Demon 79

In 1979, Nida Huq (Anjana Vasan) works at the department store Possetts in the English town Tipley. While selling shoes, she fantasises about hurting her xenophobic coworker, Vicky (Katherine Rose Morley), and an unsettling customer, Keith Holligan (Nicholas Burns), who killed his wife.

Nida is alienated by the Conservative, anti-immigration politician Michael Smart and vandals who paint the fascist National Front symbol on her door. Forced to eat her biryani in the basement after Vicky complains, Nida pricks her finger on a drawer handle and bleeds over a bone talisman.

In her flat, the talisman speaks to Nida and she releases the demon Gaap (Paapa Essiedu), on his first assignment. Gaap takes the form of Bobby Farrell from Boney M. Nida has three days to make three human sacrifices; failure will lead to world destruction on May Day. Nida refuses to participate, even when Gaap shows her apartment in flames, and flees to a canal. Gaap tells Nida that a passerby, Tim Simons (Joe Evans), molests his eight-year-old daughter. Nida kills Tim with a brick.

Nida vomits with guilt and is late to work, where Gaap urges her to kill again. That night, she drinks scotch at her local pub. Nida follows Keith as he urinates in public; he invites her to his house for sex. She bludgeons him with a hammer and kills his brother Chris when he arrives home. Gaap calls a technical support line and is told that Keith's death does not count, as he was a murderer, so one sacrifice remains.

Smart, whom Nida's boss supports, visits Possetts and wins Vicky's vote. Gaap shows Nida a premonition: Smart becomes Prime Minister in an upset victory as leader of the ultra-nationalist Britannia Party. Though demons are fans of Smart, and Gaap insists that she choose someone else, Nida insists on targeting him.

The police officer Len Fisher (Shaun Dooley) investigates Tim's murder. He learns of Nida's uncharacteristic drinking, which Nida claims was due to the anniversary of her deceased mother's birthday. He follows Nida by car as she tails Smart after a public speech. She rams Smart's car, causing him to crash, and attacks him with a hammer, but Len approaches and Nida puts the hammer down.

At the police station, Nida tells the disbelieving officers about Gaap and the talisman. Sirens blare at midnight as nuclear warfare is seen. Nida agrees to join Gaap – who is outcast after failing his initiation – in an eternal void.

Black Mirror went on hiatus after its fifth series was released in 2019. Its executive producers, Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, departed from the production company House of Tomorrow and joined Broke and Bones, leading to negotiations for production rights.{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/black-mirror-charlie-brooker-annabel-jones-netflix-endemol-shine-group-1203478778/ | title = 'Black Mirror' Creators Quit Endemol Shine-Owned Label While Navigating IP Headaches With Netflix | first = Manori | last = Ravindran | date = 24 January 2020 | access-date = 25 January 2020 | work = Variety | archive-date = 24 January 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200124234923/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/black-mirror-charlie-brooker-annabel-jones-netflix-endemol-shine-group-1203478778/ | url-status = live }}{{cite web | url = https://deadline.com/2020/02/black-mirror-charlie-brooker-annabel-jones-launch-broke-and-bones-1202853906/ | title = 'Black Mirror' Creators Charlie Brooker & Annabel Jones Waste Little Time In Launching New Production Outfit | first = Jake | last = Kanter | date = 10 February 2020 | access-date = 10 February 2020 | work = Deadline Hollywood | archive-date = 10 February 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200210183050/https://deadline.com/2020/02/black-mirror-charlie-brooker-annabel-jones-launch-broke-and-bones-1202853906/ | url-status = live }}{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2020/streaming/global/netflix-invests-in-black-mirror-creators-1234720698/ | title = Netflix Makes Long-Term Investment in 'Black Mirror' Creators' New Production Company | first = Naman | last = Ramachandran | date = 30 July 2020 | access-date = 30 July 2020 | work = Variety | archive-date = 30 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200730224616/https://variety.com/2020/streaming/global/netflix-invests-in-black-mirror-creators-1234720698/ | url-status = live }} During this time, Brooker took a break from Black Mirror and worked on projects that were more comedic.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2020-05-04/black-mirror-6-update/|title=Charlie Brooker gives Black Mirror season 6 update: "I don't know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart"|work=Radio Times|last=Morris|first=Lauren|date=4 May 2020|access-date=10 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510164108/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2020-05-04/black-mirror-6-update/|url-status=live}} In May 2022, Netflix announced that a sixth Black Mirror series was in development. Broke and Bones produced the series, while House of Tomorrow's parent company, Banijay, retained ownership.{{cite magazine |last1=Ravindran |first1=Manori |title=Black Mirror Returns: New Series in the Works at Netflix (Exclusive) |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/black-mirror-season-6-netflix-1235266891/ |magazine=Variety |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20230615060651/https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/black-mirror-season-6-netflix-1235266891/ |archive-date=15 June 2023 |date=16 May 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=15 June 2023 }}

