BLACK MIRROR, 7.3 – ‘Hotel Reverie’

Theatres are dying. Or at least, they are in “Hotel Reverie”, the third episode of Black Mirror‘s seventh season. The only thing that can save them is by recreating them with a new actor in the lead role through a new technology created by Redream. That’s what brings ambitious star Brandy Friday (Issa Rae) to Redream’s remake of Hotel Reverie, a 1940s classic love story in the vein of Casablanca (1942) and Brief Encounter (1945). However, when plot holes begin to emerge in the remake, Brandy has to get the screenplay back on track to make it back home alive.

For fans of Ernest Cline’s novel Ready Player One who were disappointed that Steven Spielberg’s 2018 film adaptation dropped the plot where Wade has to perfectly recreate WarGames (1983), you’ll be glad to see this notion played out on the screen. However, the sci-fi tech is completely lacklustre compared to the love story at the centre of “Hotel Reverie”, making it a flimsy entry in the Black Mirror pantheon.

“Hotel Reverie” begins with a trailer of the fictional 1949 classic Hotel Reverie. Set in Cairo, the black-and-white film follows the love story of heroic doctor, Alex Palmer, and Clara Ryce-Lechere, whose husband is trying to kill her. Complete with murder attempts, piano numbers, gushy dialogue, and a heart-wrenching final line, “Hotel Reverie” tries to recreate the love stories that have transcended time. However, that was 1949.

Now, Keyworth Pictures, the production company behind the film, is going under. That is until Redream project leader, Kimmy (Awkwafina) approaches Judith Keyworth (Harriet Walter) with an offer to recreate the film with the new tech. When both Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling aren’t available, they have to go another direction for their lead.

Enter Brandy Friday, a supporting lady who is tired of playing the “noble victim or fuckable sidekick.” Looking for something romantic, something she can escape into, Brandy seeks out a gender-swapped role as Alex Palmer, the suave lead of Hotel Reverie.

With only two hours on set before a Swedish toilet paper company is due to make a commercial, Kimmy, Judith, and a team of young technicians put Brandy into the film with Inception (2010)-esque technology to make the movie in real time. Brandy is sucked directly into the black and white sets of the film with A.I. recreations of the characters. She meets her love interest, Clara, played by actress Dorothy Chambers (Emma Corrin), who tragically committed suicide shortly after the film was released. After a plot hole threatens to keep Brandy in the film forever, she discovers the A.I. recreation of Clara gains emotional agency, bringing the two actresses closer together.

“Hotel Reverie” tackles a lot in its 76-minute runtime. Film as art versus film as content. Women gaining agency in acting. The potential human autonomy of artificial intelligence. To the script’s credit, which is penned by Black Mirror creator Charlie Booker, it’s tight enough not to lose us in the first 10 minutes, racing through this thematic development. And these are timely ideas to address, especially in an era where movie studios are focused solely on the money-making returns of cinema: remakes, sequels, and reboots. However, all of this may be too much to effectively explore in its short runtime, especially in its dissection of film versus content. As far as the content-driven model of Redream goes, there doesn’t seem to be anything said about this type of tech. The remake of Hotel Reverie seems like a disaster, yet it gets a big marketing campaign as we are bookended with the new trailer of Hotel Reverie starring Brandy Friday. It’s left to the viewer to bring their own opinion on film as an art form to the table.

Visually, “Hotel Reverie” is impressive. Since Brandy’s trapped in the 1949 film recreation for the majority of the story, there’s a clear distinction between the modern age and the film. However, Brandy stands out. Whether through lighting or some visual effects, Brandy Friday, even dressed in period-appropriate costuming, feels out of place. It’s a good gimmick to address the faults of the content-driven tech. Still, Haolu Wang’s (Doctor Who) direction does leave something to be desired here. The life-ending stakes of “Hotel Reverie” never feel like enough. Even as the characters on the outside of the remake dash to save Brandy’s life, there’s no real sense of threat. Perhaps this lies in the fact that the love story between Dorothy and Brandy is the most engaging piece of “Hotel Reverie”, making everything else obsolete.

Issa Rae and Emma Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine) have fantastic chemistry in “Hotel Reverie” and are so convincing in exploring this key relationship while never losing who they are. Having a weekend to prepare for the shoot, Brandy is so out of her element. However, Rae does a great job imbuing her with a sense of professionalism, an actress deserving of the gated home and box office success. And Corrin is the film’s most impressive element. They have the unique role of playing an A.I. recreation of a fictional actress portraying a film character who gains the emotional autonomy of the actress portraying the character. That intersection of humanity and A.I. drives a worthy discussion of what makes a person human. And Corrin’s portrayal is equally heartbreaking and exciting, making us care for this person who doesn’t truly exist. The best thing to say about “Hotel Reverie” is it does earn its bittersweet ending, and that is earned from the strength of these two actors.

A burgeoning love affair between a human and A.I. isn’t a new concept. Her (2013) did a remarkable job bringing the love story of a divorced writer and an A.I. voice to the big screen. 12 years later, with A.I. even more advanced and generative A.I. dominating social media, it’s an even more timely exploration. I think that “Hotel Reverie”, whether intentional or not, leaves its conclusion open-ended. The love is real. But is it dangerous? I’m reminded more of another Christopher Nolan film, Interstellar (2014). “Love is the one thing we’re capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space,” Dr Brand told Cooper when debating what love really is. I find the deep romantic relationship between two people, 76 years apart, very moving. It’s just a shame the rest of “Hotel Reverie” doesn’t match that interest.

UK | 2025 | 76 MINUTES | 16:9 | COLOUR • BLACK & WHITE | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

writer: Charlie Booker.
director: Haolu Wang.
starring: Issa Rae, Emma Corrin, Harriet Walter, Awkwafina, Enzo Cilenti, Charlie Hiscock, Tessa Wong, Danielle Vitalis & Stanley Weber.