As the story of a lonely man using futuristic technology to go through his own memories of a failed relationship,Black Mirrorseason 7’s “Eulogy” episode has a lot in common withEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. “Eulogy,” the fifth installment in the season, is one ofBlack Mirrorseason 7’s best episodes, and it’s one of the most moving episodes of the entire series. Where mostBlack Mirrorepisodes are dark and twisted,“Eulogy” is a touching love story about a universally relatable regret: the one that got away.
Black Mirror’s “Eulogy” episode builds to a heartbreaking endingthat brings the whole story full circle.It’s a deep psychological drama dressed up as a science fiction story— and in that sense, it resembles one ofKate Winslet’s best movies. If you loved “Eulogy,” you should definitely check outEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
“Eulogy” Is Black Mirror’s Answer To Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine Takes A Similar Trip Down Memory Lane
Paul Giamatti stars in “Eulogy”as Phil, a man who’s growing old alone at a home he inherited on Cape Cod. One day, a company called Eulogy gets in touch and informs him that his ex-girlfriend Carol — who he was deeply in love with, but who he hasn’t thought about in decades — has passed away. Her surviving family wants to know if he has any pictures of her from that time, andEulogy’s tech and its A.I. guide transport him into his old photographs to sift through the relationship and figure out what went wrong.
The episode is essentiallyBlack Mirror’s answer to theclassic sci-fi breakup movieEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which tells a very similar story. InEternal Sunshine, Winslet and Jim Carrey play a couple who enlist a company named Lacuna to erase their memories of each other after their relationship ends in a painful breakup. AsCarrey’s Joel finds himself trapped in his own mind with older, happier memories of Winslet’s Clementine, he decides he doesn’t want to forget her and tries to hide her in other parts of his mind.
“Eulogy” & Eternal Sunshine Both Use Science Fiction To Dig Deeper Into The Emotions Of A Tragic Love Story
They Use Futuristic Technology To Visualize The Regrets Of Long-Lost Love
BothBlack Mirror’s “Eulogy” andEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minduse a futuristic technology to explore the nature of love and memory. They use their sci-fi elements to dig deeper into the emotions of their tragic love stories than a straightforward romantic drama ever could. Phil’s journey through his photographs highlights how easy it is to misremember things, and Joel’s journey through his own mind teaches him the vital lesson thatit’s important to hold onto the memories of a relationship — even the painful ones — because that relationship helped to shape who you are today.