"Demon 79" is the last of the five episodes in series six, though it was the first to be written. The series was released on 15 June 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/black-mirror-netflix-release-date-season-6-trailer-1235503761/|title='Black Mirror' Season 6 Reveals Release Date, Episode Descriptions|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Strause|first=Jackie|date=31 May 2023|accessdate=31 May 2023|archive-date=22 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622161715/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/black-mirror-netflix-release-date-season-6-trailer-1235503761/|url-status=live}} As Black Mirror is an anthology, each instalment can be watched in any order.{{cite web|url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/06/do-you-have-to-watch-black-mirror-episodes-in-order/|title=Do You Have to Watch 'Black Mirror' Episodes In Order?|work=Heavy|last=Dwilson|first=Stephanie Dube|date=4 June 2019|access-date=5 June 2021|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225154915/https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/06/do-you-have-to-watch-black-mirror-episodes-in-order/|url-status=live}} The episode was written by Brooker and Bisha K. Ali.{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a44197628/charlie-brooker-black-mirror-interview/|title=Black Mirror Season 6: Charlie Brooker Breaks Down Every Episode|work=Esquire|last=Stefansky|first=Emma|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=17 June 2023|archive-date=16 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616145405/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a44197628/charlie-brooker-black-mirror-interview/|url-status=live}} Ali is the only co-writer of the sixth series; she created the series Ms. Marvel (2022).{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/22979064/ms-marvel-trailer-release-date|title=The Ms. Marvel trailer bursts with romance, big dreams, and superheroics|work=Polygon|last=Patches|first=Matt|date=15 March 2022|accessdate=13 February 2024}} Ali also received a credit as executive producer of the series six episode "Joan Is Awful".{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/black-mirror-demon-79-ending-explained/|title=Black Mirror: Demon 79 ending explained – what happened to Nida?|work=Radio Times|last=Hibbs|first=James|date=20 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=5 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705034300/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/black-mirror-demon-79-ending-explained/|url-status=live}}

Brooker noted that, since Black Mirror{{'}}s 2011 debut, dystopian sci-fi with technological themes had gone from rare to common, so he aimed to write horror fiction and period dramas.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/black-mirror-season-6-red-mirror-newsupdate/|title=Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker explains 'Red Mirror' label|work=Radio Times|last1=Griffin|first1=Louise|last2=Cormack|first2=Morgan|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=17 June 2023|archive-date=16 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616225949/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/black-mirror-season-6-red-mirror-newsupdate/|url-status=live}} He conceived of "Demon 79" as the first episode of a companion retro-themed horror anthology series called Red Mirror. The episode's supernatural elements are designed to evoke 1970s horror movies. According to Brooker, more episodes could be made under the Red Mirror label depending on the success of "Demon 79".

The episode was instead included in series six of Black Mirror, which Brooker described as a "conscious decision to slightly upend what the show is". Its title sequence reads, Black Mirror Presents: A Red Mirror Film. This allowed Brooker to find a different perspective for the series and dispel the idea that the series is saying "tech is bad" rather than "people are fucked up".{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/black-mirror-season-6-charlie-brooker-jessica-rhoades-interview/|title=Charlie Brooker doesn't want Black Mirror to be known as the 'tech is bad' show anymore|work=GamesRadar+|last=West|first=Amy|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721124146/https://www.gamesradar.com/black-mirror-season-6-charlie-brooker-jessica-rhoades-interview/|url-status=live}} Inspired by "Demon 79", other episodes in the series are set in the past: "Beyond the Sea" was changed from a near-future story to one in 1969 and "Mazey Day" is set in the mid-2000s.

File:Anjana Vasan 2017.jpg stars in the episode as Nida.]]

