Cinema was initially introduced as a technological innovation and rapidly garnered widespread acceptance, evolving into a powerful art form and pervasive medium. Throughout its history, cinema has continuously adapted to technological advancements, with innovations involving such aspects as scenario, color, sound, wide screen formats, digitalization, 3D, and IMAX enhancing the narrative possibilities and transforming its formal characteristics. In the contemporary era, the ubiquity of the Internet and rise of digital streaming platforms have ushered in a transition toward a viewer-centric content consumptive experience, particularly as audiences increasingly shift from passive spectators to active users, driven by a heightened demand for interactive consumption most notably in the realm of gaming.

Netflix as a digital streaming platform was traditionally regarded as avantgarde and experimental and also notably catapulted interactive film production into the mainstream in 2018. Marking a milestone in the evolution of interactive storytelling, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (Slade, 2018) is a film based on the celebrated British dystopian science fiction series Black Mirror and stands out as the inaugural adult interactive film to have achieved mainstream recognition. Serving as the focal point of this research, the production diverges from traditional linear narratives by presenting choices to the audience, empowering them to shape the trajectory of the story. This work delves into the fundamental concepts of form and content in the realm of interactive films by utilizing Black Mirror: Bandersnatch as an illustrative case study.

The nature of interactive storytelling necessitates distinct techniques compared to the linear narrative prevalent in traditional cinema. Interactive cinema employs non linear narrative techniques and has roots dating back to the 1960s, although its initial experiments in physical cinema spaces remained largely experimental until the digital era and the proliferation of the Internet. The contemporary integration of interactivity into cinema has been accelerated by streaming technology, video game interaction, participatory culture, and software-facilitated interactive narratives, sparking both practical and theoretical discussions.

Cinema’s unique characteristics compelled early theorists to define its form, followed by realist theorists accentuating the significance of content. As another period of rapid aesthetic and technological transformation akin to the classical cinema discussions era is being witnessed, examining the structure of interactive films becomes paramount, given their capacity for multiple evolving stories. The contrast between the passive experience of traditional cinema and the active engagement inherent in interactive films underscores the necessity for adapting the concepts of form and content to this evolving cinematic genre.

The primary objective of this study is to articulate the definitions of form and content within the domain of interactive films. To fulfil this objective, an exploration of the following key questions has been undertaken:

1. What constitutes the form and content of interactive films?

2. How is the relationship between form and content manifested in interactive films?

This investigation delves into the structural dimensions of interactive narrative films, a novel paradigm in cinema. The inquiry commences by revisiting the classical dichotomy of form and content in cinema. Subsequently, the study navigates through the conceptualization of interactivity and the discernment of an interactive form. The pinnacle of this exploration involves a descriptive analysis of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Through this analysis, the study aims to define the film’s form and content and discern the intricate relationship between them. To accomplish this, the theoretical groundwork for the concept of interactivity is laid through a comprehensive discussion of form and content. Following this theoretical foundation, the film is subjected to an analysis by employing the specific categories of form and content. The analytical framework incorporates Hartmur Koenitz’s (2010, 2015) models for interactive digital narrative and protostory. The synthesis of this analysis culminates in a condensed presentation of the film’s form and content and is conveyed through illustrative figures. 

The study reveals the distinctive feature that enables the viewing of interactive films to lay in their unique form, which systematically presents content to the audience and facilitates access to all possible story alternatives. Koenitz’s (2010, 2015) definition characterizes this system as the software delivering content to the audience and the hardware on which the software operates. Notably, each of the scenes presenting all the possible story pathways were identified to constitute the content in interactive films.

The study emphasizes that, without the specific order the system imposes for presenting these scenes, the content would be unintelligible and, consequently, nonfunctional. This underscores how the form in interactive films not only fortifies the narrative but also more fundamentally renders the narrative possible.

Despite the limitations regarding the interactivity arising from a relatively low number of story alternatives in the analyzed film of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, the study concludes that the production holds a significant place int the history of interactive cinema. This distinction stems from its capacity to present a dramatic narrative with diverse alternative storylines, thus contributing to the evolution and diversification of interactive storytelling within the cinematic landscape.