15 Million Merits: The Dark Prophecy of Black Mirror

Black Mirror has numerous dark and philosophical episodes, but none more so than 15 Million Merits, staring Daniel Kaluuya. Ten years after the episode's release, it feels more relevant than ever. In 2011, this was a cautionary tale. Now, it's stone-cold reality.
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#blackmirror #15millionmerits #danielkaluuya #blackmirrorphilosophy #blackmirrorbest #blackmirrordark #blackmirrorscariest #blackmirrorseason1 #blackmirror3

[@Irose_YTBE]

What broke me most about this episode is that even the truthful and honest critique of a sick society was corrupted and became commercialized with no real change coming with it....how many movements today that fight for real issues become buzz words and performances of activism

[@t0m653]

What you gonna do about it?

[@alexman378]

Every time I see anything becoming an organized movement, I check out of it. It’s not that I lose interest in the message, but as soon as it becomes an organized movement, it stops being a simple benevolent act to help out society, and it becomes something with interests, agendas and looking to make profit out of the message.

[@kenydemeza]

That’s why I no longer care about the BLM movement. I still care about the issue of violence against my people as a black person but I can’t stand the BLM Organization

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

Yep.

[@Dr.Beetlejuice110]

@@t0m653 nothing, no one can do anything about it. Facts are that today we are going more and more into a society where we will be communially isolated. Men share their feelings, it's called toxic and misogynistic. Then those people are cast out. No longer an opportunity to grow etc. The amateur behavior analyst and amateur psychiatrist has grown in numbers and of course people don't want to be around that crap. We are well on our way to isolation. Around each other but isolated. If we must, use each other for procreation and that's it. It's pretty sad. There's nothing anyone can do about it because if we do speak out about it, it will be here today and gone tomorrow. Just make your own lives what you want and hope your example will spur others on but otherwise on the macro we can't do anything.

[@splodge71]

arguably the best and most depressing episode of Black Mirror

[@BrickKildaguy]

Agreed. There are scarier and more disturbing episodes, but this one hits the hardest as a societal commentary.

[@Kryptokeeper9]

​@@BrickKildaguyfor sure

[@RNGvideoinator]

nosedive was the second best

[@ppbailey1290]

“Just bigger cells and bigger screens” that one stuck with me

[@tabitha3861]

Insane that this came out a decade ago and how ahead of its time it is.

[@qwertyz6284]

This episode is Metaverse

[@SonshineLady7]

Predictive programming

[@vladimirirkhin]

Black Mirror offers a plethora of different dystopias, each predicting an extreme of something you wouldn't pay no mind to otherwise, this is just one of the ones that happened to come true, with more to follow suit lest we do something about it...

[@raulsoot]

Brave New World was published in 1932. James Burnham wrote his Managerial Revolution in 1941.

[@eyesore21]

I’ve never forgotten how good this episode was. Good stuff.

[@Leo-bj7if]

Damn, it never even occurred to me that the window could have been just another screen...

[@SonshineLady7]

Reminds me of a scene in "Soylent Green." Filmed in 1973 based on a 1966 book, the movie ironically takes place in 2022. The world is in a dystopian mess. Those who want to "go home" (ie die) can go to a "facility" for that but. Before death, each person is shown nature scenes on HUGE panoramic-type screens. Those scenes remind me of the final view in this episode.

[@dafpod717]

Daniel Kaluuya was amazing in this

[@rageagainstmyhairline5574]

He really was. Captivating. It's kind of weird talking about that episode like this, though; feels like we're engaging in what the episode was about.

[@ruthnk6575]

I have a shitty memory but this episode of black mirror was unforgettable and years later it still plays out vividly in my mind, it really is haunting because it is literally just a parody of what we live in

[@marcoramos4873]

Probably the best breakdown I’ve seen for this episode of black mirror. Please do more on their other episodes.

[@Robo311Star]

For me it's one of the best breakdowns of anything I've seen on youtube in awhile. Sorry I wasn't trying to one-up you bro I just realized how that came across. You'd think I would have deleted it

[@PeriodDrama]

The fact he just said “want to skip the ad in the video you’re watching? You can for just ten dollars a month.” Right before YT popped an ad up on me made this too real.