First reports in July 2022 revealed the casting of Paapa Essiedu and Anjana Vasan,{{cite magazine |last1=Ravindran |first1=Manori |title=Black Mirror Cast Revealed: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Paapa Essiedu, Kate Mara and Zazie Beetz Join New Season (Exclusive) |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/black-mirror-season-6-cast-1235314901/ |magazine=Variety |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20230615060648/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/black-mirror-season-6-cast-1235314901/ |archive-date=15 June 2023 |date=13 July 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=15 June 2023 }} with additional cast members Katherine Rose Morley and David Shields revealed in May 2023.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/black-mirror-season-6-episode-titles-photos/|title=Black Mirror season 6 reveals episode details, new photos|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|last=Holub|first=Christian|date=11 May 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023}} Nicholas Burns, who plays Keith Holligan, starred in Nathan Barley (2005), which was co-created by Charlie Brooker.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/feb/10/nathan-barley-charlie-brooker-east-london-comedy|title=Totally Mexico! How the Nathan Barley nightmare came true|work=The Guardian|last=Harrison|first=Andrew|date=10 February 2015|accessdate=13 February 2024}} Vasan is one of the few actors to appear in multiple Black Mirror episodes; she had a small role in "Nosedive", wearing silver paint and credited as "Space Cop"{{cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/anjana-vasan-black-mirror-streetcar-named-desire-hype-2407637|title=Anjana Vasan on Black Mirror, Paul Mescal and bad reviews|work=i|last=Saville|first=Alice|date=14 June 2023|accessdate=17 June 2023|archive-date=17 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617160114/https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/anjana-vasan-black-mirror-streetcar-named-desire-hype-2407637|url-status=live}} and made a cameo as a gamer in series 7 episode "USS Callister: Into Infinity".{{cite web |last1=Tallerico |first1=Brian |title=Every Black Mirror Easter Egg in Season 7 |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/black-mirror-7-easter-eggs-episode-connections.html |publisher=Vulture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411015337/https://www.vulture.com/article/black-mirror-7-easter-eggs-episode-connections.html |archive-date=11 April 2025 |date=11 April 2025}} Her other roles include Amina in We Are Lady Parts (2021–) and Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, characters that are underestimated, like Nida.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/anjana-vasan-black-mirror-streetcar-b2354747.html|title=Black Mirror's Anjana Vasan: 'I've been underestimated because I'm small, brown and foreign'|work=The Independent|last=Harrison|first=Ellie|date=18 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721213710/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/anjana-vasan-black-mirror-streetcar-b2354747.html|url-status=live}}

"Demon 79" was the second episode directed by Toby Haynes, after "USS Callister".{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/black-mirror-demon-79-cast-character-guide/|title=Demon 79 Cast Guide: Every Actor In The Black Mirror Episode|work=Screen Rant|last=Sherlock|first=Ben|date=12 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724170744/https://screenrant.com/black-mirror-demon-79-cast-character-guide/|url-status=live}} Brooker said it was made as "a lost corner of the late 70s that's shot through with a sort of modern sensibility".{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/06/black-mirror-season-six-charlie-brooker-spoilers|title=Black Mirror{{'}}s Charlie Brooker Keeps Finding New Ways to Freak Us Out|work=Vanity Fair|last=Press|first=Joy|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=2 August 2023}} The local newspaper Harrow Online reported that it was filmed in Harrow, London, in June 2022, under the code name "Project Red Book". Exterior shots of Possetts were sighted in Greenhill, Harrow.{{cite web|url=https://harrowonline.org/2022/06/15/film-crew-spotted-in-harrow-town-centre-for-rumoured-netflix-project/|title=Film crew spotted in Harrow Town Centre for rumoured Netflix project|work=Harrow Online|last=Mitchell|first=Chris|date=15 June 2022|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=11 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611014009/https://harrowonline.org/2022/06/15/film-crew-spotted-in-harrow-town-centre-for-rumoured-netflix-project/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://harrowonline.org/2023/06/20/revealed-new-black-mirror-episode-was-filmed-in-harrow/|title=Revealed: New Black Mirror episode was filmed in Harrow|work=Harrow Online|last=Mitchell|first=Chris|date=20 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=30 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630040454/https://harrowonline.org/2023/06/20/revealed-new-black-mirror-episode-was-filmed-in-harrow/|url-status=live}} Udo Kramer designed sets for all series six episodes. Kramer said that much research was done on 1970s department stores; the furniture and fixtures were made specifically for the episode and the colour palette was chosen to match the period.{{cite web|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2023/06/15/black-mirror-production-designer-interview/|title=Black Mirror's latest season a 'mini film festival' says production designer Udo Kramer|work=Dezeen|last=Carlson|first=Cajsa|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721213711/https://www.dezeen.com/2023/06/15/black-mirror-production-designer-interview/|url-status=live}} NVIZ Studio worked on the news reports that show Smart's rise to fascist leader, with iterations of Britannia Party messaging over three decades.{{cite web|url=https://nviz-studio.com/black_mirror_6.html|title=Black Mirror Season 6|publisher=NVIZ Studio|accessdate=2 August 2023|archive-date=23 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723173243/https://nviz-studio.com/black_mirror_6.html|url-status=dead}} Additional black-and-white photography was taken by David Hurn.{{cite web|url=https://www.creativereview.co.uk/david-hurn-black-mirror-demon-79/|title=David Hurn captures Black Mirror stars in 70s get-ups|work=Creative Review|last=Williams|first=Megan|date=19 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=18 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718182638/https://www.creativereview.co.uk/david-hurn-black-mirror-demon-79/|url-status=live}} The soundtrack was composed by Christopher Willis and released on 21 July 2023.{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/demon79-soundtrack-from-the-netflix-series-black-mirror/1697042112|title=Demon79 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series 'Black Mirror')|publisher=Apple Music|last=Willis|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Willis|date=21 July 2023|accessdate=13 February 2024}}

