'Black Mirror's Dystopian Universe Is *Finally* Back, And It's Got A Stacked Cast

It's officially time to question (and fear) everything you know about technology and modern society: Black Mirror season 6 is coming. The dystopian Netflix series is making its return after a four-year hiatus, so whatever they've come up with is bound to be...incredibly unsettling.

If you need a quick recap: Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker, is a sci-fi show that depicts terrifyingly disquieting stories of the near-future—or an alternate (but usually somewhat realistic) universe. The show uses bizarre storylines to create pointed commentary about contemporary ideas in society. For example, one of the most popular episodes, "Nosedive," explores a world with a version of social media that directly affects your social class—and how far one woman will go to maintain her clean and socially-acceptable image.

Although the content itself can be somewhat heavy, it's an otherwise refreshingly non-committal show. None of the Black Mirror episodes are connected so you can drop in (and out) at any time. Season 6 even seems to take an even more theatrical approach—adapting its five episodes into one-off "films." Here's everything to know about the upcoming season.

The trailer just dropped.

I'm already counting down the days. The series released its official trailer today, and announced that the entirety of the upcoming season will be available to stream on June 15. For context, Black Mirror last dropped on June 5, 2019—making it over four years since the last round of episodes came out.

Still, it's exciting that they're here at all. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, creator Charlie Booker said he wasn't sure if another season of Black Mirror would be well-received. "At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart, so I’m not working away on one of those. I’m sort of keen to revisit my comic skill set, so I’ve been writing scripts aimed at making myself laugh," he told Radio Times.

Perhaps Booker built some of this comedy writing into the upcoming Black Mirror season, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

The cast is stacked.

Black Mirror typically had some A-list cameos—such as Miley Cyrus, Daniel Kaluuya, and Jesse Plemons—in the past, and the upcoming episodes are no different. This season will include Salma Hayek, Michael Cera, Aaron Paul, Kate Mara, and more.

Since Black Mirror episodes are one-off, each actor only makes an appearance in a single episode. However, based on the trailer, the actors look like they have significant roles in each. Salma Hayek even (technically) plays herself.

There are five, feature-length episodes.

This isn't a huge change from previous seasons. Most Black Mirror episodes already operate similarly to movies, but season 6 really leans into the standalone "film" format. The trailer even reveals each episode's title. Here's a full rundown of the season—plus brief synopses, per IMDb and the Netflix trailer:

"Joan Is Awful"

Joan (Annie Murphy) discovers her life is being portrayed in a prestigious Hollywood project starring Salma Hayek. The film is available to stream on a parody Netflix-like platform called "Streamberry," and reveals the harsh reality of Joan's character.

"Loch Henry"

A young couple, played by Myha’la Herrold and Samuel Blenkin, attempts to film a nature documentary in a small Scottish town, but quickly learn its past that is much more intriguing. The pair begin following a local story, and discover shocking events from the town's history.

"Beyond The Sea"

Two men, played by Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett, embark on a high-tech mission in space, set in an alternative 1969. The pair takes a break from their assignment, and wrestle with the consequences of an unforeseen tragedy.

"Mazey Day"

Mazey Day (Clara Rugaard), an extremely popular actress evades paparazzi after an accident on a movie set. The title is also the name of a midsummer solstice celebration in Penzance, England.

"Demon 79"

A sales assistant (Anjana Vasan) is forced to commit violent acts to avoid disaster, set in an alternative 1979. She is visited by an angel-like figure (Paapa Essiedu) who offers her advice and guidance.

If you just can't wait for the upcoming episodes, you can watch Black Mirror's first five seasons on Netflix now. I'd suggest balancing it out with Selling Sunset or something else lighthearted. Happy streaming!

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