Black Mirror Metalhead VFX Breakdown
"Metalhead" is the fifth episode of the fourth series of anthology series Black Mirror. It was written by Charlie Brooker and directed by David Slade. The episode first aired on Netflix, along with the rest of series four, on 29 December 2017.
"Metalhead" is filmed entirely in black and white, and follows the plight of Bella (Maxine Peake) trying to flee from robotic "dogs" after the unexplained collapse of human society. The dogs were influenced by Boston Dynamics' robots such as BigDog. Filming took place in England, with Lidar scans used for scenes from the dog's perspective. The running time of 41 minutes makes "Metalhead" the shortest Black Mirror episode.
The episode has a simple plot and received mostly positive reviews. It has been compared to The Terminator, as both works feature machines chasing humans. The episode's message has been widely debated, with reviewers discussing questions about artificial intelligence and the final shot of a box of teddy bears. The plot and short running time have received mixed reviews, while Peake's acting and Slade's directing have been praised, along with the cinematography and the design of the dogs.
Bella (Maxine Peake), Anthony (Clint Dyer), and Clarke (Jake Davies) drive to a warehouse to find something to help ease the pain of Jack, who is dying. While Clarke hijacks a van, Bella and Anthony break into a warehouse. They find the box that they are looking for, but behind it is a four-legged robotic guard, known as a "dog". The dog releases a shell that explodes mid-air and showers Bella and Anthony with shrapnel that contains trackers. The dog climbs down and shoots Anthony twice, killing him. Bella flees without the box. The dog follows her as she escapes in her car, with Clarke following in the van. The dog jumps onto the van, kills Clarke and begins to drive. Bella runs her car off the road through a forest, then halts abruptly as she reaches a cliff edge. The dog finds her and climbs into the car, but Bella jumps out and the car falls off the cliff.
After running away, Bella uses pliers to extract the tracker embedded in her leg and then throws it into a river. She uses her walkie-talkie; unable to hear the person on the other end, she gives them a message to pass onto her loved ones Ali and Graham in case she is killed. Bella runs into a forest, climbing a nearby tree as she hears the dog. The dog's arm was damaged when it escaped from the car's wreckage, so it cannot climb the tree, instead powering down and waiting. Bella drains it of power by repeatedly throwing sweets at it, which causes the dog to power up and power down. When it no longer responds, Bella climbs down the tree. She comes across a car outside a house, and uses a long wire to grab a key ring through the letterbox.
Bella finds two rotting corpses in the upstairs bedroom, taking car keys and a shotgun from them. The dog has recharged and opens the gate to gain access to the compound. It takes a knife to replace its damaged arm. As the dog enters the room where Bella is hiding, she leaps out and throws paint over its visual sensor, and then throws the paint can to the corner of the room. Hearing it clatter, the dog rushes over and attacks while Bella runs. She starts the car, but the engine doesn't work. The radio plays "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers. The dog follows the noise and climbs inside the car. Bella shoots the dog and it stabs her in the leg; she shoots it again and it falls to the ground. The dog releases another shell, which showers Bella with shrapnel.
In the bathroom mirror, Bella sees shrapnel embedded in her face. She lifts a knife, but notices a piece of shrapnel in her jugular. Bella speaks into her walkie-talkie, unaware of if she can be heard, saying goodbye to her loved ones. As she puts the knife to her throat, the camera pans out over the landscape where dogs are seen approaching and investigating. In the warehouse, the box's contents—dozens of teddy bears—have spilled onto the floor.
"Metalhead" is the fifth episode of the fourth series of anthology series Black Mirror. It was written by Charlie Brooker and directed by David Slade. The episode first aired on Netflix, along with the rest of series four, on 29 December 2017.
"Metalhead" is filmed entirely in black and white, and follows the plight of Bella (Maxine Peake) trying to flee from robotic "dogs" after the unexplained collapse of human society. The dogs were influenced by Boston Dynamics' robots such as BigDog. Filming took place in England, with Lidar scans used for scenes from the dog's perspective. The running time of 41 minutes makes "Metalhead" the shortest Black Mirror episode.
The episode has a simple plot and received mostly positive reviews. It has been compared to The Terminator, as both works feature machines chasing humans. The episode's message has been widely debated, with reviewers discussing questions about artificial intelligence and the final shot of a box of teddy bears. The plot and short running time have received mixed reviews, while Peake's acting and Slade's directing have been praised, along with the cinematography and the design of the dogs.
Bella (Maxine Peake), Anthony (Clint Dyer), and Clarke (Jake Davies) drive to a warehouse to find something to help ease the pain of Jack, who is dying. While Clarke hijacks a van, Bella and Anthony break into a warehouse. They find the box that they are looking for, but behind it is a four-legged robotic guard, known as a "dog". The dog releases a shell that explodes mid-air and showers Bella and Anthony with shrapnel that contains trackers. The dog climbs down and shoots Anthony twice, killing him. Bella flees without the box. The dog follows her as she escapes in her car, with Clarke following in the van. The dog jumps onto the van, kills Clarke and begins to drive. Bella runs her car off the road through a forest, then halts abruptly as she reaches a cliff edge. The dog finds her and climbs into the car, but Bella jumps out and the car falls off the cliff.
After running away, Bella uses pliers to extract the tracker embedded in her leg and then throws it into a river. She uses her walkie-talkie; unable to hear the person on the other end, she gives them a message to pass onto her loved ones Ali and Graham in case she is killed. Bella runs into a forest, climbing a nearby tree as she hears the dog. The dog's arm was damaged when it escaped from the car's wreckage, so it cannot climb the tree, instead powering down and waiting. Bella drains it of power by repeatedly throwing sweets at it, which causes the dog to power up and power down. When it no longer responds, Bella climbs down the tree. She comes across a car outside a house, and uses a long wire to grab a key ring through the letterbox.
Bella finds two rotting corpses in the upstairs bedroom, taking car keys and a shotgun from them. The dog has recharged and opens the gate to gain access to the compound. It takes a knife to replace its damaged arm. As the dog enters the room where Bella is hiding, she leaps out and throws paint over its visual sensor, and then throws the paint can to the corner of the room. Hearing it clatter, the dog rushes over and attacks while Bella runs. She starts the car, but the engine doesn't work. The radio plays "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers. The dog follows the noise and climbs inside the car. Bella shoots the dog and it stabs her in the leg; she shoots it again and it falls to the ground. The dog releases another shell, which showers Bella with shrapnel.
In the bathroom mirror, Bella sees shrapnel embedded in her face. She lifts a knife, but notices a piece of shrapnel in her jugular. Bella speaks into her walkie-talkie, unaware of if she can be heard, saying goodbye to her loved ones. As she puts the knife to her throat, the camera pans out over the landscape where dogs are seen approaching and investigating. In the warehouse, the box's contents—dozens of teddy bears—have spilled onto the floor.