Ali and Vasan, both immigrants, spoke about the racial themes of the episode during the production process.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/global/black-mirror-anjana-vasan-1235645165/|title='Black Mirror' Star Anjana Vasan Talks 'Demon 79,' Working With Charlie Brooker and Color Blind Casting|work=Variety|last=Ramachandran|first=Naman|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724132927/https://variety.com/2023/tv/global/black-mirror-anjana-vasan-1235645165/|url-status=live}} Vasan could relate to Nida as an Indian-born woman who moved to Singapore in childhood and Britain in adulthood. Nida's fantasies of violence, according to Vasan, may be "so vivid" because Nida has to repress her emotions despite constant microaggressions against her.{{cite web|url=https://www.thedigitalfix.com/black-mirror/season-6-best-episode-interview|title=Black Mirror stars reveal how improv shaped season 6's best episode|work=The Digital Fix|last=McGlynn|first=Anthony|date=23 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721213711/https://www.thedigitalfix.com/black-mirror/season-6-best-episode-interview|url-status=live}} Vasan's first question to the writers was over Nida's comment "people said my mum was mad". This is left unexplained, so Vasan speculated that Nida's mother may have been "loud and eccentric" and, unlike Nida, not tried to assimilate to England. This contrasts with the interpretation that Nida's mother had mental health issues and Nida imagined Gaap.{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tnv/black-mirror-demon-79-has-a-hidden-backstory-that-explains-the-ending/|title=Black Mirror: Demon 79 Has a Hidden Backstory That Explains the Ending|work=Den of Geek|last=Bojalad|first=Alec|date=19 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=25 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725133613/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-mirror-demon-79-has-a-hidden-backstory-that-explains-the-ending/|url-status=live}} Vasan thought that Nida herself questions whether she is "just going insane".

File:Boney M Bobby Farrell 2006.jpg of Boney M.]]

Gaap was initially written as a punk figure, similar to the skinheads seen outside Nida's door, to embody Nida's fears. Costume fittings were done with Essiedu as a punk.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/features/tv-features/black-mirror-netflix-interview-charlie-brooker-cast-episodes-theories-3457066|title='Black Mirror' season six post-watch guide: trivia, set secrets and more|work=NME|last=Flood|first=Alex|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=16 June 2023|archive-date=16 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616174102/https://www.nme.com/features/tv-features/black-mirror-netflix-interview-charlie-brooker-cast-episodes-theories-3457066|url-status=live}} As Nida and Gaap developed to have a close relationship, Gaap's appearance was changed to appeal to Nida. Essiedu said the episode could be seen as a love story between the two. Vasan said that they had natural chemistry due to a shared background in theatre.

Brooker said that while listening to a playlist he made of late 1970s music he recalled the "strong visual look" of Boney M. and based Gaap's appearance on Farrell. Nida is "intrigued" or "excited" or "titillated" by Gaap, according to Essiedu. He said that Farrell was one of multiple "hyper-femme men" entering popular culture around this time. Essiedu described Farrell's role in the band as "his physicality, his dancing, his vibes", and tried to capture this "showmanship". Essiedu's outfit included black nails, shoulder pads and six-inch platform shoes.{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Jack |title=Black Mirror's Paapa Essiedu wasn't always supposed to be a disco demon |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/black-mirror-paapa-essiedu-interview |website=GQ |date=16 June 2023 |accessdate=21 July 2023 |archive-date=28 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628174007/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/black-mirror-paapa-essiedu-interview |url-status=live }}

Essiedu saw the political themes of "Demon 79" as having contemporary relevance, as the episode features an active political party and "the same kind of campaign slogans" as modern politicians. Vasan drew parallels to modern politicians using the anti-immigration slogan "stop the boats". Essiedu saw the ending as "quite hopeful", choosing to show Nida and Gaap leaving Earth rather than the reality of spending forever together.

According to the production, the decision to have Gaap teleport wherever Nida looks when she is trying to run away was made on the day of filming, with Essiedu crouching and running to minimise the "camera trickery". Haynes discussed with Vasan what it would feel like to Nida when Gaap shows a horrifying vision—like a panic attack or the inability to breathe—and Vasan experimented with her reactions on set.

