After nearly two years, Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror has returned to the 2025 Netflix schedule, complete with six new chapters of cautionary tales and explorations into the world of technology. Critics had the opportunity to screen Black Mirror Season 7 ahead of its release to the 2025 TV calendar, and many agree which episode every fan should be sure to check out.
Like the seasons that came before it, Season 7 boasts an epic cast that includes Peter Capaldi, Issa Rae, Emma Corrin, Paul Giamatti, Tracee Ellis Ross and more, seemingly proving that Black Mirror has the best casting. Where will the seventh offering fall in the ranking of Black Mirror seasons? See what critics are saying about the season as a whole — streaming now with a Netflix subscription — and its most notable episodes.
Jenna Scherer of AV Club gives the season a B+ overall, calling “Common People” a punch straight to the gut that kicks off the more-relevant-than-ever season. However, it’s “Eulogy” starring Paul Giamatti that should be a priority for fans. The critic says:
If you only watch one episode this season (as an anthology series, Black Mirror lets you skip around without missing anything), check out 'Eulogy.' This intimate, understated exploration of memory and regret uses the show’s premise to explore the complexities of people’s relationships with each other rather than with their devices. … While most Black Mirror episodes offer the very opposite of catharsis, this one leaves you with a bittersweet savor of emotional fulfillment.
Samantha Nelson of IGN rates Season 7 a “Great” 8 out of 10 and agrees that “Eulogy” is the season’s high point. Nelson says there’s not a dud in the mix, and also mentions the scathing rebuke of those who find desperation entertaining in “Common People,” as well as “USS Callister: Into Infinity” giving us our first true Black Mirror sequel in this love letter to Star Trek. Of “Eulogy” the critic says:
The journey through old pictures is gorgeously directed by Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor, with images coming into focus or even blossoming into color as Phillip reconnects to moments he thought he would rather forget and reconciles with his own role in the breakup. This is a classic Giamatti role – an isolated crank who might just have a good heart – and he unsurprisingly nails every aspect of the emotional journey.
Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence thinks Season 7 holds some of the best and worst episodes of the series, making for an uneven experience. At the top of the list, though, is “Eulogy,” Miller says:
Probably the most transcendent episode of the season is the penultimate one (per Netflix’s official viewing order): ‘Eulogy’ stars Paul Giamatti as an older man who learns that a girlfriend from his youth has passed away, and her family is using the titular technology to accumulate memories for her immersive memorial service. … ‘Eulogy’ is Black Mirror at its best — a character-driven story enhanced by its technology angle, with a powerhouse Giamatti performance at its core and an ending that inspires genuine tears.
Chris Evangelista of SlashFilm also is less impressed by the season as a whole, rating it 5 out of 10 and suggesting Charlie Brookers is out of ideas. “Eulogy” depicts a man being able to revisit the past by stepping into old photographs, and while the plot is predictable, the two-time Oscar nominee is great, according to the critic, who writes:
At the very least, ‘Eulogy’ is probably worth watching for Paul Giamatti. One of the best to ever do it, Giamatti is excellent here as Phillip, a lonely man who learns that an old girlfriend has died. … We know exactly where this is going, even if Phillip takes a longer time to get there. Still, Giamatti is dependably strong here as Phillip goes through a whirlwind of emotions dealing with the past. I also enjoyed the unique visual style directors Chris Barrett & Luke Taylor create as Phillip keeps entering various photos. I just wish it all amounted to something better.
Daniel D’Addario of Variety calls Paul Giamatti in “Eulogy” one of the series’ best acting performances ever as a man using A.I. to reconstruct a defining romantic relationship. The critic continues:
The wonder here isn’t the tech — as with all of the best Black Mirror episodes, that’s incidental. It’s the gradual shedding of pretensions and protective lies Giamatti shows us, as he realizes, beat by beat, the role he played in the end of the affair, and the things he didn’t allow himself to see. That’s what Black Mirror — the ultimate mixed-bag show at this point in its run, but a show that will always be worth watching for the surprises it can still conjure — worthwhile. It’s not the things we know it can do well, but the moments when the show seems even to be surprising itself.
As noted above, there are some other episodes that stand out to critics. Matthew Creith of The Wrap says “Common People” is a “fascinating look at how technology has bound humanity to devices (and people) we need while also clouding our judgment on affordability.”
Meanwhile, “Plaything” revisits the world of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch in a welcome continuation of the 2018 interactive movie. However, in the end it’s the cast that makes Season 7 worthwhile, especially the performances like Cristin Milioti’s in “USS Callister: Into Infinity.” In Creith’s words:
The reason Black Mirror Season 7 works on the varying levels that it does is primarily due to the cast’s commitment within each episode. Issa Rae, Emma Corrin, Awkwafina, Michele Austin and Paul Giamatti grace several episodes of the season, but ‘USS Callister: Into Infinity’ is a prime example of acting at its finest, combining unbeatable visual effects with magnificent work from Milioti.
It’s only natural that the episodes of Black Mirror will affect their viewers in different ways, but it’s hard to argue with all the talk that Paul Giamatti is getting for “Eulogy.” Will that or any others from Season 7 be considered amongst Black Mirror’s best episodes? You can form your own opinions, with all six episodes available to stream on Netflix now.
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