How Does ‘Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams’ Compare To ‘Black Mirror’?

If I know one thing about the internet, it’s that it’s a place for masochists. How else can you explain the overwhelming popularity of Black Mirror, a show that has been consistently preaching about the horrors of technology for years now, inspires a new existential crisis with every episode, and happens to come from Netflix, one of the most successful internet companies of our time? Black Mirror is a very good, very creepy, and very popular series. And with all popular pop culture things, it’s seemed to have inspired at least one pseudo-copycat show.

Earlier this month Amazon premiered its own sci-fi anthology series, Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Based on the novels of the beloved science fiction author Philip K. Dick, who is perhaps best known for Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Electric Dreams shares a lot of the same DNA as Black Mirror. Both shows exist as a collection of roughly hourlong anthology episodes that dissect the connections between humanity and technology. Both shows are packed with top-notch talent — Jesse Plemons, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Black Mirror‘s case, and Terrence Howard, Steve Buscemi, Benedict Wong, and Jason Mitchell in Electric Dreams‘ case. However, that’s where the similarities between the two series tend to end. What’s the deal with Amazon’s take on a sci-fi anthology series? And if you’re a diehard Black Mirror fan, is it worth checking out?

What Is Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams?

As mentioned before, the series is a sci-fi anthology series based on the works of Philip K. Dick. Season 1 is composed of 10 roughly hourlong episodes that explore everything from futuristic cyborgs to technology-free bubble communities. If you like expansive sci-fi worlds and top-notch actors in crazy scenarios, you’ll likely enjoy parts of Electric Dreams. However, that’s about where the remarkably fun elements of Electric Dreams come to an end.

An Anthology Series That Praises Celebrity And Technology Over Substance

There are many reasons why Charlie Brooker‘s creepy view of the world has become a pop culture staple. It partially has to do with the prophetic nature of Black Mirror, partially with the series’ knack for casting just the right actors and hiring just the right directors for each episode’s highly disturbing exploration. However, the main appeal of Black Mirror is and has always been its humanity. Even in episodes that are filled with well-known actors like “USS Callister” or episodes that are dominated by insane sci-fi concepts like “Fifteen Million Merits,” Black Mirror always focuses on putting the emotions and morals of its characters first and its name-brand actors and crazy ideas second. In this way, Black Mirror may be one of the only sci-fi shows that’s not really about science fiction. It’s a series that is and always has been about how people relate to and understand the world around them, for better or — more often than not — for worse.

Electric Dreams largely takes the opposite approach to its overall detriment. The Amazon series is filled with great actors giving solid performances, but the series as a whole seems more concerned with pointing to its own sci-fi surrounding and saying, “Isn’t that neat?” instead of actually exploring what these scenarios have to say about humanity. When the show does remember to be introspective, it can feel heavy-handed with characters explicitly explaining how they have grown or how technology has made their lives worse rather than relying on implications and subtly. Two of the worst examples of this are “Real Life” and “Autofac,” two ambitious episodes with interesting characters that play with gendered tropes that ultimately fall flat when examined on anything more than a surface level.

If I Only Watch One Episode, What Should It Be?

Make it “The Commuter.” The episode follows a man who discovers a perfect village that’s capable of wiping away all traumas. However, discovering this retreat changes his life for the worse.

So Should I Watch Electric Dreams?

There is merit to the Amazon anthology series. It’s a visually impressive series, and as long you know not to take it too seriously, it can be a good binge. However, walking into Electric Dreams knowing that last part is key. If you’re heading into this series expecting a brooding sci-fi anthology that will make you question everything you know about both technology and yourself a lá Black Mirror, prepare to be a bit disappointed. As my colleague Meghan O’Keefe mentioned in her review of the series, Electric Dreams is old-school sci-fi and as such it can be a bit heavy-handed and frankly frustrating. But if the idea of crazy sci-fi concepts and Amazon making a show about the evils of a never-ending e-commerce company is appealing to you, check out Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams.

Stream Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams on Prime Video