The episode is a supernatural horror and fantasy story, lacking the science fiction elements of other Black Mirror episodes. Tonally, it evokes horror films of the 1970s, such as Hammer Horror or video nasties—low-budget, violent films. Additionally, it incorporates elements of comedy. In The Independent, Nick Hilton classified it as the most comedic episode of the sixth series through the "mismatched partnership" of Nida and Gaap, with a similar combination of comedy, violence and apocalypse to The Cabin in the Woods (2011).{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/black-mirror-season-6-review-episodes-ranked-b2357292.html|title=Black Mirror season six review: Charlie Brooker's sci-fi mishmash needs to stop messing with a winning formula|work=The Independent|last=Hilton|first=Nick|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=16 June 2023|archive-date=16 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616020939/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/black-mirror-season-6-review-episodes-ranked-b2357292.html|url-status=live}} Ed Power, writing in The Daily Telegraph, said that it was "cartoonish" while maintaining serious themes.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2023/06/15/black-mirror-demon-79-episode-5-netflix-review/|title=Black Mirror's Demon 79 takes on the National Front and Enoch Powell – and it's brilliant|work=The Daily Telegraph|last=Power|first=Ed|date=15 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616021726/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2023/06/15/black-mirror-demon-79-episode-5-netflix-review/ |accessdate=17 June 2023|archive-date=16 June 2023 }} GQ{{'}}s Jack King suggested it was a buddy film due to the unlikely partnership of Nida and Gaap.{{cite web|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/black-mirror-season-6-episode-6-demon-79|title='Demon 79' is the best Black Mirror episode in years|work=GQ|last=King|first=Jack|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=28 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628181032/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/black-mirror-season-6-episode-6-demon-79|url-status=live}}

Reviewers commented that the episode would fit in classic or contemporary anthology series such as Tales from the Darkside (1983–1988) or Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022). However, Time{{'}}s Judy Berman wrote that it shares "a shift in reality" that contains social commentary and "ends in a monster twist" with other Black Mirror episodes.{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/6287513/black-mirror-season-6-review/|title=What Even Is Black Mirror Anymore?|magazine=Time|last=Berman|first=Judy|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=15 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715005440/https://time.com/6287513/black-mirror-season-6-review/|url-status=live}} Jen Chaney of Vulture commented that the "futuristic terror" was nuclear war or the racist Tipley characters' fears of white people being outnumbered.{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/black-mirror-season-6-themes-explained.html|title=Black Mirror Looks Back|last=Chaney|first=Jen|work=Vulture|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721213715/https://www.vulture.com/article/black-mirror-season-6-themes-explained.html|url-status=live}} With a British cast, dark humour and "budget aesthetic", King saw it as a "return to roots" for the programme. The episode's ending can be interpreted as happy, which contrasts with most Black Mirror instalments.

"Demon 79" is set during the 1979 United Kingdom general election that led to Conservative Margaret Thatcher becoming prime minister. Brooker said that the election saw a change in British politics, with a "populist tsunami" that led the world to become "more hawkish". Smart resembles the politician Enoch Powell.{{cite web|url=https://rts.org.uk/article/charlie-brooker-commandeering-black-mirror-his-tv-inspiration-and-why-series-six-wont|title=Charlie Brooker on commandeering Black Mirror, his TV inspiration and why series six won't involve NFTs|publisher=Royal Television Society|last=Bennett|first=Harrison|date=9 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=1 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701181355/https://rts.org.uk/article/charlie-brooker-commandeering-black-mirror-his-tv-inspiration-and-why-series-six-wont|url-status=live}} He uses indirect phrases such as "crime is on the rise" and "the neighbourhood is changing" to allude to racist ideas. Political themes have appeared in the series before, in "The National Anthem" and "The Waldo Moment". As in "The National Anthem", a character is blackmailed into immoral acts for a greater good.{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a44215185/black-mirror-season-6-review/|title=Black Mirror Season 6: Every Episode, Reviewed|work=Esquire|last=Dodes|first=Rachel|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=14 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714071141/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a44215185/black-mirror-season-6-review/|url-status=live}}

File:White Bear Black Mirror.svg" matches the symbol on the talisman Nida finds.]]

