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Eulogy is the fifth episode of Black Mirror Series 7.
Phillip (Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers) takes a phone call to learn the news that an old friend from years gone by, Carol, has passed away, and her family are creating an “immersive memorial”, asking him to contribute a memory.
On the face of it, it sounds like when someone I knew from school was getting married, and could I give them an anecdote of sorts that would be brought up at the reception, and I did. However, in this case, since it’s Black Mirror, he gets sent a kit which talks to him (voiced by Mickey 17‘s Patsy Ferran, as The Guide), in which if he simply looks at an old photo, The Guide can take him into it, like a Star Trek Holodeck, allowing him to see all around as if he can move about inside the image.
Sometimes, he’ll be played music to help jog his memory, such as Stone Roses’ Fools Gold, a song I particularly remember from 1990 as I started University at the time. I wasn’t into them at the time, but nostalgia helps fuel the fire. For him, the music helps because photos are scarce and he’s struggling to remember her face, and it’s not easy if it’s a picture where she was looking away at that moment.
Eulogy is largely a single-hander for the brilliant Paul Giamatti, in as much as he’s the only person in physical form and in the real world, as he communicates with the device.
Going back to the concept of nostalgia, and it’s a powerful tool, as we could live forever in the good times, and this one hits deep when we get into the nitty-gritty of Phillip’s life and his relationship with Carol.
There’s a lot more I could say, but I’d just end up giving spoilers and I want to avoid that. Eulogy is clearly the best episode of Black Mirror in this current season, partly for Giamatti, and partly because it makes you wish you could change elements of your past.
Eulogy is now available on Netflix.
Score: 9/10
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Directors: Chris Barrett, Luke Taylor
Producers: Louise Sutton
Writers: Charlie Brooker, Ella Road
Music: Lucinda Chau, Matthew Herbert
Cast
Phillip: Paul Giamatti
The Guide: Patsy Ferran
Karthik: Ramesh Nair
Young Philip: Declan Mason
Young Carol: Hazel Monaghan
Emma: Ava Galindez
Zeke: Dominic Bruce-Radcliffe
Adam: Michael Sotillo
Amanda: Sophie Dragon
Carol (voice): Rebecca Ozer
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.