[@shman5000o]

Remember watching this as the first and only episode from the Black Mirror series. Watched it with a former close friend(shout out to S.M., hope you doing all right out there) of mine who was super obsessed with all sorts of British TV programming. Caved into watching B.M. because it beat watching Doctor Who(look man, I just couldn't get into it sorry lol) and the episode's premise for this B.M. episode sounded interesting as hell. In a way, I'm really glad this was the only episode I ever watched. Because of thag, to this day, the episode still feels hella fresh on my mind because of it's hard hitting message, and it just keeps hitting harder as the years go by. Idk if I should be terrified or just cynically laugh and just try to make the most of a tough situation. Eh, still got time to figure it out I guess I could say is the upside of all this. Anywho, I really like your style my dude. Was coming off your Homelander vid, some real good stuff. Got yourself a sub, look forward to future content!

[@hugzpls]

You def should watch the other episodes!

[@bakingbola]

I think this still holds up as Daniel Kalyuya’s best performance. And I say that as a fan of most of his performances

[@danielmantai88]

I would definitely be down to watch more old Black Mirror episode takes. Great job!

[@christophermartinez9303]

Agreed! New sub here now :)

[@MrJupiter65]

Thank you! All of my absolute favorite episodes of all time Black mirror myself. You gave me insight to something I never realized. That the cleaners were in the video game. Somehow I never caught it at that time I only had a laptop to watch on. Also the windows of the end I never realized that they were screens. You have amazing insight and I love your format. Yes I just subscribed. We need more like you out there. Be well my fellow content creator.

[@caelibsmith2402]

I don’t know shit about black mirror, when you said “10 years ago” I almost started crying

[@Intellechawwal]

This has always been my favorite episode. I felt the same way watching it.

[@smileyent.3055]

Finally, the most defining and my favourite episode . So many gems in this one

[@sillysokka1130]

What I LOVE about this video, aside from how accurate and well though it out it was… as you are just explaining how society is monetizing everything through adverts, ON THE SECOND I get a youtube advert. 😂

[@BrickKildaguy]

Tbf i made this before I was monetized 😂

[@sillysokka1130]

@@BrickKildaguy nah, I know it's out of your control, it just felt like a massive meta slap in the face. The exact problems with forced advertising against our will, and it did exactly that on the second! Was brilliant 😂

[@yamchayaku]

I feel this is going to be our reality soon. I'd probably go as far and say we might have an even smaller room with a headset that makes us dive into a meta-realm. Generations after us are going to be extremely miserable.

[@sneedmando186]

I have thought about this since I seen it. It’s horrific

[@THEBRO1811]

The claustrophobia of this episode made me very uncomfortable especially the “unskippable ads”

[@iamrenvik1522]

This actually scared me as it was so close to the thoughts id had about where we were headed and where that logically concludes givem time , im going to have to binge thr whole black mirror box set now to rmeind me how good it was. *i saw it bsck when it first aired in the UK.

[@Zarathustr]

wait was it on Tv before Netflix??

[@iamrenvik1522]

@@Zarathustr oh yeh i think channel 4 in the UK i watched on but was so long ago now i can't say 100%

[@nayrskater]

This was great brother. I always think about this ep ever since I’ve seen it years ago.

[@GenXPower]

I am a staunch individualist, and I stand firmly, vehemently against collectivism. I would be for the voluntary exchange of goods, services, ideas, speech.... a capitalist in the true sense. I cannot say I am for collectivism, and I cannot say I am for our consumer based society. We want to burn it all down and replace it with an even worse form of slavery, where meritocracy is legislated. The truth starts with turning inwards to ourselves. We free ourselves before we can become the moral arbiters of society. If we all spent any time becoming the best we could be, we would be amazed. Your circumstances are not in your control. You only have control over your actions.

[@Saboo27]

This episode was always my favorite. I love seeing people analyze it.

[@Classicbutterscotch]

You’re gonna be huge, and soon. Your content is freaking amazing dude, keep it up and you’ll seriously hit a million in no time.

[@rizwanzaman1793]

This was my favourite episode too! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it.

[@Aezur20]

Great video. Haunting episode. Can't believe you only have 100 subscribers. Keep up the grind and you'll get your fancier screen in no time! 😅

[@noob_cabbageleaf9204]

This channel is so very underrated.

