Black MirrorÔÇÖs White Christmas is something of a unique entity in the endless stream of Christmas television.

It doesnÔÇÖt fall into any of the usual categories that encompass Christmas┬átelevision; your Love ActuallyÔÇÖs or any other show that makes you feel all warm and giddy on the inside. As a result, you are left with a feeling of dread about what may happen with humanity’s constant technological advancements; how terribly festive. The plot of this 73-minute-long existential breakdown follows that of 2 men who appear to have been stranded in a cabin for a prolonged amount of time after an apparent ÔÇ£jobÔÇØ goes wrong. What unravels amongst the backdrop of a seemingly innocuous Christmas dinner is a tale of murder, emotional torture and isolation.

This episode (and every other episode in Black Mirror) perfectly encapsulates an almost satirical technological extreme; from the fact that you can completely ÔÇ£blockÔÇØ someone out of your life to the inherent voyeurism of being able to watch someoneÔÇÖs life through a live video feed (the latter being incredibly topical as at the time of the episodes release as Google Glass and Instagram Live were being trialled).

Incredibly, I donÔÇÖt have any sort of criticism for the episode as the directing, script and acting are all absolutely superb. If anything, my only criticism would be that there wasnÔÇÖt another Christmas special made! Overall this episode is a like a lemon sorbet after a rich Christmas dinner; a welcome refreshment from the rest of the dayÔÇÖs decadence.

By Murphy Truss