As foreshadowing, Nida discovers old newspaper headlines describing a series of murders and a May Day celebration—this implies that Possett, the department store founder, previously used the talisman. "Demon 79" is connected to other Black Mirror episodes with Easter egg references: the talisman is engraved with a symbol first seen in "White Bear" that accompanies malicious power, and the same symbol appears as the emblem of Smart's ultranationalist Britannia Party. Nida's vision of Smart includes a robot dog that is from the world of "Metalhead". Other series six episodes make brief references to Smart and a paedophile ring in Tipley.{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-mirror-season-6-easter-eggs-upend-the-shows-shared-universe/|title=Black Mirror Season 6 Easter Eggs Upend the Show's Shared Universe|work=Den of Geek|last1=Bojalad|first1=Alec|last2=Mellor|first2=Louisa|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=20 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720212347/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-mirror-season-6-easter-eggs-upend-the-shows-shared-universe/|url-status=live}}

The soundtrack includes two Boney M. songs: "Rasputin" (1978) and "Ma Baker" (1977). The latter signifies that Nida "has shed her meek demeanor and is ready to kill", according to Den of Geek{{'}}s Brynna Arens, as the lyrics inform the listener that "Ma Baker is the FBI's most wanted woman".{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-mirror-season-6-soundtrack-songs-call-back-to-the-series-past/|title=Black Mirror Season 6 Soundtrack: Songs Call Back to the Series' Past|work=Den of Geek|last=Brynna|first=Arens|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=28 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628024938/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-mirror-season-6-soundtrack-songs-call-back-to-the-series-past/|url-status=live}} In the same scene, Nida steals a red leather jacket: Vasan said its "explosive pop of colour" contrasts with the many shades of brown in the shoe department.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/black-mirror-demon-79-interview/|title=Black Mirror's Demon 79 stars talk period setting, outlandish costumes, and returning to the show after 7 years|work=GamesRadar+|last=West|first=Amy|date=20 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721213715/https://www.gamesradar.com/black-mirror-demon-79-interview/|url-status=live}} It shows a change from her initial decision to wear all-brown and "blend into the background". Her subsequent attack on Smart is more aggressive and less hesitant than her previous killings, although she is unwilling to hurt Len and fails to kill Smart. Len fits 1970s tropes, as a police officer with a moustache who leaves cigarette ash on a corpse.

Viewers are led to question whether Gaap is real or if Nida is imagining the events. Nida and Vicky both mention dreaming, as does the song "Bright Eyes" (1979) by Art Garfunkel. Nida reads Shakti Gawain's Creative Visualisation: Use the Power of Your Imagination To Create What You Want in Life (1978). During her police interrogation, the talisman is shown to be a domino, suggesting Nida's account of events may be unreliable; and one police officer, having heard the whole account concludes "her mind is gone". However, the apocalyptic ending may vindicate Nida.{{cite web|url=https://mashable.com/article/black-mirror-demon-79-explainer|title='Demon 79' explained: How Season 6's final episode fits into 'Black Mirror'|work=Mashable|last=Puchko|first=Kristy|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=10 May 2024}}

Critics compared the premise to Knock at the Cabin (2023), an M. Night Shyamalan film. Sam Haysom of Mashable saw resemblance to Stephen King's sci-fi novel The Dead Zone (1979). Within both works, the main character discovers that a right-wing politician is set to become the leader of their country and commit terrible acts. The main character sets out to prevent this.{{Cite web |date=27 June 2023 |title='Black Mirror's 'Demon 79' pays homage to early Stephen King book |url=https://mashable.com/article/black-mirror-demon-79-stephen-king-the-dead-zone |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=Mashable |last=Haysom |first=Sam |archive-date=23 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723145534/https://mashable.com/article/black-mirror-demon-79-stephen-king-the-dead-zone |url-status=live }} Nida's aim—to kill three people to save many—was seen as an example of the trolley problem thought experiment by Screen Rant{{'}}s Greg MacArthur.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/black-mirror-demon-79-recap-twists-explained/#why-gaap-needs-nida-to-complete-the-3-sacrifices|title=Black Mirror's Demon 79 Recap: 6 Shocking Twists Explained|work=Screen Rant|last=MacArthur|first=Greg|date=4 July 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724170744/https://screenrant.com/black-mirror-demon-79-recap-twists-explained/#why-gaap-needs-nida-to-complete-the-3-sacrifices|url-status=live}}

