‘Haunting’ Scottish thriller Loch Henry hailed by fans as one of Black Mirror’s best episodes
The Scottish countryside has rarely looked so beautiful or so disturbing. Loch Henry, the second episode of Black Mirror season six, has become a fan favourite, with viewers praising its unsettling story, unexpected twists and deeply disturbing final act.
Released in 2023, the episode follows two young filmmakers whose plans for a quiet nature documentary take a horrifying turn when they begin investigating the dark history of Davis McCardle’s hometown.
The fictional town of Loch Henry may not exist, but much of the episode was filmed in real Scottish locations, including Arrochar and Inveraray in Argyll and Bute. The production used 18 locations in total, with the crew based around Loch Lomond.
A nature documentary takes a dark turn
Loch Henry stars Samuel Blenkin as Davis McCardle and Myha’la Herrold as Pia Koreshi, a couple who are both film students.
The pair travel to Davis’s hometown with plans to make a nature documentary. The sleepy Scottish setting initially appears perfect for their project, and Davis introduces Pia to his mother, Janet, played by Monica Dolan.
But the town has a disturbing past.
Pia discovers that Loch Henry was once associated with a notorious serial killer. In the late 1990s, a newlywed couple disappeared, and the story surrounding their disappearance had a devastating effect on the local community and its once-thriving tourism industry.
Instead of continuing with their original nature documentary, Pia persuades Davis that the murders could provide the material for a true-crime film.
Davis is understandably reluctant. His late father, Kenneth McCardle, was a police officer and became connected to the case.
As the pair begin digging deeper, however, their investigation reveals that the truth behind the killings is far more disturbing than they initially imagined.
Warning: the following section contains major spoilers for the episode.
The twist that shocked viewers
What makes Loch Henry particularly unsettling is the way it gradually changes from a story about two filmmakers investigating an old crime into something much more personal.
Pia eventually discovers that the horrifying murders were not simply the work of Iain Adair, the man initially blamed for the crimes. Davis’s father Kenneth and his mother Janet were also involved.
That revelation completely changes the meaning of the investigation and places Davis and Pia in immediate danger.
Netflix’s own behind-the-scenes coverage describes Janet as a conspirator in the murders and notes that the episode deliberately contrasts the beautiful Scottish landscape with the horrific story unfolding within it.
The episode also explores the uncomfortable relationship between true crime and entertainment. Davis and Pia’s documentary eventually becomes a major success, while the terrible events that devastated the town are transformed into entertainment and a new attraction for visitors.
That darker idea is central to Charlie Brooker’s story: a beautiful location and a compelling crime can make something horrific strangely appealing to an audience.
The real Scotland behind Loch Henry
Although Loch Henry itself is fictional, the landscapes seen throughout the episode are real.
Production took place around Loch Lomond, with Arrochar and Inveraray among the principal locations. Netflix says the crew filmed by Loch Long in Arrochar, near the Argyll Forest, while the production used 18 Scottish locations altogether.
Inveraray was transformed to resemble a Scottish town in the 1990s, complete with period vehicles, signs and other details. Filming took place in September 2022, with the production temporarily changing parts of the town for the period scenes.
The real locations provide much of the episode’s visual appeal. The contrast between the peaceful scenery and the disturbing story was an important part of the atmosphere.
Charlie Brooker, the creator of Black Mirror, has explained that he was particularly interested in filming in Scotland because the series had not previously used the country as a setting. The idea for the episode was inspired by watching a true-crime documentary about something terrible that had happened in Scotland.
The production’s location manager, Liam Irving, a native of Scotland, identified all 18 filming locations.
Why fans rate it so highly
Despite being somewhat different from the technology-driven stories often associated with Black Mirror, Loch Henry has developed a strong following among viewers.
The episode currently has an 87 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, while fans have repeatedly singled it out for its twists and disturbing storyline.
On Reddit, one viewer described the episode as a top-tier entry despite acknowledging that it did not feel like a conventional Black Mirror story.
Another called it an underrated episode, while others simply said they loved it.
One fan said Loch Henry had become their favourite episode of the entire series and was so disturbing that they could not bring themselves to watch it again for weeks.
Another viewer praised the episode for repeatedly misleading them, saying they had rarely been wrong about so many twists in a film or television story.
The strongest reaction came from another fan who described it as an amazing episode with one of the best plot twists in the series, adding that it could be the best episode of Black Mirror.
A darker side to true crime
Part of what makes Loch Henry linger is that its horror is not built around futuristic technology.
Instead, the episode uses an old-fashioned murder investigation, documentary filmmaking and the growing popularity of true crime to create its unease. Old video footage, cameras and VHS-style material become important to the story, giving the episode a distinctly unsettling visual style.
The result is a story in which the picturesque Scottish setting becomes increasingly sinister as Davis and Pia uncover more about the past.
The episode also leaves viewers with an uncomfortable question about the appetite for true crime: what happens when real suffering becomes a successful piece of entertainment?
That tension between beautiful scenery, horrific crimes and the commercial appeal of the resulting documentary is what gives Loch Henry much of its lasting impact.
Black Mirror: Loch Henry trailer
Loch Henry is the second episode of Black Mirror season six and is available to stream on Netflix. The episode was released on June 15, 2023, and runs for around an hour.