Is ‘Interactive Storytelling’ the Future of Media?

Or does passive and active content serve different purposes?

On December 28, 2018, Netflix officially launched Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, an interactive film that allowed consumers to make decisions for the protagonist throughout the story, with each decision branching into a different storyline and ultimately, ending. This was not the first ever interactive show or movie — Netflix had previously launched a handful of interactive children’s fare, while HBO debuted the six-episode Steven Soderbergh directed interactive series Mosaic in 2017.

Bandersnatch was, however, the first interactive film to gain widespread media attention and acclaim. Following its release, articles appeared with hyperbolic headlines such as “The TV of Tomorrow Is Now Here,” and “Will Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’s Interactivity Change Cinema Forever?”

The critical success of Bandersnatch encouraged Netflix to double-down on interactive storytelling, and other media companies have followed suit. YouTube recently announced it was developing interactive programming, NBCUniversal has released an app named “Series: Your Story Universe” which pairs some of its notable IP with interactive storytelling, and Walmart invested $250 million in a joint venture with Eko to produce interactive content.