Charlie Brooker's new Netflix special Death to 2020 branded "disappointing" and "lazy" by critics

BY DAN SEDDON

 

NETFLIX

 

It sounds like Netflix mockumentary Death to 2020 may not have been the hilarious Christmas present we were hoping for after all.

 

Starring a ridiculously impressive ensemble – Hugh Grant, Samuel L Jackson, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, Joe Keery, Tracey Ullman, Diane Morgan, Samson Kayo and narration from Laurence Fishburne – Death to 2020 covers a miserable year through the lens of Black Mirror duo Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones.

 

As the first flurry of reviews sprinkle the internet, however, it's quite clear that Death to 2020 hasn't been well received by critics.

 

The Telegraph, describing the special as a "disappointing rehash" in the headline of its two-star review, said:

 

Full Story: https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a35079695/netflix-death-to-2020-review-criticism/

All of old c*ck faces work is a rehash. Never saw the appeal

17 minutes ago, ourmanflint said:

All of old c*ck faces work is a rehash. Never saw the appeal

Care to elaborate? Are you referring to Charlie Brooker and his body of work? His recent TV series have been lauded for their stunning originality or perhaps more importantly for their reworking and reweaving of complex themes hithertoo only made possible in print by authors such as Alfred Bester and Philip K Dick. However, the TV dramas were challenging and sometimes bleak. I stopped watching them recently because they were too real and too disturbing...the stuff of nightmares  I conclude your comment was just trolling for the sake of it but thank you. It helped clarify in my mind and confirm Brookners refreshing brilliance. British creative talent recognized and rescued by American money and production talent.

Black Mirror was just terrible, never understood why they were lauded quite so much. As I said most were rehashes of other peoples ideas

8 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

Black Mirror was just terrible, never understood why they were lauded quite so much. As I said most were rehashes of other peoples ideas

Is there such a thing as original thought anymore? Everyone is influenced by everything that's gone previously, but that doesn't necessarily make it any less entertaining.

I used to enjoy Brooker's year-end critiques.  Just saw this one last night, it doesn't have the wit of his former shows.