People (s7 ep 1)

Black Mirror returns with a deeply affecting and biting episode to kick start its seventh season. Common People is Black Mirror at top form: tragic, acidly satirical and heart-breaking. What a way to start. Read my full review.

2 - USS Callister (s4 ep 1)

Synopsis: Capt. Robert Daly presides over his crew with wisdom and courage. But a new recruit will soon discover nothing on this spaceship is what it seems.

Truly a magnificent piece of television, sinister and terrifying and in the end triumphant. Its message about toxic masculinity and sexual abuse remains even more potent all these years later.

Jesse Plemons is utterly terrifying and among the scariest horror monsters of the 2010s. But he is not the only standout, the whole cast is excellent. A masterpiece of TV, hopefully the sequel doesn’t tarnish its legacy.

1 - San Junipero (s3 ep 4)

Synopsis: In a seaside town in 1987, a shy young woman and an outgoing party girl strike up a powerful bond that seems to defy the laws of space and time.

Truly one of the most beautiful and heartfelt hours of TV you could possibly watch. If you only watch a single episode of Black Mirror - make it San Junipero.

I could write a thousand more words on this episode, but why should I spoil it for you. Just go and watch it. Like right now.

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