The episode achieved positive critical reception: on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 100% based on 13 reviews.{{cite Rotten Tomatoes |type=tv |id=black_mirror |season=6 |episode=5 |access-date=16 June 2023}} The Independent and Vulture rated it four stars out of five; Den of Geek gave it 4.5 stars; The Daily Telegraph rated it five stars. Reviewers liked Essiedu and Vasan's acting: Alan Sepinwall, in Rolling Stone, described them as "so much fun" and "so good", respectively.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/black-mirror-season-6-review-mocks-netflix-annie-murphy-salma-hayek-1234770401/|title='Black Mirror' Season Six Takes Aim at Netflix But Feels Stuck in the Past|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Sepinwall|first=Alan|author-link=Alan Sepinwall|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023}} Vulture{{'}}s Ben Rosenstock thought they had "great chemistry" and The New York Observer{{'}}s Laura Babiak called them the "most watchable pair" of the series.{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/black-mirror-finale-recap-season-6-episode-5-demon-79-ending-explained.html|title=Black Mirror Series-Finale Recap: Red Mirror|work=Vulture|last=Rosenstock|first=Ben|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=12 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712234725/https://www.vulture.com/article/black-mirror-finale-recap-season-6-episode-5-demon-79-ending-explained.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://observer.com/2023/06/black-mirror-season-6-review-ranking-the-new-episodes-from-best-to-worst/|title='Black Mirror' Season 6 Review: Ranking the New Episodes from Best to Worst|work=The New York Observer|last=Babiak|first=Laura|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=20 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620151707/https://observer.com/2023/06/black-mirror-season-6-review-ranking-the-new-episodes-from-best-to-worst/|url-status=live}} Leila Jordan praised their "thoroughly entertaining" shifts between comedy and horror in Paste.{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/netflix/black-mirror-season-6-review|title=Black Mirror Struggles to Imagine the Future in an Uneven Season 6|work=Paste|last=Jordan|first=Leila|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724170744/https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/netflix/black-mirror-season-6-review|url-status=live}}

File:Paapa Essiedu (2016).jpg's acting as Gaap.]]

Gaap's characterisation was particularly highlighted for praise, with The Guardian{{'}}s Stuart Heritage attributing the episode's success to Essiedu.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jun/19/black-mirror-charlie-brooker-is-trolling-netflix-and-its-breathtaking|title=Bite the hand that streams! Charlie Brooker is trolling Netflix – and it's breathtaking|work=The Guardian|last=Heritage|first=Stuart|date=19 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=15 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715044142/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jun/19/black-mirror-charlie-brooker-is-trolling-netflix-and-its-breathtaking|url-status=live}} Den of Geek{{'}}s Louisa Mellor compared Gaap to the angel Clarence Odbody in the film It's a Wonderful Life (1946).{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-mirror-demon-79-review/|title=Black Mirror Season 6 Episode 5 Review: Demon 79|work=Den of Geek|last=Mellor|first=Louisa|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721213709/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-mirror-demon-79-review/|url-status=live}} Amy West, reviewing for GamesRadar+, said that Gaap's "deliciously camp flair" was aided by "one of the most fabulously flamboyant costumes" in the programme. Emily Baker of i positively reviewed the "hilarious delivery and ostentatious clobber" of Essiedu,{{cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/black-mirror-demon-79-netflix-review-charlie-brooker-racist-politician-2418429|title=Black Mirror: Demon 79, Netflix, review: Only Charlie Brooker would pit a devil against a racist politician|work=i|last=Baker|first=Emily|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=18 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618161705/https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/black-mirror-demon-79-netflix-review-charlie-brooker-racist-politician-2418429|url-status=live}} while Variety{{'}}s Daniel D'Addario commented that Gaap is charismatic.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/reviews/black-mirror-season-6-review-1235644259/|title='Black Mirror' Season 6 Is a Refreshingly Uncynical Return to Form: TV Review|work=Variety|last=D'Addario|first=Daniel|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=25 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625033800/https://variety.com/2023/tv/reviews/black-mirror-season-6-review-1235644259/|url-status=live}} King described Gaap as exemplifying Essiedu's acting range, through expressions of exasperation and bemusement. Andrew Webster of The Verge summarised that Gaap's "ray of positivity" provides well-timed levity.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/23762061/black-mirror-demon-79-review-season-6-netflix|title=Black Mirror's 'Demon 79' is a stressful slice of supernatural horror|work=The Verge|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=15 June 2023|accessdate=24 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724170744/https://www.theverge.com/23762061/black-mirror-demon-79-review-season-6-netflix|url-status=live}}

Vasan as Nida was also lauded. Rosenstock found Nida "easily the most compelling protagonist" of series six. D'Addario praised her "wide-eyed gumption" and Vasan's ability to "think through, onscreen", the ethical quandaries and limits of what Nida is capable of. West found that Vasan balanced comedy with pathos. Webster wrote that Nida develops naturally as a character throughout the story.

The episode's tone was positively received. Heritage wrote that it was a "successful experiment" for Black Mirror and King saw it as the best episode for many years. Despite saying the premise was not original, Webster believed that "Demon 79" found a "unique voice". Rosenstock found that the episode achieved the "perfect tonal balance" between funny and dramatic. Babiak approved of the "genre flare" such as the opening titles, grainy camera and gore. According to James Hibbs of Radio Times, the episode "brilliantly weaves in social commentary throughout". However, Jordan wrote that the 1970s horror homage and political criticism are not consistent throughout the episode or combined well. Entertainment Weekly reviewers said that the episode suffered from a lack of "tension in the central mystery". Rosenstock praised Keith's death scene as "fascinating", because he is "accepting he's about to die as a punishment".

