An eery new commercial for Black Mirror envisions how you’d watch Netflix if you were actually a character in Black Mirror. The extremely meta spot parades as a commercial for “Netflix Vista,” an imaginary future product where you can install Netflix into your body with a futuristic contact lens system, a not-so-subtle reference to an episode from Black Mirror's first season, “The Entire History of You.” But with Netflix Vista, instead of memory implant, a gentle tap on the button embedded behind your ear lets you stream your favorites shows and movies right on your eyeballs, wherever you go.
As the commercial progresses, the scenarios showing Netflix Vista become increasingly grim. While having easy access to Netflix on the subway or at the gym seems strangely enticing, the ad goes on to ensure you will never have to interrupt whatever Netflix binge is currently consuming your life—whether you’re at the beach, eating dinner in an intimate setting with a loved one, or at the deathbed of your own grandmother.
The tongue-in-cheek ad is bold: It encourages you to watch the Netflix show while simultaneously making you feel guilty about how much television you already watch. Just like Black Mirror, the terrifying vision of a Netflix Vista-addicted society is creepy for the exact reason that it doesn’t seem so far removed from our own present-day circumstances.
Still, the Netflix executives probably know that no amount of guilt is going to stop people from watching its shows. On that note, there are currently 13 episodes of Black Mirror that you can stream on Netflix.
