SPOILERS DOWN THE PATH; THE DISCUSSION BELOW WILL NOT BE COMPREHENSIVE WITHOUT IT.
TREAD CAREFULLY. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is a revolution in the right direction for visual storytelling! The ultimate goal of screenwriters and filmmakers is to put audiences in the protagonist's mindscape, allowing them to experience the story, emotions, relationships, psychological and physical changes through the eyes of the main character by becoming one with the person. In this interactive format, we are able to go one step further into this process of turning into the protagonist by making the choices usually reserved for the lead character.
Bandersnatch revolves around a young computer programmer Stefan Butler (Fionn Whitehead) who attempts to adapt a Choose Your Own Adventure novel into a game. During the creation period, his psychological and mental state gradually break down. What happens next is left for us to decide; or that's at least what we're led to believe. And this interactive format of storytelling fits this narrative the most and is the truest way to tell this story while allowing us to feel what it's like to choose our own adventure in a tale exactly about that!
Choicemaking is the fundamental driving mechanism for a plot. And true choices are choices made under pressure. The greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice will be to the character's essential nature. Through a true choice, we learn information about the character and whatever the chosen option is, that will be a point of no return that opens up a new pathway for the plot to continue forward. In Bandersnatch, most of the choices aren't exactly true choices. Choosing which cereal to eat or which music to listen to means nothing to the plot or the audiences, which is the reason why this interactive format may come across like a gimmick more than an effective storytelling tool that employs true choices followed by real consequences.
Also, many of the choices the audiences take can halt the story at an abrupt end, bringing us back to where we've started with slight variations of what happened along the way up till the point where we are required to try again. While the slight variations are highly appreciated, the very idea of funneling us back to the same T-junction again to choose the latter option feels like a cop out. It would have been super interesting to see how our unique choices would have shaped a full length film with a completely different outcome under the same title! It is understandable that it would require millions of permutations than the ones already in store for this to happen, which may seem impossible for a motion picture to pull off, plus there's an ending that explains Bandersnatch gives the illusion that the audiences have the choice to drive the story but keeps pushing them back to make the choice the creator intends. With all these being said, the gravitation back to the start gives a Groundhog Day effect and sustains the feature as a living, breathing document!
The plot and story are barebone, with minimal development towards the relationship Stefan shares with his father, mother, Colin (Will Poulter) and therapist. There isn't really a solid explanation as to why Stefan's experiencing the meltdown which prompts him to commit murder. There are parts where Stefan feels someone is controlling him throughout, which is absolutely meta and fun! There's even an ending that reveals he is part of an interactive film produced by Netflix in the 21st century. But all these arrows back to the primary question: What is the actual story and plot of the film? Nevertheless, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is a phenomenal attempt at rejuvenating the idea of storytelling, which we need to see more of! Fionn Whitehead's performance is astounding! Brian Reitzell's score is disturbing. Colors, camerawork, visual effects and the production design for the year 1984 are great!