Some reviewers highlighted that the episode is longer than typical for the programme. Babiak believed that it "gets bogged down" by its runtime. Contrastingly, Sepinwall said the episode's "lightness forgives some of the padding". Rosenstock approved of the episode's conclusion, which vindicates Nida and allows a happy ending despite nuclear apocalypse. Babiak found it "refreshing" that the episode provides a "twisted sense of catharsis" more than a moral. On the other hand, Esquire{{'}}s Brady Langmann criticised the ending as "puzzling" and Vulture{{'}}s Charles Bramesco described it as a "cop-out whimper" that "undercuts the moral scale-tapping preceding it".

"Demon 79" ranked below average on critics' lists of the 28 instalments of Black Mirror, from best to worst:

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• 5th – James Hibbs, Radio Times{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/best-black-mirror-episodes/|title=Black Mirror: All 28 episodes ranked from worst to best|work=Radio Times|last=Hibbs|first=James|date=23 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=29 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629000202/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/best-black-mirror-episodes/|url-status=live}}
• 9th – Lucy Ford, Jack King and Brit Dawson, GQ{{cite web|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/all-28-black-mirror-episodes-ranked|title=All 28 Black Mirror episodes (including season 6), ranked|work=GQ|last1=Ford|first1=Lucy|last2=King|first2=Jack|last3=Dawson|first3=Brit|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724134847/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/all-28-black-mirror-episodes-ranked|url-status=live}}
• 13th – Ed Power, The Daily Telegraph{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/black-mirror-best-episodes-worst-ranked/|title=Black Mirror: every episode, ranked from best to worst|work=The Daily Telegraph|last=Power|first=Ed|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115155347/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/black-mirror-best-episodes-worst-ranked/|url-status=live}}
• 21st – Amit Katwala, Matt Reynolds and James Temperton, Wired{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/best-black-mirror-episodes/|title=Every Black Mirror Episode, From Worst to Best|magazine=Wired|last1=Katwala|first1=Amit|last2=Reynolds|first2=Matt|last3=Temperton|first3=James|date=21 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724172410/https://www.wired.com/story/best-black-mirror-episodes/|url-status=live}}

{{col-2}}

• 22nd – James Hibberd and Christian Holub, Entertainment Weekly{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/black-mirror-episodes-ranked/?slide=14afdc5d-f174-453a-9089-72a1df4ca3a0#14afdc5d-f174-453a-9089-72a1df4ca3a0|title=Every Black Mirror episode ranked|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|last1=Hibberd|first1=James|author-link=James Hibberd (writer)|last2=Holub|first2=Christian|date=16 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=25 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725133620/https://ew.com/tv/black-mirror-episodes-ranked/?slide=14afdc5d-f174-453a-9089-72a1df4ca3a0#14afdc5d-f174-453a-9089-72a1df4ca3a0|url-status=live}}
• 23rd – Charles Bramesco, Vulture{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/every-black-mirror-episode-from-worst-to-best.html|title=Every Black Mirror Episode, Ranked|work=Vulture|last=Bramesco|first=Charles|date=17 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=22 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222050729/https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/every-black-mirror-episode-from-worst-to-best.html|url-status=live}}
• 24th – Brady Langmann, Esquire{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a49919/black-mirror-episodes-ranked/|title=All 28 Episodes of Black Mirror, Ranked|last1=Atad|first1=Corey|last2=Miller|first2=Matt|last3=Langmann|first3=Brady|work=Esquire|date=7 July 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=26 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026080710/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a49919/black-mirror-episodes-ranked/|url-status=live}}

{{col-end}}

GamesRadar+ and IndieWire listed the 27 episodes, excluding Bandersnatch, where "Demon 79" placed 20th and 22nd, respectively.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-black-mirror-episodes/|title=All Black Mirror episodes ranked, from Be Right Back to Beyond the Sea|work=GamesRadar+|last=West|first=Amy|date=23 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=30 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630173026/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-black-mirror-episodes/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/best-of/best-black-mirror-episodes-worst-netflix-ranked-1201897973/|title=Every 'Black Mirror' Episode, Ranked|work=IndieWire|last1=Greene|first1=Steve|last2=Khosla|first2=Proma|date=20 June 2023|accessdate=25 July 2023|archive-date=2 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702125946/https://www.indiewire.com/features/best-of/best-black-mirror-episodes-worst-netflix-ranked-1201897973/|url-status=live}} The New York Observer rated it third-best of the five episodes in series six.

{{Reflist}}

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{{Black Mirror}}

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Category:Television episodes directed by Toby Haynes

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Category:Television episodes set in England

Category:Television episodes about child sexual abuse

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Category:Fiction set in 1979