[@BrickKildaguy]

Thanks! But for 4 videos and 1 month of doing it - 2k subs and a video with over 200k views seems on track to be properly rated soon! Hahaha

[@drumstick74]

I am late to Black Mirror, and only just watched this episode yesterday. And honestly, it could be brand new, it is very relevant (if not more relevant) today(!)

[@thulanimashava1708]

Just discovered your video and I'm obsessed.

[@commander_maddogtheog]

Just found your channel today. I like it so far.

[@tacogodboomdogg]

The most heartbreaking part of the society portrayed is that everything is Flintstone powered.

[@IamZeus1100]

Amazing video essay here ! Glad the algorithm showed me your channel, you do great work!

[@kazaxc9518]

Here before you blow up, insanely good content

[@terrellfields7857]

Pretty good take. So good I had to watch the others. Really made me think twice about homelander. Keep up the good work. Need a new playlist for work

[@nocturnal6876]

I miss black mirror being this creative in it's anti capitalist messages. Like the videos I'll sub

[@tarabagel1600]

this seems to get more relatable every year. Like the rise of sludge content, ai, influencer shein propaganda, ppl being paid 2$ an hour to train ai, netflix ads, double ads, double unskippable ads, apple headset thingy. Like the world is just constantly rushing towards that would

[@recycledminis]

Great way to break down this episode.

[@OwnD1]

You have a great analysis take. Looking forward to more video essays

[@RayneDarren]

I've been thinking about this episode a lot lately so I looked it up to see if anyone else thinks about it. We are alone, together.. well put.

[@bengieofftheleash9217]

Loved your vids since I found you randomly, you’re definitely gonna get some much needed attention, great work :)

[@julioramirezn]

Excelente you got a subscriber

[@rawleigh729]

Love your channel you deserve so much more subs with the content you put out good stuff dude

[@jeansvanjeansington1794]

I really love your videos, great stuff! :)

[@Fac31ess]

Underrated channel

[@Aztromaniac]

This is such a great video you don't have a million yet? Hope you can reach that very soon my g.

[@BrickKildaguy]

I went from 100ish to 1,000 in less than a day, so I'm in a good spot - considering I've only been doing it for a month 😁😁

[@gorencl]

He has to hold a shard to his neck.

[@celestialstation]

you're gonna go far holy shit

[@justmakingthistoreply5085]

This was the best episode of Black Mirror and proof that the English should’ve kept this show as they’re much better at acting than Americans

[@jokein1227]

Binge watching all your videos super glad I found your channel

[@SiGuy18_]

favourite black mirror episode

[@chuckbutler6380]

I can't believe you only have 2k subscribers, well done

[@BrickKildaguy]

Thanks! I had 100 before my other video blew up so it's going up!

[@chuckbutler6380]

@@BrickKildaguy yeah I’m impressed, what made you finally start posting

[@BrickKildaguy]

@@chuckbutler6380 A few things in my personal life, combined with the feeling that I could do these kinds of videos well. So far, it's paying off! New one coming this week, so stay tuned!

[@chuckbutler6380]

@@BrickKildaguy you bet

[@themutupoguy]

I'm on a binge of your videos. This is my third one so i might was well subscribe. Really like your videos

[@mohamedMustafa-yn4uc]

Great stuff

[@PavchBavin]

Helping the algorithm for this bro and you should to. He did an excellent job on this video essay

[@_KRUGR_]

Great video man!

[@Nostalg1a]

Good stuff man

[@Georg3e]

I love this channel 😅

[@gorencl]

I can watch three seasons of Sopranos a day, but only one episode of Black mirror. And this is the most painful one.

[@whatever1618]

The first time ads began blaring out of gas pumps I thought of this episode. You can't even have your own thoughts at a gas pump without interacting with the mute button. What's next? The price of a gallon is lower if you let the ad play?

[@OWXMUSIC]

I loved this episode of Black Mirror but sadly it’s our reality as you so eloquently stated in this video.

