Black Mirror: Season 6 – Beyond the Sea (2023)

An image of a VCR tape. The plastic cover on the tape is smashed in the shape of a smiley face.

Black Mirror Season 6 © Netflix

Creator: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara
Production Company:
Zeppotron, Channel 4 Television, Babieka
Kent Locations Used:
Home Farm, Chilham Mill Estate, Dungeness, Perry Wood

Black Mirror (2011-2023) is a Netflix anthology series set in a dystopian future, with each episode focusing on unique individuals grappling with the effects of technology.

Created by Charlie Brooker (Dead Set, Death to 2020), the series originally aired on Channel 4 before moving over to Netflix for the third season. Episode 3 of the new series, titled Beyond the Sea, stars Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Need for Speed) as Cliff Stanfield, Josh Hartnett (Lucky Number Slevin, The Faculty) as David Ross and Kate Mara (Fantastic Four, The Martian) as Lana Stanfield.

Set in an alternative 1969, Beyond the Sea follows two astronauts, Cliff and David, who are deep in outer space on a six year-long mission. Thanks to technology, the two can transfer their consciousness into highly realistic replicas of themselves back on Earth. When a tragedy occurs, their lives onboard and off the ship are thrown into turmoil.

Various locations in Kent feature throughout the episode. Cliff’s family home was shot at Home Farm in Swale, the river where Cliff and his son Henry (Daniel Bell) go fishing was filmed at Chilham Mill Estate, and the woodland where Lana takes David was Perry Wood in Selling. Dungeness also features as the road which Lana travels along to get into town, and where she later sits in her car waiting for Cliff to return from the ship.

Situated in Swale, Home Farm is a colonial style weatherboarded villa, with veranda’s overlooking the countryside. Inside, rooms are decorated in a vintage chic style with reclaimed wood floors and chateau doors. The property is particularly popular for photoshoots but has also featured in The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2017), Juliet, Naked (2018) and The Current War (2019).

Perry Wood is an ancient woodland lying between Selling and Chilham parishes. It is designated as a Local Wildlife Site and offers stunning panoramic views of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Chilham Mill Estate is located in the idyllic village of Chilham, which offers a multitude of features including a stunning private castle, two pubs, a traditional beamed village hall and a Norman built church which is believed to be the final resting place of Thomas Becket. The village has previously been featured in Emma (2009), Chickens (2011), and A Canterbury Tale (1944).

A unique expanse of SSSI shingle beach, the Dungeness Estate also features ramshackle huts, old and ultra-modern residences, two lighthouses, boat moorings, two pubs and artist galleries. It’s one of Kent’s most popular filming locations, having recently featured in Back to Life (2019-2021), Brave New World (2020) and Una (2017).

Season 6 of Black Mirror will be released on Netflix on Thursday 15th June 2023.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.  


The 355 (2022)

Four women dressed in evening wear stand in front of a white stone building framed by two large light-up Chinese dragons. On the far left is Graciela, played by Penélope Cruz. Next to her is Mace, played by Jessica Chastain, then Marie played by Diane Kruger. Finally, on the far right stands Khadijah played by Lupita Nyong’o. All four women look nervously off to the left-hand side of the frame.

The 355 (2022) © Universal Studios

Director: Simon Kinberg
Writers: Simon Kinberg, Theresa Rebeck
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, , Diane Kruger, Penélope Cruz, Bingbing Fan
Production Company: Freckle Films, CAA Media Finance, FilmNation Entertainment
Locations Used: Fairbourne Reservoir in Harrietsham

The 355 (2022) is an American spy thriller about a CIA operative who joins forces with three international agents on a mission to recover a top-secret weapon that has fallen into the wrong hands.

Directed and written by Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, The Twilight Zone) and co-written by Theresa Rebeck (Law & Order: Criminal Intent, NYPD Blue), The 355 cast is headlined by Jessica Chastain (X-Men: Dark Phoenix,  Interstellar), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther), Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds, The Operative), Penélope Cruz (Murder on the Orient Express, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and Bingbing Fan (Iron Man 3,  X-Men: Days of Future Past).

During filming, production visited Fairbourne Reservoir near Harrietsham in Maidstone. The property was dressed as Graciela’s (Penélope Cruz) Colombian home.

Fairbourne Reservoir is a modern mansion which has previously featured in two episodes of Netflix’s Black Mirror – Metalhead (2017) and Smithereens (2018). Harrietsham is a picturesque village in Maidstone and contains a number of listed buildings..

The 355 was released in UK cinemas on Friday 7th January 2022.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map


Black Mirror: Season 4 – Metalhead (2017)

Poster for Black Mirror MetalHead episode in black and white showing stylised image of main character running across the horizon. metal Head written in white

Black Mirror MetalHead © Netflix

Writer: Charlie Brooker

Director: David Slade

Starring: Maxine Peake, Jake Davies, Clint Dyer

Production Company: Zeppotron

Kent Locations Used: Harrietsham, Maidstone


Black Mirror
is a Netflix drama series that focuses on unsettling visions of reality and tends to be satirical with its social commentary and dystopian storylines, each episode featuring a unique story.

The Series, now in its fourth season, was created and written by Charlie Brooker (10 O’ Clock Live) and has a number of high profile directors, such as Jodie Foster (Money Monster), each directing their own episode. Segments of Episode 5 MetalHead, directed by David Slade (Hannibal), were filmed at a private property in Harrietsham village near Maidstone in April 2017.

The episode, filmed entirely in black and white, stars Maxine Peake (The Theory of Everything) and follows a woman whose companions are mauled by a mysterious dog at a warehouse. MetalHead is a chase story set against the empty post‑apocalyptic landscape of the Scottish moors.

Fairbourne Reservoir East in Maidstone features as the empty house Bella (Maxine Peake) seeks refuge in towards the end of the episode.

The Maidstone area has been seen on screen in productions such as Eastenders (2007-2022) which filmed in Wormshill and Harrietsham and Children In Need: The Rickshaw Challenge (2015).

Black Mirror: Season 4 will be released on 29 December 2017 on streaming service Netflix. All six episodes will be available on the day, each of which will once again be a self-contained film.

Image of Maxine Peake sat in a remote rural location on the phone with a look of panic on her face

Maxine Peake in Black Mirror S4 MetalHead © Jonathan Prime Netflix

View the MetalHead trailer here:

MetalHead Official Trailer (0:45)

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.