Issa Rae has been blowing us all away with her performance in the new season of Black Mirror. Well, you can now watch it streaming on Netflix! On the seventh season, look for the “Hotel Reverie” episode. During this episode, Rae portrays Brandy, a character who faces the trials and tribulations of Tinseltown and the new age of AI within the world of movie-making.
Hotel Reverie also offers a meta critique on the entertainment industry. Deep fake technology’s growing applicability for the film industry is to use A.I. technology to recreate actors’ likenesses on screen. This new reality gives deeper meaning to the concepts of originality and adaptation. The remaking and rebooting of everything under the sun is critiqued through the lens of performers getting typecast throughout their career.
In this magical episode, Brandy unearths a retelling of the beloved rom-com, Hotel Reverie! In the original film, the on-screen icon Dorothy was inhabited by Emma Corrin. It’s not just the writing and direction—Producer Kimmy, played by Awkwafina, is the creative engine behind the project. She manages to convince Judith to reassess the shunned cult classic. As Brandy pursues the lead role in the remake, she finds herself thrust into a digital world designed to replicate the original movie’s essence.
In Rae’s words, she was thrilled to use her craft to participate in a project so inspiring and eye-opening. Vicky told us about her first reaction when she got the script, how it spoke to both her intellectual and artistic ambitions.
“Getting this script in some ways was one of those moments where I was like, ‘Oh, yes, this is kind of what I’ve been looking for.’” – Issa Rae
The actress’s words were especially powerful this year for emphasizing how important Black Mirror’s distinct narrative style is. She echoed Johnson’s sentiments about how for a series with so much talent it really excels at putting new actors in surprising positions.
“Black Mirror has been so great about showcasing talent [and] then showing some of my favorites in just these situations that I didn’t imagine watching them in,” – Issa Rae
For Rae, the collaborative process of building “Hotel Reverie” was a deeply layered experience. She emphasized the ways it pushed her to write outside of her comfort zones and the experiences she received from it.
“Like, I have so many new experiences that I haven’t had before so it was a treat on so many levels,” – Issa Rae
Rae was particularly keen to share her perspective on what makes Brandy tick. Brandy’s search for joy and accomplishment—which she doesn’t believe exists in her actual life—brings her far and wide. This desire compels her to make bold and dangerous moves in order to follow her dreams.
“She’s craving for excitement that she’s not getting in her real life, which obviously prompts her to take this big risk,” – Issa Rae
Rae further mused on where Hollywood is today, arguing that it’s in crisis mode in figuring out where to go next.
“It feels like Hollywood is at this weird standstill where it doesn’t know which direction to go and beyond what’s familiar territory,” – Issa Rae
She spoke about the challenge this uncertainty poses to innovation, locking artists into set categories.
“So, in that way, it feels like it’s placing all of us as creatives in this box,” – Issa Rae
Hotel Reverie is a stunning display of Issa Rae’s talents. It provides a searing indictment of the surreal, bizarre, and often terrible world that is today’s Hollywood. As viewers engage with season seven of Black Mirror, they are invited to reflect on the implications of technology and originality in storytelling.