[@Robo311Star]

Brilliant

[@TheSameYouTube]

This is what I both like and dislike about anthologies. As soon as the story ends… I just end up having even more questions 🤣🥲 Like, why are they there?! Is he an actual prisoner in some modern jail? Where do the judges live? Lol maybe they answered all this and I didn’t pay attention 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@BrickKildaguy]

That's the beauty of a short story. There's so much that's left up to your interpretation/imagination, which is always more interesting than stone-cold answers. In horror movies, the monster is always its scariest before you see it.

[@TheSameYouTube]

@@BrickKildaguy that’s what I mean when I say I like it and dislike it… I think it’s because I create my own fiction so I don’t like the burden of having to create fiction for someone else’s story… pure laziness on my part 😅 And idk, with horror movies I’ve never actually been scared of the monster… to me, the scary part is after the movie… because I can’t stop thinking about the fact that the monster could be me. 😨 probably need therapy 🫣

[@leokimvideo]

Can you explain the episode with the killer robot dogs and the box of teddy bears

[@gorencl]

No.

[@hangedman7547]

KZbin recommend me some actually good content

[@darrylmars]

Black Mirror is an oasis in the wasteland of modern media. National Anthem may be our highest artistic achievement since the Sgt Pepper.

[@gravecode]

This makes perfect since if all the people pedalling is powering a ASI. The power demands of what they are talking about building today, they either gonna need nuclear reactor to power it or couple million people pedalling bikes to power it.

[@caad5258]

Yeah Black Mirror peaked early.

[@alainterieur4837]

In a sense NFTs (and web 3.0) have a lot of similarities with that world. Both of them are entirely digital and not tied to anything real and physical, with arbitrary value based on artificial scarcity (since copies can me made almost for free). NFTs require massive amounts of electricity to be generated, just like their world needs to function. They're digital commodities and their sole purpose is to be consumed : they have no actual tangible use. And still, they're being forced down everyone's throat by those who wish to make a fortune off of them. The web 3.0 and the metaverse are only pushing us further towards this world, where everything is artificial and where everyone is detached from reality

[@ceccascorp8149]

The series is like: damn, this sucks man. Anyway...

[@medic3761]

bro im just saying you did a summarision of the episode

[@Changeling9au]

15 Million Merits provides an exemplification of what Dr Francisco Gil-White calls Sloppy Totalitarianism.

[@bjd1980]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@Germaximus]

In the end, he's not speaking to me. I would never be in that audience.

[@padawanmage71]

Star Trek had it all wrong, *this* is what is in our future...

[@pbegley99]

They own nothing and they are happy.

[@user-ey1ci7wc8d]

Yep unless you buy a ticket to Alaska and cut up your passport live of the land

[@RK-bz7hb]

Fantastic video but bro isn’t it ironic how you might be playing the same role the main character plays at the end of the episode? You’re exposing the matrix, but on KZbin with a “subscribe and like” in the end lol I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I’m just saying it’s kinda ironic isn’t it. We see this exact thing everywhere in life.

[@hunterkiller1440]

I've seen a better Doctor Who episode featuring this premise. It's called The Rebel Flesh.

[@princeradipati1806]

😂isn’t her a good SinGher ?

[@alexxx4434]

Capitalism Realism

[@nock3149]

Great take. However I do believe there is a way out. Jesus. It may sound cliché but there is a reason it has lasted this long. It's True.

[@everforward5561]

Other religions have existed for longer spans of time than Christianity.

[@Michael_H_Nielsen]

The irony of you asking for subscribers on this video after a passionate speech 🙂

[@kimjongunvevo]

For the work he did, he deserves a sub

[@buckisz]

Not gone lie, what I got from the video was that a so called black man sad until he saw this white girl and then it was love at first sight. (Y not a black girl?) Not only that but he gives her all his merits and is now broke. And has to start from scratch to get those merits back. Was this a marriage/divorce? That’s what I got from it.

[@uncomfortablecat]

What?

[@buckisz]

@@uncomfortablecat went right over head.

[@rtten239]

That’s because you only see race , the one thing this episode wasn’t making a comment about in modern society

[@darthmummy7889]

Watched half your vids already you have came into the game with top tier vids

[@MoreOfSiren]

And just like that i subscribed. Your breakdowns are perfect! Can’t wait to see what you analyze next 🫶🏾

[@princeradipati1806]

😂isn’t her a good SinGher ?