“If the world ended tomorrow, would you be happy with how you’ve lived your life?”
That’s the question that British hypnotist/mentalist/tv personality Derren Brown asks us at the very beginning of his latest project, “Apocalypse”. The program, which aired on the Channel 4 last month, centered around the idea of transforming one man’s life by making him believe that the world was ending. The premise was elaborate: one man, Steven, is lead to believe that a meteor shower has resulted in a chaotic impact with Earth, unleashing a bacteria that infects people and turns them into ravenous zombies. The man is alone, must find his way to safety, and avoid becoming infected himself.
Steven thinks all of this is real, and is forced to ditch his lazy pre-apocalypse life to become an adult quickly and face unspeakable situations. Essentially, it’s the Truman Show with zombies. It’s a fascinating look at what could become a new trend in reality TV, and one which Brown has been experimenting with for a long time already. Playing with the human psyche for good? It could be the ultimate personal transformation, albeit extremely expensive.
Part 1 is above, and part 2 below. Enjoy the nearly two-hour show, take notes, and think about if you’re the one who might be hypnotized next.
Videos courtesy Channel 4
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