CULTURE

Salma Hayek Stars As Herself In Dystopian Black Mirror Trailer

Salma Hayek in the upcoming sixth season of Netflix series 'Black Mirror.'
Netflix

Netflix series Black Mirror is known for its subversive dramas but the trailer for its upcoming sixth season is taking aim inward. The trailer gives a glimpse inside the various episodes that will make up the season—for those unfamiliar with the series, Black Mirror is composed of stand-alone, often unrelated episodes that make up each season.

While the trailer is brimming with action, the preview for the episode “Joan is Awful” stands out in particular. Seemingly based around a woman (Annie Murphy) who discovers that her life was turned into TV series by “Streamberry,” which happens to look a lot like Netflix. The woman is portrayed by Salma Hayek (who plays herself in the episode). “Is that Salma Hayek?” Murphy asks. In response, Hayek says “Bingo.”

“I’ve always felt that ‘Black Mirror’ should feature stories that are entirely distinct from one another, and keep surprising people (and myself) or else what’s the point?” series creator Charlie Brooker explained to Tudum. “It should be a series that can’t be easily defined, and can keep reinventing itself.”

What is Black Mirror about?

Black Mirror was created by Brooker and came to Netflix in 2016 after originally debuting on British network Channel 4 in 2011. While each episode is distinct, the series has explored themes of dystopia, virtual reality, and consumerism throughout its previous five seasons (the fifth season was released in June 2019).

The first teaser for the sixth season was released on April 26th and provided the first glimpse of what to expect. It featured scenes set in space, arson, and hints of violence. Netflix called it the series’ “most unpredictable, unclassifiable and unexpected” season yet upon the teaser’s release.

The second trailer for offered a more in depth view of the season’s upcoming episodes. The phrase “five new films, five new realities, five new nightmares” opens the trailer, confirming that there will be five episodes with different storylines. Along with “Joan is Awful,” there were looks at “Loch Henry,” “Beyond the Sea,” “Mazey Day,” and “Demon 79.” Earlier this month, Brooker provided insight into what to expect from episode to Netflix fan site Tudum.

“I began this season by deliberately upending some of my own core assumptions about what to expect,” Brooker said. “Consequently, this time, alongside some of the more familiar Black Mirror tropes we’ve also got a few new elements, including some I’ve previously sworn blind the show would never do, to stretch the parameters of what ‘a Black Mirror episode’ even is. The stories are all still tonally Black Mirror through-and-through — but with some crazy swings and more variety than ever before.”

Who is in the cast of Black Mirror Season Six?

Throughout the previous five seasons, Black Mirror has featured a host of big names like Miley Cyrus, Michaela Coel, Bryce Dallas Howard, Will Poulter, among others. This season is no different—Hayek will be joined by Aaron Paul Michael Cera, Kate Mara, Rory Culkin, Myha’la Herrold, Annie Murphy, and more.

When will Black Mirror Season Six be released?

Black Mirror will be released via Netflix on June 15th, 2023.